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Amanda Jekowsky , American College of
Cardiology, 202-375-6645, ajekowsk@acc.org
January
15, 2009
ACC CEO Dr. Jack Lewin Statement on
Senate HELP Health IT Hearing
Washington, D.C. – The American College
of Cardiology’s (ACC) CEO, Jack Lewin, M.D. today released
the following statement addressing the United States Senate
Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions’
hearing on Health Information Technology:
“I’m encouraged with the direction Chairman Kennedy
is taking the Committee to improve the infrastructure of health
information technology.
“Technology has changed the way we do business. We
communicate online. We shop online. We bank online. Many even
self-diagnose illness online. But the medical community has
a communications gap, and it’s time we bring the delivery
of health care online.
"Investment in health IT has the potential to change
the health care landscape, as long as the technology is interoperable
with the systems of other offices, hospitals and labs. The
money Obama's plan puts into the infrastructure will be wasted
if interoperability standards are not put into place. These
standards will allow clinicians to access information to help
make better informed medical decisions to avoid adverse drug
events, and to encourage patients to adhere to evidence-based
medication regimens.
“In today’s world there are too many prescriptions,
too many procedures and too many variables for doctors to
still be relying on paper records that cannot be readily cross-referenced,
shared or accessed. Interoperable systems that share medical
records, warn of drug interactions and facilitate the process
of healing are necessary. Some in the medical community have
resisted progress, and it is unfortunate our government has
not stepped-in to promote implementation and adoption of health
IT infrastructure and standards.
- MORE -
“At the ACC, we believe there are other immediate steps
the Committee can take to dramatically improve the quality
of care in this country and drive down the long-term cost
of care. Using stimulus dollars to mandate the implementation
of electronic prescriptions and electronic medical records,
along with establishing standards to ensure interoperability
across IT systems are just some of them.
“The President-elect has wisely asked Congress to authorize
the use of stimulus dollars to improve the nation’s
health IT infrastructure. With 43 percent of the Medicare
dollars being spent on our nation’s number one killer,
heart disease, I believe this is an appropriate use of stimulus
dollars that can ultimately help increase the efficiency of
delivering quality health care at a lower cost to our nation’s
pocketbook.”
About the American College of Cardiology
The American College of Cardiology is leading the way to optimal
cardiovascular care and disease prevention. The College is
a 37,000-member nonprofit medical society and bestows the
credential Fellow of the American College of Cardiology upon
physicians who meet its stringent qualifications. The College
is a leader in the formulation of health policy, standards
and guidelines, and is a staunch supporter of cardiovascular
research. The ACC provides professional education and operates
national registries for the measurement and improvement of
quality care. More information about the association is available
online at www.acc.org.
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The American College of Cardiology is leading the way to optimal
cardiovascular care and disease prevention. The College is
a 36,000-member nonprofit medical society and bestows the
credential Fellow of the American College of Cardiology upon
physicians who meet its stringent qualifications. The College
is a leader in the formulation of health policy, standards
and guidelines, and is a staunch supporter of cardiovascular
research. The ACC provides professional education and operates
national registries for the measurement and improvement of
quality care. More information about the association is available
online at www.acc.org .
The American College of Cardiology (ACC) provides these news
reports of clinical studies published in the Journal of
the American College of Cardiology as a service to physicians,
the media, the public and other interested parties. However,
statements or opinions expressed in these reports reflect
the view of the author(s) and do not represent official policy
of the ACC unless stated so.
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