VIENNA, Va., May 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Kevin Hutchinson, president and CEO of Prematics, has been appointed as a member of the HIT Standards Committee. This federal advisory body is charged with making recommendations to the Health and Human Services National Coordinator for Health IT on standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria for the electronic exchange and use of health information.
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The HIT Standards Committee was established, along with the Health Information Technology (HIT) Policy Committee, by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Members for both committees were announced earlier today by the Department of Health and Human Services.
"It is an honor to be selected to serve on the HIT Standards Committee at a time when health IT has taken center stage in our nation," said Hutchinson. "Standards are the key to ensuring that we have interoperability between technology systems so that health practitioners can communicate effectively with each other through the secure, electronic exchange of patient information."
"Kevin's experience and exceptional knowledge in this space makes him a natural fit for this committee," said Russ Thomas, president and for Availity. "As someone who is on the frontlines of health IT deployment, Kevin understands the important role standards play in supporting improvements in care coordination through the application of health IT. This is increasingly important as the industry continues to embrace technology to improve health outcomes and reduce cost in the healthcare system."
Prematics is helping to improve communication between all healthcare stakeholders by working with Availity and other health care enterprises to equip physician practices with e-prescribing capabilities at the point of care. E-Prescribing allows for the electronic exchange of critical patient information that can improve the safety, efficiency, and cost effectiveness of care. According to estimates by the Center for Information Technology Leadership, widespread adoption and use of e-prescribing technology alone has the ability to generate nearly $27 billion in savings each year.
"The HIT Standards Committee creates an alignment of stakeholder groups across the health IT spectrum which is essential for successful, ongoing standards harmonization," said Prematics board chairman, Jim Bradley. "Kevin's history of expertise and work on standards makes him an ideal contributor, and it is my pleasure to congratulate him on this appointment."
Prior to joining Prematics, Mr. Hutchinson served as the founding president and CEO of SureScripts from 2002 - 2008 where led the effort to build and deploy a national network for electronic prescribing and health information exchange. Under his leadership the SureScripts' network grew from an industry concept to the largest, most successful electronic prescribing network in the country. Today, it is considered the gold standard for pharmacy interoperability and the routing of electronic prescriptions throughout the nation.
About Prematics
Prematics is a care communication company that enables health plans to connect with providers and members at the point of care using a cutting-edge, physician-centric e-prescribing platform. The platform enables the exchange of critical patient prescription information and the delivery of targeted, timely messages to the point of care. The result is lower medical, pharmacy and administrative costs; greater patient safety; improved practice efficiency; and, greater patient satisfaction. More information about Prematics can be found at www.prematics.com.
Media Contact Laura Ahlbin 703-956-5517 lahlbin@prematics.com
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