Mayo Clinic will receive $12.3 million in federal funds to roll out information technology systems in southeastern Minnesota. Mayo is one of 15 organizations nationally chosen for pilot programs aimed at improving health and lowering costs.

Many patient records in southeastern Minnesota are already electronic. The program initially will use technology to reduce the costs of hospitalization and emergency services and to better manage chronic diseases such as diabetes and childhood asthma, eventually expanding to other conditions.

"Because of their early efforts, doctors across the country will one day be able to coordinate patient care with the stroke of a key or pull up life-saving health information instantly in an emergency," said Vice President Joe Biden.

The funds awarded to Mayo are part of a $2 billion federal effort to expand the use of health information technology and create electronic health records for each person in the country by 2014.

Other recipients include Geisinger Clinic in Danville, Pa., Rocky Mountain Health Maintenance Organization in Grand Junction, Colo., and University of Hawaii in Hilo, Hawaii.

CHEN MAY YEE