Hal Wolf, HIMSS President & CEO, Testifies in front of U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

Today, Hal Wolf, HIMSS President & CEO, testified in front of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Subcommittee on Technology Modernization. The Subcommittee on Technology Modernization has oversight and investigative jurisdiction over the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) major IT projects and technology modernization programs, such as the Electronic Health Record (EHR) modernization program and the Financial Management Business Transformation (FMBT). The Subcommittee also oversees cybersecurity, data privacy and management, and technology innovation at the VA.

During his testimony, Half Wolf stated: “As significant advancements in technological innovation in healthcare have allowed us to capture data and use information in unprecedented ways, we must ensure that proper processes are in place to protect the privacy and security of the patient’s most sensitive information without losing the potential benefit from its use. Our healthcare ecosystem has come to rely on an increasing number of tools and capabilities which depend upon secure access to and use of patient data. The industry’s fundamental goal is improved outcomes at a lower cost per episode. To meet this goal, we must have technology-enabled data collection and interoperable data sharing. Given the large population receiving services through the Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system, it is not a stretch to see that the VA is facing the same pressures as the rest of the industry to use data-driven capabilities to help them better manage the health and healthcare of their patient population. We believe that recently proposed federal regulations, including the CMS Interoperability and Patient Access rule and the ONC Information Blocking Rule will advance interoperability and support safe and secure access to health information and data-driven tools that allow for more provider and consumer choice in care and treatment.”

Find more information and watch a live video of today’s hearing.