HIMSS Oregon Advocacy Meets with Oregon Policy Leaders

On Thursday, August 20 I, Josh Richardson, and HIMSS Oregon advocacy member, Greg Gootee, met with three of Oregon's influential state policy and administrative leaders (sorry for the delay on this post, it's been a long time coming). We sat down with Dawn Bonder, Policy Advisor to Governor Kulongoski, Carol Robinson, Director of HITOC, and Dr. Jeanene Smith, Oregon Health Policy & administrator. Greg and I used the opportunity to introduce the HIMSS mission, vision, and HIMSS Oregon efforts to reach out and offer ourselves as a resource.

Bonder, Robinson, and Smith made it clear that the state is seeking partnerships with organizations like HIMSS Oregon to leverage the knowledge and expertise that resides within. The overriding challenge for the state has been the accelerated timeline that requires the state to move at an unprecedented pace for the state wants to attain as many federal funds as it is able. The group recognized that a partnership between the state and HIMSS Oregon would help disseminate information from the state to our members, and that our members would have a voice in the policy making process.

Greg and I were very pleased we had the opportunity to make HIMSS Oregon better known to these state leaders. In addition to the introduction, HIMSS Oregon provided the Robinson, Bonder, and Smith with a doc that described the HIT landscape and leading organizations: HIMSS, AHIMA, AMIA, etc. We were glad that we could be of service and look forward to future collaboration with state leaders.