For the last four years I have been privileged to serve on the volunteer grass roots team, Chapter Advocacy Roundtable (CAR), for HIMSS national, initially as the Vice-Chair and latterly as the Chair. During that time, Healthcare Information Technology (HIT) initiatives have been made visible, and launched into reality! I think that is due in part to the education provided by the CAR team of local volunteers, who have remained connected at the chapter level, with feedback and engagement with HIMSS Regional Affairs, led by Tom Keefe, and also the HIMSS national government relations teams; Public Policy, Government Relations Roundtable and others led by Dave Roberts and his wonderful staff at HIMSS.
Moving forward in 2010-2012, I am privileged to be a voting member on the HIMSS Public Policy Committee, an esteemed group who work closely with Dave Roberts and his government relations team at the HIMSS national level to be the watchdogs, educators, and eyes and ears of the pulse of public policy as it relates to HIT issues.
The Public Policy Committee met in September 2010 at the HIMSS offices in Arlington, VA for its yearly orientation and to discuss some of the topics from the HIT summit in June. One of the primary topics discussed with emphasis was the issue of a patient identifier and the deadlock in place at the government level to allow research into how we might proceed forward with identifying patients as healthcare organizations consider their interoperability. The team will continue to monitor Meaningful Use and the impact of its phases on HIMSS members and the healthcare community, as well as the future of the Start Anti-Kick back exemption.
I have enclosed the presentation from the Public Policy orientation and look forward to continuing my role on the AzHIMSS board as Director at Large and a liaison in the HIT policy arena.
Lesley D. King, MOL, FHIMSS
Our Arizona CAR representatives are:
To join the CAR call each month, please contactASimmons@himss.org. For more information about HIMSS Advocacy and Public Policy, please see: http://www.himss.org/advocacy/about_contact.asp . We hope you’ll get involved!
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