HIT National Coordinator Dr. David Blumenthal will Address General Session at 81st AHIMA National Convention

CHICAGO, June 30, 2009—The American Health Information Management Association today announced National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, David Blumenthal, MD, MPP, will deliver an update on the implementation of a nationwide health information technology infrastructure at the General Session of AHIMA’s 81st AHIMA Convention and Exhibit, Tuesday, October 6, in Grapevine, Texas.

"AHIMA is honored to have Dr. Blumenthal as a guest speaker at our annual convention, said AHIMA Board President Vera Rulon.  As the new HHS National Coordinator, his insights and expertise will be valuable and relevant to the health information management profession."

Since his appointment in March as head of the Office of the National Coordinator for HIT, Dr. Blumenthal has served as the Obama Administration’s point person in its effort to integrate a nationwide interoperable, privacy-protected HIT infrastructure into a national reform of the American healthcare system.

Dr. Blumenthal served as a physician and director of the Institute for Health Policy at the Massachusetts General Hospital/Partners HealthCare System in Boston; a professor of medicine and healthcare policy at Harvard Medical School and as senior vice president at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital.  His research interests include the dissemination of HIT, quality management in healthcare, and access to health services.

The AHIMA National Convention annually features professional education, policy-setting and industry exhibits for the health information management profession.

About AHIMA

The American Health Information Management Association is America’s leading professional society whose mission is to “improve healthcare by advancing best practices and standards for health information management and [serve as] the trusted source for education, research and professional credentialing.” AHIMA represents more than 53,000 specially educated HIM professionals who serve healthcare and the public by managing, analyzing and utilizing data vital for health system management. www.ahima.org