Media Alert: HIMSS Chair Willa Fields to Testify Before Congress on Health IT Standards and Interoperability

<0> HIMSSJoyce Lofstrom, 312-915-9237 </0>

HIMSS Board Chair Dr. Willa Fields will act as a witness to the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation, providing testimony stating that Meaningful Use is delivering meaningful results during a hearing that will take place at 10 a.m. EST, Nov. 14.

Dr. Fields, DNSc, RN, FHIMSS, Professor, School of Nursing, San Diego State University, will act as witness to the success of Meaningful Use, along with , National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology; , Director, Information Technology Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology; , Chief Information Officer and Vice President, Information Systems, Intermountain Healthcare; and , Senior Vice President, Medicity

In her testimony, Dr. Fields will present the that Meaningful Use and the Stage 2 regulations allow the healthcare community to continue the necessary steps to ensure health information technology will support the transformation of healthcare delivery in the United States.

The testimony will be and Dr. Fields’ comments will be posted after her testimony on the HIMSS Public Policy and Advocacy page under Testimony .

The Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation has legislative jurisdiction and general oversight and investigate authority on all matters relating to competitiveness, technology, standards, and innovation, including: standardization of weights and measures including technical standards, standardization, and conformity assessment; measurement, including the metric system of measurement; the Technology Administration of the Department of Commerce; the National Institute of Standards and Technology; the National Technical Information Service; competitiveness, including small business competitiveness; tax, antitrust, regulatory and other legal and governmental policies as they relate to technological development and commercialization; technology transfer including civilian use of defense technologies; patent and intellectual property policy; international technology trade; research, development, and demonstration activities of the Department of Transportation; surface and water transportation research, development, and demonstration programs; earthquake programs (except for NSF) and fire research programs including those related to wildfire proliferation research and prevention; biotechnology policy; research, development, demonstration, and standards related activities of the Department of Homeland Security; Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer; and voting technologies and standards.

HIMSS is a cause-based, not-for-profit organization exclusively focused on providing global leadership for the optimal use of information technology (IT) and management systems for the betterment of healthcare. Founded 51 years ago, HIMSS and its related organizations are headquartered in Chicago with additional offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. HIMSS represents more than 44,000 individual members, of which more than two thirds work in healthcare provider, governmental and not-for-profit organizations. HIMSS also includes over 570 corporate members and more than 170 not-for-profit organizations that share our mission of transforming healthcare through the effective use of information technology and management systems. HIMSS frames and leads healthcare practices and public policy through its content expertise, professional development, research initiatives, and media vehicles designed to promote information and management systems' contributions to improving the quality, safety, access, and cost-effectiveness of patient care. To learn more about HIMSS and to find out how to join us and our members in advancing our cause, please visit our website at .