[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 29, Number 44 (Monday, November 8, 1993)]
[Pages 2252-2253]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

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Proclamation 6620--National Health Information Management Week, 1993

 November 3, 1993

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    Over the course of the next months, the people of the United States 
and their elected Members of Congress will have the opportunity to 
participate in one of the most important processes of our times: the 
implementation of health care reform. As the proposals have been 
developed, the authors have relied on extensive information that has 
been collected regarding the well-being of the people of our Nation and 
the efficiency of our health care delivery system. Those working on 
plans for health care reform were extremely fortunate that they could 
draw upon the vast fund of knowledge contained in some of the most 
comprehensive health management systems in the world.
    Our Nation's status as a world leader in this field is largely due 
to the role of professional health information managers as they 
continually investigate and apply new technologies to advance their 
administrative expertise.
    America's 35,000 health information management leaders have a 
tradition of commitment to excellence and competence, which have become 
increasingly important components of the health care delivery system of 
our country.
    At the heart of the profession's information management 
responsibilities are medical history records, both computer-based and 
paper-generated. On a daily basis, health information managers must take 
into consideration patients' privacy rights and, at the same time, 
protect the integrity, accuracy, consistency, reliability, and validity 
of health information. The professional health information manager 
orchestrates the collection of many kinds of documentation from a 
variety of sources, monitors the integrity of the information, and 
ensures appropriate access to medical records. This professional also 
collects health care data by abstracting and encoding information, by 
using computer programs to interpret data, and by putting in place 
quality control procedures to guarantee the validity of the information.
    Throughout the ongoing health care reform discussions, there has 
been a strong consensus about the need to lessen the bureaucracy of our 
Nation's current health care delivery system and to streamline and 
simplify administrative operations. During this very important time in 
our Nation's history, health information management professionals are 
key players in our efforts to reshape the existing system. These 
dedicated experts are working hard to computerize patient record systems 
in order to reduce health care costs by decreasing the logjam of 
unnecessary paperwork confronting hospitals and other health facilities.
    We want to recognize the devotion of those who are working to 
decrease the cost and improve the quality of our health care system. 
Their past efforts have contributed immeasurably to the health care 
delivery system and to the medical research community. As health care 
reform is implemented, the challenges will be quite substantial, but so 
will the opportunities for demonstrating the creativity and commitment 
to quality that characterize these important professionals. I urge all 
Americans to join me in saluting this determined group of men and women, 
who work as professional health information managers.
    The Congress, by House Joint Resolution 205, has designated the week 
of October 31 through November 6, 1993, as ``National Health Information 
Management Week'' and has authorized and requested the President to 
issue a proclamation in observance of this week.
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, do hereby proclaim the week of October 31 through 
November 6, 1993, as National Health Information Management Week. I call 
upon all Americans to observe this week by demonstrating their respect 
and gratitude for all those professionals who have dedicated their 
careers to consistently improving our systems of health information 
management.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of 
November, in the

[[Page 2253]]

year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-three, and of the 
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and 
eighteenth.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 9:12 a.m., November 4, 
1993]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on 
November 5.