Editor's Corner

Healthcare was on the minds of politicians this week. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed his proposal for healthcare coverage, Senator Kennedy called for the federal government to follow in Massachusetts's universal healthcare footsteps, and today, the House will vote on a bill which would allow the federal government to negotiate Medicare Part D drug prices.

It seems like good timing, therefore, for ten of the nation's physician associations to release a set of guidelines designed to reform the U.S. healthcare system. "Doctors want Congress to take action on health system reform this year," said Rick Kellerman, MD, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. The 11 reform principals call for healthcare coverage for all, improvement in healthcare quality and safety, and less complication in the administration of healthcare, among other things.

Additionally, the group calls for funds to create strong health IT infrastructure in the United States. "A truly reformed U.S. healthcare system would be one where IT is the central nervous system that allows for the transmission of information from any one point to any other," noted Douglas Henley, MD, executive vice president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. This, of course, is the holy grail of health IT, and achieving it will be the topic of discussion at this years HiMSS conference.

Yes, that's right--it's already that time of year again. HIMSS 2007 is just around the corner, and I've already heard from a number of you who will be heading down to New Orleans for this year's conference. FierceHealthcare and FierceHealthIT editor Anne Zieger will be attending the conference and will be reporting live from the show floor, bringing you all the latest news, trends and rumors from the conference.

If you'd like to meet up with Anne, check out "On The Rocks," FierceHealthcare's networking event at HiMMS. This year's event will be held Utopia, a hot bar on the famous Bourbon Street, between 6 and 9 PM on February 26th. It's a great opportunity to network with high-level healthcare and healthIT executives and HiMSS attendees, and we'd love to see you there. If you'd like to attend--or if you're interested in sponsoring the event--check out this site for details. We'll provide the drinks, but bring your own beads. - Maureen

P.S. FierceHealthcare and FierceHealthIT won't be published this Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Day. Both publications will return on Tuesday, January 16. Have a wonderful weekend!