Members of the HIMSS Board of Directors, Advocacy and Public Policy Steering Committee, Government Relations Roundtable, Chapter Advocacy Liaison Roundtable, and NEW HIMSS members are invited to participate in HIMSS Advocacy and Public Policy activities during HIMSS Annual Conference. Each year the Office of Advocacy and Public Policy sponsors:
This is a great opportunity to discuss issues of importance and network to determine how HIMSS Advocacy resources can be best leveraged to get our message to federal, state and local policy makers. Visit this page regularly for more information on Advocacy and Public Policy activities for HIMSS09.
Visit HIMSS Annual Conference web site for complete details.
Congressional, Federal and State Officials Forged Relationships with Key Industry Leaders During HIMSS AC in New Orleans
As congressional, federal and state officials recognize the importance of healthcare information technology (HIT) to the nation’s healthcare system, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Government Relations Department and HIMSS members are poised to educate, inform and advocate at all levels of government for the transformation of healthcare through HIT.
“HIMSS has a very effective grass roots advocacy program that reaches all levels of government,” said HIMSS Vice President of Government Relations Dave Roberts, FHIMSS. “We realize no issue is more critical and far-reaching in America today than the transformation of our healthcare system. We are at a desperate time in history where the HIT industry must step up to the plate. It is no accident that HIMSS Annual Conference and Exhibition (HIMSS AC) was in New Orleans this year. New Orleans, the state of Louisiana and America need HIT and we were there to help.” Read more
HIMSS AC Special Edition of the Pulse on Public Policy
Senator David Vitter (R-LA) and HIMSS President and CEO Steve Lieber touring the Interoperability Showcase during HIMSS AC.
HHS Secretary Leavitt addressed hundreds on the final day of HIMSS AC.
4th Annual HIMSS Advocacy and Public Policy Breakfast Update
More than 125 HIMSS members, congressional staff, and state legislators attended HIMSS 2006 Advocacy and Public Policy Breakfast during Annual Conference 2006 in San Diego, California. The standing room only crowd was spellbound by the keynote speakers, who extolled the importance of HIT from their professional, personal and family experiences.
Cancer survivor Nancy Davenport-Ennis, CEO of the National Patient Advocate Foundation and commissioner for the American Health Information Community (AHIC), reminded the attendees that “everyone can make a difference.” She became personally involved in legislative reform on behalf of cancer patients while a dear friend of hers, Cheryl Grimmel, was battling breast cancer and her insurance company.
“Cheryl lost her battle with breast cancer in December 1994, and on the night of her funeral, as the rest of the world was ringing in the New Year, we wrote business plans for the National Patient Advocate Foundation and Patient Advocate Foundation,” Davenport-Ennis noted. “Cheryl's inspiration lives on in each initiative in which the Foundation is involved as it seeks to provide avenues of patient access through improved access to, and reimbursement for, evolving cancer therapies, therapeutic agents and devices deemed medically efficacious by the medical and scientific communities through legislative reform.”
“We wanted to put a human face on this national priority,” said Dave Roberts, vice president of government relations for HIMSS. “Working with the National Patient Advocate Foundation is helping us tell our story better to decision makers in D.C.”
Robin Raiford, a nursing informatics guru, told heart-wrenching stories about her mother, father and nephew, who were all victims of medical errors. “My nephew had a brain tumor. For 20 years, he was cancer free then he got an infection and had a stroke. In fact, he got ecoli on the brain because someone at the hospital hadn’t washed their hands or had not helped him wash his. So, please remember what you do everyday isn’t about numbers. It’s about people and lives.”
Steve Robertson, CIO and vice president of Hawaii Pacific Health, outlined how Hawaii is using RHIOs to address healthcare issues. Their RHIO started with two federal grants and fortunately the island spirit and culture helps them work together.
HIMSS Sponsors Tour of USNS Mercy Ship
A tour of the USNS Mercy was a conference highlight for members, congressional staff, and state legislators during the HIMSS 2006. As the Navy staff announced the do’s and don’ts for the tour and the bus approached one of only two of the nation’s hospital ships, the groups’ excitement heightened.
While no pictures could be taken outside the ship, it was obvious the group was about to embark upon a new venture in HIT without setting sail. Commander Henry Villareal showed an informative film on the enormous assistance Tsunami victims received on the ship. Total visits during Operation Unified Assistance I and II was 55,576, said the Commander. The Mercy has a 1,000 total patient-capacity and accommodates up to 77 operating crew and 1,214 medical support personnel.
“All citizens should be proud of the leadership and crew of the USNS Mercy,” said Mary Griskewicz, chair of HIMSS Advocacy and Public Policy Steering Committee. “The technology available on the ship is state of the art. The USNS crew demonstrated to industry and congressional staffers on our tour that interoperability of healthcare IT can be achieved even under deployment. We thank HIMSS member, Dr. Jack Taylor, for arranging this wonderful tour for us.”
HIMSS Tours UCSD Medical Center--A Healthcare IT Model for the Nation
The University of California at San Diego (UCSD) Medical Center is an exemplary example of 21st Century medicine, according to HIMSS members, congressional staff and state legislators. “It’s amazing what healthcare IT can do for everyone involved in patient delivery,” said Dan Blum, chair of the HIMSS Chapter Advocacy Liaison Roundtable. “UCSD is a wonderful example of the services every hospital should have for its patients and staff. We appreciate the efforts of Eleanor Kerr, vice chairperson of the HGRR, for orchestrating the tour.”
“We are in our infancy stage of deploying healthcare IT in many ways,” UCSD Medical Center CEO Richard Liekweg told the group. “We have a nationally ranked medical school and a brand new Cancer Center but it’s a challenge to manage two locations. Information must be fluid.”
However, with the help of technology from companies like Siemens and Epic, no matter where our physicians are on the globe they can communicate and access medical records, added Dr. Josh Lee, medical director for Information Services.
“We’ve been focusing on building,” said UCSD Medical Center CIO Edward Babakanian. “We have been able to do a lot of things managing patient care…we switched to CPOE four years ago and that’s gone very well. Now we are only a few months away from bar coding to ensure no errors can occur.”
