Health IT officials mull future of AHIC
- By Nancy zz_Ferris
- Sep 05, 2007
The Health and Human Services Department intends to award one or more grants to organizations wishing to establish a successor to the American Health Information Community (AHIC), but in the end it wants one new organization to guide development of a national health information technology infrastructure.
Dr. Robert Kolodner, HHS’ national health IT coordinator, and members of his staff explained their aims today at a meeting for would-be founders of such a new organization. Although HHS officials describe the new organization as a public/private partnership, it would be operated independently, not government-controlled.
Kolodner said the successor organization might charge dues and would get financial support from HHS, but it also may be the operator of a future Nationwide Health Information Network and charge a few cents for each transaction on the network, much like a national credit card network.
He spent more than an hour outlining possible governance models for the AHIC successor. At the end of the meeting, there were few questions.
The Bush administration created AHIC to advise it on health IT policy. It is made up of senior executives from federal and state agencies, companies, health plans, hospitals, medical associations and other interest groups.
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt is pushing the creation of a successor organization outside government. He argues that it would be able to act faster and get more done, and would be less influenced by politics.
Applications for the grants are due Oct. 5, and HHS plans to award the grant or grants by Nov. 13.
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