The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), in honor of National Health IT Week, is honoring several policy leaders, who the group says has helped improve healthcare delivery with the best use of health information technology and management systems. This year, Mary Wakefield, Ph.D, R.N., the administrator of health resources and services administration (HRSA) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Honorable Linda Upmeyer, of the Iowa House of Representatives, were recognized.
Dr. Wakefield, who was appointed HRSA Administrator by President Barack Obama in 2009, has worked with HIMSS and others toward realization of the Nationwide Health Information Network (NwHIN) for all communities. HIMSS says her leadership has led HRSA to administer $2.5 billion in ARRA funds to expand the nation's healthcare system, address health workforce shortages, and fund hundreds of health centers’ efforts to adopt health IT solutions. In addition, HIMSS says she led the development of a Rural Health IT Toolbox, and an e-referral system that has improved patient care
State Representative Linda Upmeyer, a cardiology nurse practitioner, received the 2012 HIMSS State Policy Leader Award, as a strong supporter of HIMSS and health IT for the last 10 years, regularly introducing and supporting health IT legislation.
“This marks the 11th year for the HIMSS Federal and State Leadership Awards, recognition honoring outstanding leaders at the federal and state levels who are taking the lead in establishing new initiatives, programs, and projects that foster the use of health I-T in both government and private industry,” Dave Roberts, vice president, government relations, for HIMSS said in a statement.
