U.S. Representatives Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington) and Brad Miller (D-Raleigh) Monday announced that they have secured $550,000 for Enhancing Quality Utilization by Integrating Primary Care (EQUIP) at Wake Health Services, Inc.

The funding was included in the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies legislation, H.R. 3293, which passed the House of Representatives on July 24 by a vote of 264 - 153.

"Community health centers play a central role in the medical stability of many rural and urban communities across North Carolina," Etheridge said. "When we strengthen these facilities with investments like this, we bring peace of mind to families and build our communities."

"Community health centers serve some of our most vulnerable citizens," said Rep. Miller. "With electronic medical records, we can ensure that they are getting the highest quality care possible."

The funding will be used by the health center to purchase and develop technology, both hardware and software, that will allow doctors to use electronic health records to improve quality care. The EQUIP project will allow doctors to use real-time data that can impact patient care at the most critical time -- during the doctor visit.

This funding will help save lives and improve the health of the more than 25,000 low-income patients in Wake and Franklin counties who are served by Wake Health's centers. Electronic health records improve patient safety, quality of care, and efficiency. Electronic health records give doctors more time to spend with patients rather than shuffling through piles of paperwork. On average, electronic health records are 40 percent more complete and 20 percent faster to retrieve than paper records.