Rapid growth and diversity of audience shows tremendous value of popular health IT education program
WASHINGTON, DC (October 11, 2012) – National eHealth Collaborative (NeHC) today celebrate major milestones for its professional education program and thanked its Board of Directors, NeHC University Advisory Council, members, speakers, and especially NeHC University attendees for their role in making the program an overwhelming success.
Originally launched in 2010 and then widely expanded in 2011, NeHC University’s total attendance from inception through September 2012 has exceeded 22,000. The NeHC University audience remains very diverse, with participation from federal and state government, health information exchange organizations, health systems, health plans, physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other clinicians, educational institutions, technology companies, consulting firms, health related associations, and others. Indicative of the high quality of NeHC University programs, 85% of attendees have consistently rated NeHC classes “excellent or above average.”
“We are proud of our track record in framing important and timely health IT topics and bringing outstanding speakers to discuss those topics with NeHC University attendees,” said NeHC CEO Kate Berry. “From our perspective, the dramatic growth in our audience, the strong level of interaction during the question and answer sessions, and the consistently positive evaluations are clear signs that stakeholders find great value in our programs.”
Since April 2011, NeHC University has conducted over 80 webinars on subjects such as health IT orientation, health IT trends, health information exchange, consumer and patient engagement strategies, ONC programs and policies, meaningful use, trends in HIT innovation, payer health IT engagement, and IT in behavioral health, in addition to individual briefings from top industry leaders. NeHC University speakers have included Dr. Farzad Mostashari, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Office of the National Coordinator (ONC); Todd Park, U.S. Chief Technology Officer; Dr. Carolyn Clancy, Director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ); Jodi Daniel, Director of Policy and Planning at ONC; Dr. Patrick Conway, CMO, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Chuck Parker, Executive Director at Continua Health Alliance; Dr. Danny Sands, President, Society for Participatory Medicine; David Whitlinger, Executive Director of the New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC); Claudia Williams, Director of the State HIE Program at ONC; Deven McGraw, Director of the Health Privacy Project at the Center for Democracy and Technology; and Laura Adams, President and CEO of the Rhode Island Quality Institute (RIQI).
NeHC is also pleased to announce that additional NeHC education programs will take place during the Technology Crossroads Conference on November 27-28 in Washington, DC. The first of its kind, this conference will spotlight the many ways in which multiple industries are working together to accelerate healthcare transformation. Programs at the conference will include “Telehealth: Best Practices, Implications, and How to Scale,” “Using Technology to Improve the Patient-Provider Relationship,” “Keeping the Network Secure,” and “Trends and Projections at the Intersection of AV and HIT.” Additionally, the results of NeHC HIE Learning Network workgroup efforts to address HIE sustainability, prioritization of HIE services, variations in interoperability standards, and HIE functions to support new payment and delivery models will be presented during a special session at the conference. Interested participants can learn more and register for the conference at http://www.nationalehealth.org/technology-crossroads-conference.
NeHC is excited to recognize the public and private sector organizations whose employees take full advantage of NeHC University programs. Government organizations with the highest attendance in NeHC University programs include the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Top attending private sector organizations include Booz Allen Hamilton, Cerner Corporation, McKesson, MITRE, and Siemens Corporation.
“VA is delighted to be acknowledged as one of the top attendees of NeHC University programs,” said Tim Cromwell, Director of Standards and Interoperability for the Office of Informatics and Analytics, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. “Our employees are very interested in keeping up with the dynamic progress of health IT and NeHC University ably meets this need. It is because of the valuable information they present that we encourage all VA team members to take full advantage of all of the outstanding health IT education programs that NeHC offers. We see access to these programs as a key member benefit and we will continue to attend NeHC’s programs well into the future.”
“NeHC University has consistently been a great source of timely, detailed information that is of great value to Booz Allen Hamilton,” said Kristine Martin Anderson, Senior Vice President at Booz Allen Hamilton. “With health IT being a complex and constantly-changing industry, we highly value an organization that brings in expert thought leaders to spotlight best practices and give updates on key issues and topics that affect the industry. We are proud to support NeHC and are looking forward to participating in upcoming programs.”
NeHC recently announced its schedule for upcoming NeHC University programs, which can be viewed on the NeHC University webpage at http://www.nationalehealth.org/program/nehc-university. Recorded webinars and transcripts for past NeHC University programs can be accessed on the NeHC website. University classes and materials are offered free to NeHC members and for a modest fee to non-members. NeHC encourages its many repeat attendees to take advantage of the significant discount offered through NeHC membership.
About National eHealth Collaborative
National eHealth Collaborative (NeHC) is a public-private partnership that accelerates secure and meaningful use of health IT through education and stakeholder engagement to advance health and transform healthcare. Through its NeHC University online education program, its Consumer Consortium on eHealth patient engagement initiative, and its ongoing study of critical success factors for health information exchange through the HIE Learning Network, NeHC works to educate, connect and encourage healthcare stakeholders in efforts to promote the successful deployment of health IT and health information exchange nationwide.
NeHC is a cooperative agreement partner with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC).
About NeHC University
National eHealth Collaborative’s NeHC University is a web-based education program designed to provide stakeholders with timely and relevant information on health information technology and health information exchange in the United States. By offering introductory programs focused on providing an orientation to health IT, as well as deep dives into specific health IT topics, NeHC University provides unique opportunities for interested stakeholders to learn about multiple health IT initiatives, programs, and trends all in one place.
About Technology Crossroads Conference
National eHealth Collaborative in partnership with InfoComm International, is proud to announce the inaugural Technology Crossroads Conference, which will take place in Washington, DC on November 27 and 28, 2012. During the conference, keynote speakers, panel discussions, case studies and technology demonstrations will examine the many uses of AV products and services in various healthcare settings, including telemedicine and telehealth, surgical video, mobile and personal connected health tools, remote patient monitoring, medical instruction and network security. View the conference agenda at http://www.nationalehealth.org/technology-crossroads-agenda
