Happenings on the Hill

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Happenings on the Hill
Blair R. Hedgepeth HIMSS Manager, Congressional
Affairs 703-562-8810 bhedgepeth_at_himss.org
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History of HIMSS Advocacy Initiative

• February 1998 Advocacy Task Force launched by
  HIMSS Board under direction of Board Vice Chair
  (Colonel) Rosemary Nelson to explore whether
  HIMSS should be involved in advocacy and public
  policy activities Response to HIPAA
• April 1998 Advocacy Task Force report presented
  to HIMSS Board
• February 2000 HIMSS Board of Directors approved
  new advocacy initiated by a narrow margin

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History of HIMSS Advocacy Initiative

• February 2000 HIMSS Board of Directors approved
  new advocacy initiated by a narrow margin
• July 2002 Dave Roberts hired as Advocacy
  consultant on part-time basis
• August 2003 Tom Leary hired as first full-time
  advocacy employee
• April 2004 HIMSS office opened in Alexandria, VA

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History of HIMSS Advocacy Initiative

• July, 2004 Advocacy Committee elevated to
  Steering Committee level, and renamed Advocacy
  Public Policy Steering Committee
• October 2005 Tom Keefe hired as 1st Director of
  State Govt Relations
• July 2006 HIMSS advocacy budget surpasses 1M
  and staff at
• 7 FTEs plus Manager of Public Policy
  Communications
• January 2007 HIMSS Arlington Office opens!

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FY08 Organizational Chart Government Relations
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The HIMSS Advocacy Team

• Board of Directors Set Policy
• Advocacy Public Policy Steering Committee
  (APPSC)
• Make recommendations
• 14 voting members
• 5 non-voting members (EHRVA, CHIME, ME/PI TF,
  NACHRI and SHIRE)
• 5 Board Liaisons (Wade, Hansmann, Srini,
  Christian, and Harris)
• HIMSS Government Relations Roundtable (HGRR)
• Chapter Advocacy Liaison Roundtable (CALR)
• Individual members and staff (including Member
  Relations)

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Organization Chart Government Relations
Volunteer Opportunities
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Monthly CALR Calls

• 3rd Friday of every month
• Agenda is posted in the Share Point portal 2nd
  Friday of every month
• Tracking the 3 levels of advocacy competency
  through CALRs internet connections
• Conduct a Pre-Advocacy Day Training via webex for
  CALRs (April CALR Call)

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CALR Program FY 08Revised Recognition Levels

• Advocate Level- Awarded to CALRs/Chapters that
  complete 3-5 monthly tasks during the year
  (including state equivalents and/or extra credit
• Ambassador Level- Awarded to CALRs/Chapters that
  complete 6-8 of our monthly tasks during the year
  (including state equivalents and/or extra credit)
• Presidential Level- Awarded to CALRs/Chapters
  that complete 9-12 of our monthly tasks during
  the year (including state equivalents and/or
  extra credit)

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CALR Recognition Program

• FY 07
• 37 chapters (90) engaged in some measurable
  advocacy activity
• 31 Chapters (46) achieved recognition for their
  advocacy work in Year One
• Shawna Schueller of the Minnesota Chapter
  received CALR of the Year Award

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HIMSS CALR Geography
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1
2
1
2
1
2
1
5
1
2
3
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
3
1
2
3
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1
1
1
1
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AK - 0 HI - 1
2
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• 63 CALRs
• 38 States Represented
• 48 Congressional Districts Represented

As of 09/05/07
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Current Tools and Resources

• HIMSS Pulse on Public Policy
• Website Redesign
• Online Grants Office
• Fact Sheets and Position Statements
• Legislative Principles

• Knowelgis GR Tracker
• CRS Reports
• HIMSS State Dashboard
• Legislative Action Center
• advocacy_at_himss.org
• Arlington office

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Current Key Events

• Advocacy Day
• Hill visits, Advocacy Awards Reception
• Congressional Luncheon Seminar Series
• U.S. Conference
• Caucus Events
• National Health IT Week
• HIMSS Summit
• Winston Ball

