[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 17]
[House]
[Pages 22512-22513]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              NATIONAL HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY WEEK

  (Mr. SMITH of Washington asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
fourth annual National Health Information Technology Week. Health 
information technology is a critical piece of health care reform.
  The cost of our health care system is the main burden. As we look for 
ways to expand coverage to the millions of Americans who don't have it, 
getting costs under control is absolutely critical.
  Health care information technology is one way to do that. If we can 
improve the quality of our IT systems and our health care system, we 
can improve the quality of health care for millions of Americans by 
getting better information to both doctors and patients more quickly.
  Right now the system is woefully behind most other businesses in 
developing and improving IT. This House took an important step in the 
stimulus package passed last January by putting $19 billion towards 
improving health care information technology.

[[Page 22513]]

  It's critical that that money is well spent. It is critical that we 
improve our health IT systems if we are going to improve the quality of 
our health care system for all Americans.

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