Summit Showcases Technology For

Improving Patient Care, Reducing Errors

FARMINGTON — More than 300 health care leaders, policymakers, and professionals attended this week’s one-day Inaugural Summit of eHealthConnecticut, a new, not-for-profit organization established to create, champion, and sustain a secure statewide health information exchange.

The summit featured sessions on how to use health information technology, including electronic medical records in physician offices and computerized physician order entry systems in hospitals, to develop a secure and private statewide health information exchange.  The exchange, according to eHealth Connecticut organizers, will dramatically improve the safety, efficiency, and quality of patient care in Connecticut. Additional sessions presented state and national activities currently under way to advance the use of health information technology as a means to improve quality and patient safety     

Keynote speakers at the summit included Congresswoman Nancy Johnson (R-CT), an early advocate for the establishment of eHealthConnecticut, and David Brailer, MD, PhD, President Bush’s appointed National Coordinator for Health Information. According to Congresswoman Johnson, “Our goals are ambitious, and our challenge is real, but the benefits that result from this effort will ultimately extend to every patient who uses Connecticut’s health care system. The energy and caliber of the attendees at today’s Summit are a reflection of the resolve to make eHealthConnecticut a success.”

Officially announced in January by Governor M. Jodi Rell and Congresswoman Johnson, eHealthConnecticut represents the coming together of those involved in delivering patient care — physicians, health care providers, purchasers and payers, academia, quality organizations, government and other stakeholders — to meet and solve the challenges of adopting and implementing health care technology in Connecticut. eHeathConnecticut demonstrates the commitment of Connecticut’s health care leaders to combine resources and forge new ground by connecting health care data systems throughout the state.  

Earlier this week, eHealthConnecticut announced its Board of Directors, which includes representatives from professional associations and organizations, health care provider groups and entities, health plans, consumer groups, employers and government. The are:

Ellen Andrews, PhD, Connecticut Health Policy Project

Doug Arnold, CEO, Middlesex Professional Services

David Berkowitz, PhD, executive director, Wheeler Clinic

Ronald Buckman, MD, Bolton Family and Sports Medicine

Kevin Carr, MD, program director, Waterbury Health Access Program

Angelo Carrabba, MD, president, Connecticut State Medical Society

Patrick Charmel, president and CEO, Griffin Hospital

Robert Cole, PhD, assistant professor, University of Connecticut Health Center

Francois de Brantes, national coordinator, Bridges to Excellence

Robert Fahr, state representative, Connecticut

Robert Galvin, MD, commissioner of Department of Public Health, Connecticut

Andrea Gelzer, MD, senior vice president of clinical public affairs, CIGNA

Margherita Giuliano, RPh, executive vice president, Connecticut Pharmacist Association

David Horn, vice president of strategic directions, Pitney Bowes

Ken Kindl, manager of finance, corporate health care, General Electric

Jess Kupec, CEO, St Francis Physician Health Organization

Paul O’Sullivan, director of grants, Office of Congresswoman Nancy Johnson   

Marcia Petrillo, CEO, Qualidigm

Eleanor C. Seiler, MD, regional vice president medical affairs, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield

Paul Sheils, CEO, Aetna Health Information Solutions

Richard Shiffman, MCIS, MD, associate director of Medical Informatics, Yale University of Medicine

Arthur Shreier, director of IT, Quest Diagnostics

Laurence Tanner, president and CEO, New Britain General Hospital

 Lead sponsors of the eHealthConnecticut Inaugural Summit are Aetna, Connecticut Business Development Team, Northrop Grumman, and Webster Bank. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Connecticut, CIGNA, New Britain General Hospital, Qualidigm, and Aetna provided initial funding to establish eHealthConnecticut.