HEALTH

MCLEAN, Va. -- Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) announced that the chair of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Board of Directors has appointed Robert M. Schlesinger, SAIC senior vice president and deputy manager of the Enterprise and Health Solutions Sector, as the chair of the new HIMSS Government Relations Roundtable. HIMSS launched the Government Relations Roundtable as it newest initiative earlier this year to advance proactive health policy discussions between industry leaders and key federal decision makers. Designed as the information and access source for HIMSS corporate members and federal leaders in healthcare IT, the roundtable harnesses the expertise of more than 120 HIMSS corporate members including SAIC, who employ more than one million employees to promote improvements and investments within the healthcare technology domain. "It's an honor to be asked by HIMSS to chair this key healthcare industry committee of noted experts," said Schlesinger. "The roundtable is made up of representatives from corporations who are involved in public policy and professional services, and I believe that working together we can have a tremendous and much needed influence on public policy in Washington." Shana Christrup, Health Legislative aide to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, served as the keynote speaker at the first roundtable meeting, and discussed what lies ahead for the new 108th Congress and the prospects for healthcare technology legislation. Susan Christiansen, Health Legislative aide to Representative Nancy Johnson, chairwoman of the U.S. House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, spoke at the second meeting in Washington on health care IT interoperability standards. Future meetings will focus on HIMSS advocacy initiatives and the National Health Information Infrastructure. The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) provides leadership in healthcare for the advancement and management of information technology. Headquartered in Chicago, HIMSS provides services to more than 13,000 members, including IT healthcare corporations, firms and professionals from around the globe. Through the collaboration of 43 chapters and 20 special interest groups, HIMSS directs and shapes the healthcare industry, encourages emerging technology and promotes public policies that will improve healthcare delivery. For more information, visit HIMSS at www.himss.org .