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Current Key Issues

• Federal Funding
• Privacy Security
• Standards
• Integration Interoperability
• Value Based Purchasing / P4P
• Patient Safety Quality Outcomes

• Health Disparities (Rural Underserved)
• Congressional Caucuses
• Election 2008 (Presidential, Congressional
  State)
• AHIC Successor
• SCHIP Reauthorization
• Bi-Partisanship

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Legislation Overview

• 85 pieces (43 House and 42 Senate) of Health IT
  related legislation introduced during 1st session
  of 110th Congress
• HIMSS supports 7 pieces of legislation
• S. Con. Res. 21 Conrad FY08 Budget Resolution
  and HIT Fund (Passed)
• H.Con.Res. 149 -- Kennedy/Murphy Declaring
  National Health IT Week Resolution
• S.Res. 202 -- Stabenow/Snowe/Whitehouse
  Declaring National Health IT Week Resolution
  (Passed)

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Legislation Overview (Cont.)

• HIMSS supports
• S. 1408 Stabenow Health Information Technology
  Act
• H.R. 1952 -- Gonzalez/Gingrey National Health
  Information Incentive Act
• H.R. 2377 Gingrey ADOPT HIT Act of 2007
• S. 1693 -- Kennedy, Enzi, Clinton, and Hatch
  Wired for Health Care Quality Act

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Legislation Overview (Cont.)

• HIMSS opposes 2 pieces of legislation
• S. 73 Reid/Inouye Registered Nurse Safe Staffing
  Act of 2007
• H.R. 2123 Schakowsky Nurse Staffing Standards
  for Patient Safety and Quality Care Act of 2007

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Legislation Overview (Cont.)

• HIMSS is monitoring 6 pieces of legislation
• H.R. 976 -- Rangel State Childrens Health
  Insurance Program (SCHIP) Act Reauthorization
• H.R. 3162 -- Dingell Childrens Health and
  Medicare Protection (CHAMP) Act of 2007
• S. 1814 Leahy/Kennedy Health Information
  Privacy Security Act

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Legislation Overview (Cont.)

• HIMSS is monitoring
• H.R. 2406 Gordon NIST Healthcare Information
  Enterprise Act
• H.R. 2991 -- Moore of Kansas Independent Health
  Record Trust Act
• H.R. 3800- Eshoo/Rogers Promoting Health
  Information Technology Act

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What are the BIG pieces of Legislation for the
Fall?

• S.1693 -- Kennedy, Enzi, Clinton, and Hatch
  Wired for Health Care Quality Act
• H.R. 3800 Eshoo/Rogers Promoting Health
  Information Technology Act
• H.R. 976 -- Rangel State Childrens Health
  Insurance Program (SCHIP) Act Reauthorization
• H.R. 3162 -- Dingell Childrens Health and
  Medicare Protection Act of 2007

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What are the BIG pieces of Legislation for the
Fall?

• H.R. 3043/S.1710 HHS Appropriations
• H.R. 2406 Gordon NIST Healthcare Information
  Enterprise Act

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S.1693 Wired for Health Care Quality Act

• PRIMARY CONTACTS
• David Bowen, Staff Director, HELP
• Katy Barr, Professional Staff, HELP
• David Schwartz, Majority Counsel, Finance
• Mark Hayes, Minority Staff, Finance
• Trying to pass by Unanimous Consent?
• Jurisdictional Issues?
• Unfriendly Provisions?

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H.R. 3800 Promote Health IT Act

• Codifies ONC, AHIC 1.0 and a Public/Private
  partnership (AHIC 2.0)
• Provides Grant Funding for adoption
• Adoption and Use of Quality Measures and
  Reporting

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SCHIP Reauthorization

• SCHIP vs. CHAMP
• President wants only 5B expansion
• 35 billion program congressional expansion
• Senate vote 67-29
• Adds 35 billion to SCHIP
• Also passed by House (265-159)
• Presidential Veto

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SCHIP HIT Language

• Section 6 titled State Health Reform Projects
• Health information technology.--With respect to
  health information technology, the State plan
  shall provide methodology for the appropriate use
  of health information technology to improve
  infrastructure, such as improving the
  availability of evidence-based medical and
  outcomes data to providers and patients, as well
  as other health information (such as electronic
  health records, electronic billing, and
  electronic prescribing).

