As part of an effort to build and sustain a top-notch healthcare IT workforce in Georgia, leaders from the public and private sector have organized the Healthcare Information Technology (HIT) Leadership Summit.
The all-day forum, set for Nov. 9 is the work of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Metro Atlanta Chamber, and TAG Health.
The focus is on employment, recruitment and training.
The organizers said the summit is critical in light of the national spotlight on healthcare, available federal funding, current economic conditions and the urgent need for jobs. It provides an opportunity to showcase Georgia's healthcare IT market and career growth in one of the country's fastest growing industries.
Over the past decade, Georgia has attained the premier nationwide leadership position as an healthcare IT cluster due to the vast assets of the state's numerous HIT corporations and healthcare providers, served and supported by the diverse resources of multiple companies located in Georgia, the organizers noted. Another vital component of this recognition is the highly trained professional HIT workforce provided by nationally prominent university medical schools, technical colleges and other training programs throughout Georgia.
As the organizers put it, the primary purpose of the Nov. 9 event is to unite business community leaders, healthcare providers and educators to further advance Georgia as the national leader in healthcare IT. The specific focus of the event is to address current and future industry requirements necessary to expand, equip and sustain the professional workforce required to maximize healthcare IT growth in Georgia.
The morning session will feature keynote speakers and panelists to address the existing healthcare IT assets of Georgia and define the future needs and related strategies for sustainable workforce growth.
The afternoon session will feature both interactive modules and a healthcare IT showcase. During this time business leaders, corporations, providers, educators and healthcare trade organizations can demonstrate, gain and share information.
Among some of the IT companies based in Georgia are Atlanta-based Transcend Services, the second-largest medical transcription company in the country; RelayHealth, an Atlanta-based provider of Web-based communication services and part of McKesson Corp. Eclipsys, MedAssets Inc., HealthPort Technologies and Greenway Medical Technologies are also among the 126 health IT companies the Metro Atlanta Chamber has identified across the state.
