HIMSS News
Providing Bipartisan Leadership for Health IT, Newt Gingrich and Patrick J. Kennedy Receive 2005 HIMSS Advocacy Award
Previous recipients of the HIMSS Advocacy Award include former HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson in 2004 and Rep. Nancy Johnson (R-CT) in 2003
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 7, 2005) – The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) announced today that former Speaker Newt Gingrich and Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy (D-RI) have received the 2005 HIMSS Advocacy Award. HIMSS Board Chair, Pamela Wirth, CPHIMS, FHIMSS, made the announcement during the HIMSS Solutions Showcase, a closing reception and electronic health record (EHR) product demonstration held at the Rayburn House Office Building Foyer in Washington, D.C. as part of the HIMSS Advocacy Day on the Hill.
“We are honored to recognize the contributions of these two individuals who have provided such consistent support and insight for the adoption of interoperable electronic health records,” said Wirth during her presentation. “HIMSS truly appreciates the time and dedication that Newt Gingrich and Patrick Kennedy have provided as we work together to improve the delivery of patient care in the United States.”
Gingrich and Kennedy received the HIMSS Advocacy Award due to their strong level of commitment and bipartisan leadership in advancing the best use of information and management systems for the betterment of human health. Kennedy accepted his award at today’s ceremony and Gingrich, who had a previous commitment, will receive his award at the HIMSS Summit – Achieving National Healthcare Transformation in New York City on June 6. Background information on both recipients follows.
Newt Gingrich: Newt Gingrich is the CEO of The Gingrich Group, an Atlanta-based communications and management-consulting firm, and founder/CEO of the Center for Health Transformation. He served as a keynote speaker for the 2004 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition. At the 2003 HIMSS Advocacy Day, Gingrich outlined his key ideas on major pieces of legislation and his ideas to improve healthcare using technology. He has been a key collaborator with and advisor to HIMSS and others on healthcare information technology topics. Newt Gingrich served the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999 and was a member of Congress for 20 years, representing the state of Georgia.
Patrick J. Kennedy (D-RI): Patrick Kennedy was re-elected to serve a sixth term in Congress in November 2004 as the representative from the First District of Rhode Island. With health care as a top priority, Kennedy has been a proponent of health care reform, calling for universal coverage and re-orienting the system toward preventive care. As the closing speaker at the 2004 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition, Kennedy outlined the Josie King Act, a major piece of legislation he proposed in the 108 th Congress and HIMSS worked on with his staff. Kennedy established a bipartisan House caucus dedicated to advancing the best use of information technology and management systems and the improvement of quality. Through his leadership, the 21 st Century Healthcare Caucus now has 17 members and continues to grow.
Members of the HIMSS Board of Directors and HIMSS Advocacy & Public Policy Steering Committee may nominate recipients for this award. Current, or former, elected federal and state Legislative officials, and Executive branch officials and their staff, are eligible. The HIMSS Board selects the final recipients based on their leadership in advancing the advocacy initiatives of the Society.
“The industry depends on collaborative leadership to develop a stronger and more cohesive approach to the implementation of interoperable electronic health records,” said H. Stephen Lieber, HIMSS president/CEO. “Newt Gingrich and Patrick Kennedy have demonstrated the power and success of bipartisanship in the pursuit of improving healthcare in the United States.”
About HIMSS:
HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) is the healthcare industry's membership organization exclusively focused on providing leadership for the optimal use of healthcare information technology and management systems for the betterment of human health. Founded in 1961 with offices in Chicago, Washington D.C., and other locations across the country, HIMSS represents more than 15,000 individual members and some 250 member corporations that employ more than 1 million people. HIMSS frames and leads healthcare public policy and industry practices through its advocacy, educational and professional development initiatives to promote information and management systems' contributions to ensuring quality patient care. Visit www.himss.org for more information.
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For more information contact:
Joyce Lofstrom/HIMSS
312-915-9237 – jlofstrom@himss.org
