HHS on July 14 announced an official call for nominations for representatives to the American Health Information Community, a public-private collaboration that will help develop standards and achieve interoperability of electronic health information systems.
"Our health care system is saturated with inefficiency," HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt said in a news release about the announcement. "Until we adopt modern information technology practices -- like electronic health records, e-prescribing and systematic adverse drug event reporting -- we will not have cost-effective medical care in this country, and we will have far too many medical errors. The American Health Information Community will accelerate the development of standards necessary for the modernization we need."
A draft charter (PDF file: 5 pages / 24 KB. More about PDF files.) for the group, outlining AHIC's purpose and listing criteria for membership, was posted on the HHS Web site July 14.
The group will have as many as 17 voting members, including its chairperson. Leavitt, who will chair the group, is to appoint the other voting members from nominations received. Eight AHIC members will be from the federal government and one will represent state government. HHS and its member agencies will be represented, as will the departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense, Commerce and Treasury.
Another eight members will come from the private sector and will represent health care consumers, purchasers and third-party payers; hospitals; physicians, nurses and ancillary health professionals; and information technology vendors.
AHIC members will serve two-year terms. The deadline for nominations is Aug. 5. Access the HHS news release noted above for additional information about the nomination process, or call (866) 505-3500 with questions.
