East Bay Community Action given $1.6M

NEWPORT – East Bay Community Action Program has been awarded $1.57 million in federal stimulus money to adopt electronic medical records and upgrade its information technology systems, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday.

The funding was one of 45 grants totaling $83.9 million announced by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. East Bay Community Action was the only Rhode Island recipient.

“We need health information technology to bring our health care system into the 21st century,” Sebelius said in a statement. “This essential technology improves the quality of care we all receive and helps make care more efficient.”

East Bay Community Action is a private nonprofit community action agency that provides health care and social services to residents of Barrington, Bristol, East Providence, Jamestown, Little Compton, Middletown, Newport, Portsmouth, Tiverton and Warren.

Additional information is available at ebcap.org.