[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 16955-16956]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             LESSONS LEARNED IN THE WAKE OF HURRICANE SANDY

  (Mr. HIGGINS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, there are many lessons to be learned in the 
wake of the hurricane that devastated parts of New York and New Jersey, 
one of which is the importance of electronic medical records and health 
information technology.
  While many hospitals and medical centers were damaged by the storm, 
hospitals that employed electronic medical records were able to ensure 
that vital health information was maintained and not lost. Not only 
that, electronic medical records enabled continuity of care as patients 
were transferred between hospitals.
  Mr. Speaker, this is just one example of how electronic health 
records can improve quality of patient care, integrate health systems, 
and ultimately, reduce unnecessary costs.
  My western New York community was an early adopter of electronic 
medical records and has since been recognized nationally as a leader in 
health information technology. I urge the House to continue the 
widespread adoption of health information technology

[[Page 16956]]

and to assist in its expansion across the country.

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