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FY08 HHS Appropriations Update

• Office of the National Coordinator
• FY08 Presidents Budget Request 117M
• House Approved 61.3M
• Senate Appropriations Committee Approved 71M
• HIMSS Position Support SENATE

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FY08 HHS Appropriations Update (cont.)

• HHS Studies (ASPE)
• FY08 Presidents Budget Request 3M
• House Approved Unclear
• Senate Appropriations Committee Approved Unclear
• AHRQ Grants
• FY08 Presidents Budget Request 45M
• House Approved 45M
• Senate Appropriations Committee Approved 44.8M

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FY08 Appropriations

• FY08 began on October 1
• Continuing Resolution approved continuing FY07
  level of funding until Nov. 16th
• House approved 12 appropriation bills
• Senate approved only 4 of 12 bills

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H.R. 2406 NIST Healthcare Information Enterprise
Act

• 1) Directs the National Institutes of Standards
  and Technology (NIST) to establish an initiative
  for advancing HIT integration and allows it to
  assist healthcare representatives and
  organizations and federal agencies in developing
  technical roadmaps for HIT standards
• (2) Requires NIST to develop or adopt existing
  technology-neutral guidelines and standards to
  enable federal agencies to effectively select and
  use HIT systems that are secure, interoperable,
  and ensure patient privacy

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H.R. 2406 NIST Healthcare Information Enterprise
Act

• 3) Requires the Department of Commerce to
  establish a Senior Interagency Council on Federal
  Healthcare Information Technology Infrastructure
  to coordinate the development and deployment of
  federal HIT systems, the associated technology
  transfer, and federal work with private HIT
  standards development organizations
• (4) Requires NIST to establish a university grant
  program for multidisciplinary research in
  HIT-related fields and
• (5) Directs the National High-Performance
  Computing Program to coordinate federal HIT RD
  programs.

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Advocacy Day 2007 2008

• HIMSS Advocacy Day 2007
• 276 Participants from 40 states
• 215 Meetings with Members of Congress
• 40 out of 50 Targets Covered
• HIMSS Advocacy Day 2008
• Cover all 50 states
• Increase Coverage of Key Congressional Districts
  based on legislative requests
• Deepen and sustain relationships from Advocacy
  Day by feeding participants into the CALR Program
• Use CALR Program to provide district visibility
  and pressure after Advocacy Day

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National Health IT Week 08

• June 9 13, 2008 in Washington, DC
• HIMSS Summit, June 9 - 10
• National Advocacy Day, June 11, 2008
• Washington Renaissance Hotel
• Scholarships available!

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HIMSS Day at the General Assembly 07

• Over 60 Participants
• Met with over HALF of the State Legislature
• Passed and Signed by Governor Kaine HB 2198
• Recognition as the healthcare IT experts

Sen. Yvonne Miller meets with Helen Volger, Kevin
Ragin, Scott Bateman and Mike Sanders
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HIMSS Day at the General Assembly 07

• Received legislative training
• Keynote Speaker, Sec. Aneesh Chopra
• Former Sec. Jane Woods in attendance

HIMSS EVP Carla Smith, HIMSS SVP Greg Walton, and
Secretary Chopra
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HIMSS Day at the General Assembly 08!!

• Starting later in the day
• Legislative training
• Dynamite Speakers
• Tour of the Capitol
• Meet and Greet with the Governor
• Networking Reception with Elected Officials!

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MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

• Monday, January 21, 2008
• MCV Alumni HouseRichmond, VA
• 1000am 500 pm, Reception 500 -- 800 pm
• Get Involved! Contact Reuben Southall,
• rsouthall_at_mcvh-vcu.edu

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Blair Hedgepeth

• HIMSS
• Manager, Congressional Affairs
• 4300 Wilson Blvd., Suite 250
• Arlington, VA 22203
• 703-562-8810
• bhedgepeth_at_himss.org