Statement On President-Elect Trump's HHS Nominations

Statement by CHIME President and CEO Russell Branzell on the selection of Rep. Tom Price, M.D., to be Secretary of Health and Human Services:

Rep. Tom Price has been at the forefront of advancing important reforms to the nation’s health IT policy landscape. He was a leader in pushing for greater flexibility in the Meaningful Use program, including the 90-day reporting period. The shorter reporting period is a more realistic timeframe and will help hospitals stay focused on optimizing electronic health record systems for improved patient care. Dr. Price was also instrumental in 2015 in extending the timeline for providers to apply for hardship exemptions under the Meaningful Use program.

Health information technology plays a pivotal role in virtually every aspect of healthcare and is moving us toward better, safer, more efficient care. Once they are confirmed by the Senate, we stand ready to continue our work with the leadership team at HHS, including Dr. Price and Seema Verma at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to develop policies that will better enable CHIME members to implement IT solutions that transform the nation’s healthcare system.

About CHIME
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is an executive organization dedicated to serving chief information officers and other senior healthcare IT leaders. With more than 2,000 CIO members and over 150 healthcare IT vendors and professional services firms, CHIME provides a highly interactive, trusted environment enabling senior professional and industry leaders to collaborate; exchange best practices; address professional development needs; and advocate the effective use of information management to improve the health and healthcare in the communities they serve. For more information, visit www.chimecentral.org.