[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 155 (Monday, August 13, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 45247]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-3927]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information 
Technology; Notice of Intent To Hold a Public Meeting To Share 
Information on Establishing an American Health Information Community 
Successor

SUMMARY: On August 17, 2007, Secretary Leavitt will lead a public 
meeting to raise awareness of the implementation strategy for the AHIC 
successor and encourage collaboration. The AHIC is a federally-
chartered advisory committee that provides input and recommendations to 
the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on how to make health 
records digital and interoperable, and how to assure that the privacy 
and security of those records are protected. (Please visit http://www.hhs.gov/healthit/community/background/ for more information on the 
AHIC.) The AHIC charter specifies that the AHIC will develop and 
advance recommendations to the Secretary on a private-sector health 
information community initiative that will succeed the AHIC. The AHIC 
successor will bring together public and private, not-for-profit and 
for-profit entities that represent all sectors of the health community. 
This new public-private partnership will develop a unified approach to 
realize an effective, secure, interoperable nationwide health 
information system that improves the quality, safety, and efficiency of 
health care in the U.S.
    For the purposes of facilitating the establishment of the AHIC 
successor and convening a planning board, HHS will award a Cooperative 
Agreement that allows for substantial involvement by the Federal 
Government. Once a new legal entity is established and after certain 
conditions are met, HHS will support that entity through additional 
funding that will enable initial operations and transition of specific 
AHIC responsibilities by late Fall 2008.

DATES: August 17, 2007, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (EDT); registration 
opens at 9:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES: Hubert H. Humphrey building (200 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20201), Conference Room 800.
    A webcast of the public meeting will be available on the NIH Web 
site at: http://www.videocast.nih.gov/.
    For technical assistance with the webcast, please contact: Center 
for Information Technology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, 
Maryland 20892, local (301) 496-4357, toll free (866) 319-4357, TDD 
(301) 496-8294.
    Instructions will be available on the day of the meeting about how 
to submit questions or comments via phone or e-mail.
    For Further Information and To Confirm Meeting Time: visit http://www.hhs.gov/healthit/community/background/AHICsuccessor.html. If you 
have special needs for the meeting, please contact (202) 690-7151.

    Dated: August 7, 2007.
Judith Sparrow,
Director, American Health Information Community, Office of Programs and 
Coordination, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information 
Technology.
[FR Doc. 07-3927 Filed 8-10-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-24-M