ONC’s Don Rucker, Other IT Leaders to Discuss Interoperability at Advocacy Summit

9.5.18
By Bradley Simonich, CHIME Public Policy Specialist

With changes to the program formerly known as Meaningful Use (and now is Promoting Interoperability) and declared goals of the administration to improve the free flow of health information, understanding interoperability policies will become increasingly important for hospitals and health systems. These changes will require that senior IT applications leaders are well versed in proposed and existing regulations.

Members of AEHIA have an opportunity to learn more about these issues and how they can proactively deal with them on Oct. 3-5 at the inaugural CHIME Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C. The summit will feature Don Rucker, MD, the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), along with other health IT policy makers and CIOs discussing policy issues that impact you each and every day. Besides interoperability, the summit will address cybersecurity, the opioid crisis and telemedicine. The summit promises to be an opportunity to become more informed about the federal policy landscape and issues impacting fellow health IT leaders.

Rucker leads the ONC, which is charged with coordination of nationwide efforts to implement and use the most advanced health information technology and the electronic exchange of health information. He will discuss healthcare IT’s role in the continued drive to increase quality, lower costs and provide patient-centered care. The session will include a discussion about how interoperability will facilitate healthcare delivery system reform.

Kate Goodrich, MD, MHS, chief medical officer and director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality (CCSQ) within Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, will be participate in a listening session on the myriad of patient programs. Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with her concerning the new Promoting Interoperability program and updates to the Quality Payment Program (QPP). This portion of the event will allow you to learn how CMS envisions the programs will be implemented and strategies to ensure a smooth transition into these new policy directives.

With the passage of the 21st Century Cures Act in 2016, Congress placed a spotlight on achieving nationwide interoperability. Elise Sweeney Anthony, JD, who is the executive director of policy at ONC, will deliver an update from ONC on their efforts to implement various provisions of the 21st Century Cures Act such as the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement and the forthcoming information blocking rule.

Along with interoperability, there will be other key health IT topics covered as well as networking opportunities. For an agenda, list of speakers and hotel and registration information, please go here. AEHIA members with questions can contact Zach Donisch, AEHIA director of membership, at [email protected].

More AEHIA News Volume 2, No. 3:

Looking to contribute to the AEHIApplications Newsletter? Email your contributions to [email protected].