WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 11, 2005 -- HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt announced yesterday at the World Health Care Innovation and Technology Congress the awarding of contracts totaling $18.6 million to four consortia that will develop prototypes for a Nationwide Health Information Network. The contracts were awarded with the intent of moving the nation toward the adoption of personal electronic health records, creating a uniform infrastructure for health information to follow consumers throughout the care continuum.

Leavitt stated in his keynote presentation, "At HHS, we are working to make serious, measurable and urgent progress of realizing the promise of Health IT" and highlighted the commitment of the HHS to meeting the goal of electronic health records for most Americans.

When asked about the announcement, Stan Kachnowski, Director, Healthcare Information Technology Lab DeLamar Fellow, School of Public Health, Columbia University remarked, "The healthcare information movement has been snowballing for years. Secretary Leavitt's announcement is a good step forward."

Present for the announcement were over 550 healthcare IT professionals including senior executives from provider organizations, health insurance companies, and government agencies who attended the annual World Health Care Innovation and Technology Congress from November 9-11, 2005, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, D.C.

The World Health Care Innovation and Technology Congress is an annual global forum presenting real-life case studies that demonstrate successful application of innovation in all its forms, and delivers insight to help resolve issues such as patient safety, clinical quality, access, and margins. The event provided a forum where health care and technology leaders came together to share successful applications of innovative business strategies, policy-making, and technology solutions that will make significant advances in both healthcare cost and quality.

Other speakers at the congress included: Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House and founder of the Center for Health Transformation; Mark McClellan, MD, Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health & Human Services; and Allan Hubbard, Assistant to President Bush for economic policy and Director, National Economic Council, who presented alongside business and technology leaders Steve Case, co-founder of America Online, and CEO of Revolution; Ray Kurzweil, founder of Kurzweil Technologies; and Clayton M. Christensen, Professor, Harvard Business School, co-founder, Innosight, and Author, The Innovator's Dilemma, The Innovator's Solution, and Seeing What's Next.

The World Health Care Innovation and Technology Congress, is sponsored by Platinum Sponsor, Booz Allen Hamilton and Co-sponsor, The Wall Street Journal. More information on the World Health Care Innovation and Technology Congress is available at http://www.whitcongress.com.

CONTACT:  
Tracey Fielding, 781-939-2555,
t.fielding@worldcongress.com
Website: http://www.whitcongress.com/