[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 11964]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 589--DESIGNATING THE WEEK BEGINNING JUNE 9, 2008, AS 
            ``NATIONAL HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY WEEK''

  Ms. STABENOW (for herself and Ms. Snowe) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 589

       Whereas the Healthcare Information and Management Systems 
     Society has worked collaboratively with more than 60 
     stakeholder organizations for more than 47 years to transform 
     healthcare with improved uses of information technology and 
     management systems;
       Whereas the Center for Information Technology Leadership 
     estimates that the implementation of national standards for 
     interoperability and the exchange of health information would 
     save the United States resources relating to healthcare each 
     year;
       Whereas healthcare information technology has been shown to 
     improve the quality and safety of the delivery of healthcare 
     in the United States;
       Whereas healthcare information technology and management 
     systems have been recognized as essential tools for improving 
     the quality and cost efficiency of the healthcare system;
       Whereas the President and the Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services have made a commitment to leverage the benefits of 
     the healthcare information technology and management systems 
     by establishing the Office of the National Coordinator for 
     Health Information Technology and the American Health 
     Information Community;
       Whereas Congress has placed an emphasis on improving the 
     quality and safety of the delivery of healthcare in the 
     United States; and
       Whereas, since 2006, organizations across the United States 
     have come together to support National Health Information 
     Technology Week to improve public awareness relating to the 
     potential benefits of the improved quality and cost 
     efficiency that the healthcare system could achieve by 
     implementing healthcare information technology: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the week beginning June 9, 2008, as 
     ``National Health Information Technology Week'';
       (2) recognizes the value of healthcare information 
     technology and management systems in transforming healthcare 
     for the people of the United States; and
       (3) calls upon all stakeholders to promote the use of 
     healthcare information technology and management systems to 
     transform the United States healthcare system.

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