AHIMA CONGRATULATES CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS ON FIRST EFFORT TO FUND HEALTH IT
Grants and loans critical to achieving interoperability

CHICAGO, May 11—The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) today congratulated Representatives Tim Murphy (R-PA) and Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) on the introduction of the first bipartisan legislation to address barriers to health IT adoption and interoperability. The 21st Century Health Information Act centers on proposed funding for the development of regional health information organizations (RHIO’s) in order to develop interoperable health information networks and facilitate implementation of healthcare IT by physicians.

“Grants and loans are needed to support sustainable industry efforts designed to address barriers to IT adoption and full interoperability, stated Dan Rode, AHIMA’s vice president of policy and government relations. “AHIMA looks forward to continuing to work with Representatives Murphy and Kennedy on this legislative effort.”

AHIMA is one of the founding organizations of the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT), The mission of CCHIT is to accelerate the adoption of robust, interoperable healthcare information technology throughout the United States by creating and efficient, credible, sustainable mechanism for the certification of healthcare IT products. CCHIT’s initial focus is on the certification of EHRs and related clinical IT products in the physician office and ambulatory setting.

AHIMA is the premier association of health information management (HIM) professionals. AHIMA's 52,000 members are dedicated to the effective management of personal health information needed to deliver quality healthcare to the public. Founded in 1928 to improve the quality of medical records, AHIMA is committed to advancing the HIM profession in an increasingly electronic and global environment through leadership in advocacy, education, certification, and lifelong learning.