HIMSS initiative aims to increase EHR use in Hispanic/Latino community

The not-for-profit Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) has established a new initiative to focus on the health information technology needs of the rapidly growing Hispanic/Latino market, including increasing the rate of adoption, implementation, and meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs).

“This is a wonderful opportunity for HIMSS to share its resources and knowledge with the Hispanic community,” says H. Stephen Lieber, CAE, HIMSS president and chief executive officer. “I look forward to working with the HIMSS Latino Initiative on its efforts to identify information technology solutions to improve the quality of care, increase access to care, and reduce the cost of care among the United States’ Latino population.”

HIMSS’ new initiative will be led by a workgroup, open to all members of the organization, that will meet monthly via teleconference. During the organization’s annual meeting, the initiative will host a program featuring a keynote speech by former U.S. Surgeon General Antonia Novello, MD, as well as panel discussions.

David R. Hunt, MD, FACS, the chief medical officer in the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will participate on one of the panels. “The promise of EHRs to improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of healthcare in the United States is unprecedented,” he says. “This initiative is another voice to help us realize that promise broadly and equitably throughout our nation.”