Global Health Equity Week - October 19-23

October 23, 8:00am, EDT - 8:00am, EDT

Celebrate Global Health Equity Week with us!


Join us and our friends at HIMSS as we recognize Global Health Equity Week, an initiative focused on information and technology's potential to transform health and minimize health disparities  for everyone, everywhere.

During this year’s celebration, HIMSS and the health information and technology community will highlight the role of digital health as a bridge to patient wellness, with an emphasis on maternal health, patient identification and safety, public health data modernization, and telehealth.

Get involved, take action, and raise awareness to support healthy global communities.

Join the fight
Supporting Healthy Communities
#healthequity

In lieu of our regular PA HIT Day, a few representatives of PA HIMSS chapters will be honoring those that have made contributions to legislation around Healthcare Information Technology in Pennsylvania by delivering awards individually. 

Awardees include:

The following are three asks we are submitting to PA legislators:

a. Support for the [new] Telehealth Bill Senate Bill 857, Session of 2019; and Senate Bill 67, Session of 2019, the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact Act.

Telehealth has the potential for advancing health services to patients with chronic conditions and offers benefits to students in school settings. For instance, remote services can reduce student absenteeism and provide instantaneous support for school nurses – addressing issues such as diabetes, asthma, behavioral and mental health, speech therapy, dental, vision, and auditory screening, nutritional counseling, health education, and preventative measures. Telehealth also can care for patients Substance Use Disorders by allowing licensed Psychotherapists (from outside states) to care for patients residing in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

b. Support for crafting of new legislation that would require by 2025 that all students in Pennsylvania shall have an interoperable, standards-based, minimal health record easily accessible through health information exchange capabilities.

Legislators can serve their constituents by supporting advanced electronic school health records that include Immunization, Oral, Vision, and other health concerns. Having the record in an electronic format upon graduation will benefit students as they transition between different schools and/or across state boundaries, in having more continuity of care through better data sharing practices.

1. State Immunization Registry interoperability improvements - Have the State Immunization Registry be viewable in the School Districts Setting.

2. Electronic records for students (managed by the School Nurse) - By the Year 2025, have school records in an electronic format, which is interoperable, allowing the sharing of information after the student graduates.

3. SHIFT White Paper as input to updates/drivers to the “2016 State Health Improvement Plan” review. - Update the State Information Technology Plan to include Information Technology needs of Schools and of Students

c. Engage in Health Information Technology Workforce Development Initiatives in your district to keep Pennsylvania employed and competitive by supporting academic programs and related funding for science, technology, and internships. Inclusion of Veterans to meet workforce challenges and opportunities.

Pennsylvania’s competitiveness and workforce vitality necessitate training in emerging technologies. Training areas include Mobile health devices, telehealth devices and operations, in-home electronic devices, the use of advanced health information exchanges, and patient-centered care coordination initiatives. Research areas include Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, and information science. Veterans offer experience, management expertise, and leadership skills needed in the HIT Workforce. By attaining the HIMSS CAHIMS Certification, Veterans have a potential glide path to employment.