Press Releases: National
July 28, 2005
National Leader for Health Information Technology Speaks at Kaiser Permanente Conference
First Meeting of Users of Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect Electronic Medical Records System
OAKLAND, Calif. – The National Coordinator for Health Information Technology for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Dr. David Brailer, MD, PhD, is the kick off keynote speaker for the first annual KP HealthConnect Users’ Conference.
Appointed by President George W. Bush in May of last year, Dr. Brailer heads up the administration’s national effort to improve the quality of healthcare while decreasing costs by promoting the widespread adoption of interoperable health information technology (health IT). Dr. Brailer has been charged with achieving the President’s vision for health IT, specifically that most Americans will be able to use a personal electronic health record within 10 years.
During his keynote address, Dr. Brailer will provide an update on the national plan for health information technology adoption and describe the recent initiatives that were announced by Secretary of Health and Human Services, Mike Leavitt earlier this Spring on health IT. He will also talk about how using personal and electronic health records empowers consumers to make better treatment decisions and will highlight some of Kaiser Permanente’s accomplishments as a leading champion of health information technology.
The KP HealthConnect User’s Conference will be held at the Oakland Convention Center on August 2-4, 2005. The conference will be a learning forum where over 400 Kaiser Permanente physicians, nurses, information technology professionals and operations managers alike can share tips, techniques and innovations in the use of the KP HealthConnect system. In addition, the conference will showcase opportunities for improving patient safety, service and care quality through the use of EHRs.
Date: August 2, 2005
Time: 9:30 am – 10:45
Location: Oakland Convention Center, Exhibit Hall East
Following his speech, Dr. Brailer, Dr. Louise Liang and Dr. Andy Wiesenthal will be available for one-on-one media interviews. Appointments scheduled upon request.
Dr. Liang is Kaiser Permanente’s Senior Vice President for Quality and Clinical Systems Support at Kaiser Permanente on a national level. Dr. Wiesenthal is Associate Executive Director of the Permanente Federation (the umbrella organization of Permanente physicians). He began his work with clinical information systems in KP’s Colorado region with an early version of an EMR system. Drs. Liang and Wiesenthal jointly head up Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect, the $3 billion electronic medical records system moving toward full implementation in 2006.
Biographies of Drs. Liang and Wiesenthal are available, as well as fact sheets on KP HealthConnect and a history of Kaiser Permanente’s work with electronic medical record-keeping, which dates to the 1960’s and an early computer system used by researchers in Oakland, California.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 8.6 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: www.kp.org/newscenter.
