PROVIDENCE — Federal officials have invited Rhode Island to apply for millions of dollars to expand electronic medical record capabilities in doctors offices around the state.

Twelve states nationwide will be selected as “demonstration sites” for the $150-million pilot federal program. And while there are no guarantees that Rhode Island will be selected come May, the state is considered a strong contender because electronic systems are already operating at many larger medical practices here, said Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Tevi Troy, who came to Rhode Island to announce the program.

On hand for the visit — one of several like it across the country — Governor Carcieri lent his support to the application process.

The program would target small and medium-sized medical practices which may not have the money to cover start-up costs of replacing paper charts with electronic records — costs that can run as high as $50,000 per doctor. The pilot program would give each physician as much as $58,000 to help install and maintain that technology.

Offices that already use electronic systems may also be eligible to participate if their systems are incapable of writing online prescriptions or sharing patient information with other doctors.

President Bush has called for a universal electronic medical system to be in place by 2014, a timetable that some say is unrealistic.

But Rhode Island is actually ahead of the curve, ranking second in the nation in the percentage of online “e-prescriptions” written. (Only 11 percent of all prescriptions here are e-mailed from the doctor to the pharmacy, but officials say that’s still more than almost any other state).

The state Health Department is currently compiling statistics to determine how many doctors use electronic records, Health Director Dr. David R. Gifford said.

Supporters say computerized records don’t just eliminate dog-eared files, they help physicians follow trends and keep track of patients who may have let their preventative checkups lapse.

But for that to happen, doctors need a little encouragement, not to mention financial assistance. U.S. officials say that’s where the federal financing can help.

Insurers here will also help promote the use of electronic records, Gifford said. Starting later this year, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island and the state’s Medicaid program all plan to increase payments to primary care physicians who utilize electronic records.

A week ago, Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts unveiled a health-care reform plan that emphasized the importance of electronic medical records in improving medical care. But Roberts was noticeably absent from yesterday’s announcement. Her policy director said the lieutenant governor was not informed of the event.

Carcieri spokesman Jeff Neal said federal officials, not the governor’s office, were responsible for the invites.

cneedham@projo.com