HIMSS Supports Tom Daschle for Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

January 9, 2009 – The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) is supporting former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle’s confirmation as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

“Given the absolute necessity for healthcare reform in 2009, and his consistent attention on the issue of improving the access, quality, and cost-containment of care, Sen. Daschle is an exceptional choice to lead HHS and its many components in achieving quality and cost improvements in the U.S. healthcare system,” HIMSS said in a letter to the U.S. Senate Finance and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committees, this week. “As evidenced in his book, Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis, Sen. Daschle outlined a series of initiatives aimed at improving healthcare delivery. Specific to our issue of expertise, healthcare information technology (IT), Sen. Daschle suggested ‘[t]he latest information technology, structured to safeguard patients’ privacy, has the potential to dramatically cut costs and improve health-care quality.”

For more information: www.himss.org