'National Week' Puts Health Information Technology Center Stage

"One Voice. One Vision." That's the tag line for the country's first National Health IT Week, which debuts June 5-8 in Washington, D.C. The Academy is a partner in the event.

The observance will bring together a collaboration of public and private health care leaders who aim to accelerate the nation's health information technology efforts and move toward President Bush's goal of electronic health records for all Americans by 2014.

Organizers expect the activities during the week to attract more than 2,500 stakeholders, including payers, providers, clinicians, vendors, consumer organizations, health care quality groups, policy experts and research foundations. Any physician with an interest in health IT issues is invited to attend all or some of the scheduled activities.

June 7, which is designated as National Health IT Day, forms a cornerstone of the week's activities and will provide a forum for federal officials, legislators and industry leaders to discuss high priority health care issues. Three keynote speakers will be featured: former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, founder of the Center for Health Transformation; CMS Administrator Mark McClellan, M.D., Ph.D.; and Carolyn Clancy, M.D., director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Other activities associated with this inaugural health IT week include