ARIZONA CHAPTER OF THE HEALTHCARE INFORMATION AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS SOCIETY

HIMSS advocacy and public policy efforts are led by a team of HIMSS members with experience and a passion to drive needed changes in public policy and regulation at the federal and state level to better human healthcare. HIMSS mobilizes its members and seeks to perform a broad spectrum of advocacy activities from educating HIMSS members and Members of Congress and their staff on key issues to actually writing and proposing draft legislation. HIMSS works closely with key federal decision-makers and the 21st Century Health Care Caucus to advance improvements in the quality, safety and efficiency of healthcare through the use of information technology and management systems. HIMSS primary advocacy focus is to provide leadership and industry direction on healthcare issues and policy related to health information technology and management systems professionals in order to remove barriers and obstacles and enable implementation of solutions.

I am Lesley King and I am the vice chair of the HIMSS advocacy liaison committee. Emma Cartmell (Chair) and I are working closely with Dave Roberts to make sure that the chapters are updated with the most recent information on "what's news" at the federal level in regard to healthcare IT, and with Tom Keefe on healthcare IT at the state level. Marilyn Teplitz, our local chapter Advocacy Director will also be working with me on keeping you in touch with legislative information.

In addition, to keeping you informed on progress with healthcare IT legislation, we want to ask you to actively participate in the Chapter Advocacy Liaison Roundtable monthly conference calls, where chapters call in from across the nation. Chapters calls are at 9am our time (10am in the fall), on the third Friday of each month. Call (877)352-0183 Pass code #721453. Christopher Kush from Soapbox Consulting is helping HIMSS national advocacy to develop a more robust advocacy team across the country. He has worked closely with the national committee to develop a points system for accomplishments at the chapter level.