Diana Manos

At the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) annual conference on Sunday, HIMSS Senior Director of Privacy and Security Lisa Gallagher kicked off an all-day workshop Sunday on how providers can prepare for the potential impact of privacy and security under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

It may seem unlikely today, but within the next 10 years there will be widespread use of electronic health records across the country, the nation's health IT chief predicts.

Though political strife seems to be holding up progress on healthcare reform in Washington, it is good to see that healthcare IT is still enjoying full support from the Obama Administration.

Jamie Welch, the CIO of the Louisiana Rural Health Information Exchange (LARHIX) calls the benefits of HIE for participating providers is "astronomical."

The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) is seeking senior executives working in healthcare to serve on its board of trustees and board of commissioners.

Standards development is at the heart of healthcare reform, according to David Blumenthal, MD, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.

Millions of Americans are concerned about the control of their personal data, lawyer and privacy activist Deborah Peel told the federal Health IT Policy Committee at a hearing last month. Peel said ensuring data privacy and security is the only way healthcare IT can move forward successfully.

President Barack Obama has laid out an ambitious plan for reforming America’s healthcare system that includes evidence-based care, an aspect of the plan embraced by both parties.

Experts and federal officials close to the issues surrounding healthcare IT adoption and the promotion of meaningful use under the new stimulus package say the goals are high, but the work that lies ahead is monumental.

The Senate Finance Committee health reform package, released Sept. 16, includes measures to advance healthcare IT.