Government Leaders to Meet on Information Technology in Health Care Services

Local, state and federal government leaders responsible for the management and delivery of health care services will come together at the first Summit on Health Care Information Technology, to be held January 30-31, 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia.

The summit is presented by the Public Technology Institute (PTI), a national, non-profit technology research and development organization created by and for cities and counties. The National Association of Counties (NACo), the national organization that represents counties in the United States, and the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) representing state technology executives, are summit co-sponsors.

The intent of the summit is to promote a dialog among government leaders at the local, state and federal levels, on the role information technology can play to improve the delivery of health care services. The agenda will look at state and federal health regulatory and policy initiatives and how these initiatives impact local government. The summit will also provide state local government technology best-practice case studies in the field of health care IT.

Representatives of the health care IT industry will be invited to showcase some of the IT solutions they have developed for the government health care market place.

Many local governments, particularly counties and large cities, face a crisis in the management of the health care services that they provide within their communities. Increased demands for services coupled with budgetary constraints have meant that, in many cases, technology resources are often overlooked or neglected.

Topics the seminar will address include:

• Redesigning business processes that take advantage of technology resources,
• Using technology analytical tools to monitor outbreaks of disease,
• Technology solutions for EMS and first-responders,
• Electronic health records and public health informatics,
• Mobile and wireless tools that allow access to government databases and web medical resources for health care workers in the field.

Registration details and hotel information can be found on the PTI Web site.