Energy and Commerce Committee Hearing on Health IT

The Subcommittee on Health of the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on Tuesday, July 27, 2010, in 2322 Rayburn House Office Building entitled “Implementation of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health. Reported Emily Long at NextGov:

Members of the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee questioned whether health care providers will run out and purchase new technology knowing that the certification program won't be up and running until 2012. Providers who don't demonstrate meaningful use by 2015 could face penalties.

According to Blumenthal, The Office of the National Coordinator has in place a temporary certification program, but it doesn't include all the criteria that providers will have to meet in the long run.The certification standards are entirely new because they must reflect the requirements of meaningful use, he said, adding, "We don't want to create the impression for providers that something they're using now will be capable of meaningful use."

Testifying at the hearing were:

• David Blumenthal, M.D., National Coordinator, Health Information Technology, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Anthony Trenkle, Director, Office of E-Health Standards and Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
• Frank J. Vozos, M.D., FACS , Executive Director, Monmouth Medical Center, New Jersey Hospital Association
• Gregory D. Starnes, CEO, Fayette County Hospital
• Christine Bechtel, Vice President, National Partnership for Women & Families
• Roland A. Goertz, M.D., M. B.A., President-Elect, American Academy of Family Physicians, Heart of Texas Community Health Center
• Dr. Matthew Winkleman, M.D., Physician, Primary Care Group,
• Glen E. Tullman, CEO, Allscripts
• Peggy C. Evans, Ph.D., CPHIT, Director, Washington and Idaho Regional Extension Center, Qualis Health

The Briefing Memo is below with video and testimony beneath that and then some interesting bits from the question and answer. The entire hearing is embedded at the end of the post.




Testimony of David Blumenthal



Testimony of Anthony Trenkle




Testimony of Frank J. Vozos

Testimony of Gregory D. Starnes

Testimony of Christine Bechtel

Testimony of Roland A. Goertz

Testimony of Matthew Winkleman

Testimony of Glen E. Tullman

Testimony of Peggy C. Evans


Below are some interesting segments from the Q and A.







FULL HEARING STREAM

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