eHealth Initiative elects officers, plots a course for 2007 eHI celebrates fifth anniversary at annual meeting
December 12, 2006 |
December 12, 2006 Washington, D.C. Changing political tides in Washington will turn to the eHealth Initiative's strength as a convener of diverse stakeholders in 2007 as parties joined by a common goal move forward to improve the quality, safety and efficiency of healthcare through the use of health information technology (HIT).
The independent, non-profit eHealth Initiative (eHI) met Nov. 30 to celebrate its 2006 Annual Meeting and five-year anniversary at a dinner in Washington, DC. Members representing clinicians, consumer groups, employers and healthcare purchasers, health plans, healthcare IT suppliers, hospitals and other providers, laboratories, pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, public health agencies, and state and local leaders reviewed the accomplishments of 2006 and plotted a course for 2007. eHI also represents a coalition of stakeholders engaged in more than 260 state, regional and community-based health information exchange efforts across the United States.
eHI is a trusted voice and a driver of common principles and strategies that meet the needs of all stakeholders in the system--including providers, payers, patients, and those who deliver products and services in the healthcare system. We create bridges between national standards and policies--and state and local initiatives on the ground--where healthcare gets delivered, said Janet Marchibroda, eHI's chief executive officer. Our efforts in 2007 will focus in particular on identifying and realizing the value of HIT and health information exchange to each stakeholder group as we continue to drive policy changes, develop tools, deploy resources, and disseminate knowledge at the national, state and community levels.
The agenda included remarks from congressional staffers highlighting potential areas of legislative focus in the area of health information exchange for the 110th Congress. Political analyst Bill McInturff also gave remarks, noting that healthcare is likely to play a central role in the 2008 election.
On Dec. 1, eHIs board approved the organizations new leadership for the coming year. Serving as eHI president will be John Tooker, MD, MBA, FACP, executive vice president and chief executive officer of the American College of Physicians. Tooker served in 2006 as president of the eHI Foundation. Jeffrey Kang, MD, MPH, senior vice president and chief medical officer of CIGNA Healthcare, will serve as president of eHIs Foundation. Other elected officers include eHI Treasurer Robert Marotta, Esq., senior vice president, Emdeon Corporation and eHI Secretary Rachel Block, project director, quality strategies initiative, United Hospital Fund. John Glaser, PhD, vice president and chief information officer, Partners HealthCare System, will transition from his role as eHIs president to president-emeritus in 2007.
In addition, the eHI Board elected George J. Isham, M.D., medical director and chief health officer for HealthPartners, as an eHI Board member, serving as liaison to Bridges to Excellence, with which eHI has a shared services agreement. Allan Korn, MD, FACP, senior vice president, clinical affairs, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, will also serve in this dual role.
About the eHealth Initiative and its Foundation
The eHealth Initiative and its Foundation are independent, non-profit affiliated organizations whose missions are the same: to drive improvements in the quality, safety, and efficiency of healthcare through information and information technology.
eHI engages multiple stakeholders, including clinicians, consumer and patient groups, employers, health plans, healthcare IT suppliers, hospitals and other providers, laboratories, pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, pharmacies, public health, and public sector agencies, as well as its growing coalition of more than 280 state, regional and community-based collaboratives, to develop and disseminate common principles, policies and best practices for improving the quality, safety and effectiveness of America's healthcare through information and information technology.
For more information, go to http://www.ehealthinitiative.org.
Karla Hurter
For: eHealth Initiative
khurter@health2resources.com
(703) 319-0957
