Public Policy Roundtable on the Future of the Healthcare IT Workforce: Orlando, Sept. 23

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Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities

Sep 23, 2010, 11:57 ET

Hosted by the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities (APSCU), TechAmerica and Florida Assoc. of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --The Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities (APSCU), the nation’s leading trade association representing private-sector post-secondary institutions; TechAmerica, the largest advocacy group for the U.S. technology industry; and the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges (FAPSC), will host a public policy roundtable today entitled “The Future of the Healthcare IT Workforce.” The event will take place on Thursday, Sept. 23 from 8:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. at the Partnership II Building, 3100 Technology Parkway, Room 208, Orlando, Fla. 32826. The media is cordially invited to attend.

The roundtable will address some key issues confronting the healthcare IT arena. President Obama has set aside nearly $19 billion for Health Information Technology in government spending plans, with $17 billion through Medicare and Medicaid and $2 billion in direct funding. This action, combined with the passage earlier this year of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, has given America the tools to begin a major transformation in high-quality, affordable American health care. The change is made possible through the creation of a secure, interoperable nationwide health information network, upgraded hospital and clinical information systems, and millions of intelligent devices, on the edge of the network and at the heart of care delivery. But a crucial piece of this puzzle remains:

What new talents and skills will be required to implement, maintain and use these resources?
How will it change the state of practice?
How will healthcare delivery models evolve?
Will the human capital be readily available to assure successful implementation and longer-term maintenance?
Will healthcare practitioners from physicians to technicians have the education and skills necessary to realize the upside potential?

The panel will be moderated by Dr. Richard Foglesong, George and Harriet Cornell Professor of Politics at Rollins College. For more information and to register for the event, please visit www.techamerica.org/flhealthit.

About APSCU: The Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities (APSCU) is a voluntary membership organization of accredited, private postsecondary schools, institutes, colleges and universities that provide career-specific educational programs. APSCU has more than 1,800 members that educate and support over one million students each year for employment in over 200 occupational fields. APSCU member institutions provide the full range of higher education programs: masters and doctoral degree programs, two- and four-year associate and baccalaureate degree programs, and short-term certificate and diploma programs. Visit APSCU at www.apscu.org or follow us on Twitter: apscunow. On September 22, 2010, CCA officially changed its name from the Career College Association (CCA) to the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities (APSCU).

About TechAmerica: TechAmerica is the leading voice for the U.S. technology industry – the driving force behind productivity growth and jobs creation in the United States and the foundation of the global innovation economy. Representing approximately 1,200 member companies of all sizes from the public and commercial sectors of the economy, it is the industry’s largest advocacy organization and is dedicated to helping members’ top and bottom lines. TechAmerica is also the technology industry's only grassroots-to-global advocacy network, with offices in state capitals around the United States, Washington, D.C., Europe (Brussels) and Asia (Beijing).It was formed by the merger of AeA (formerly the American Electronics Association), the Cyber Security Industry Alliance (CSIA), the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) and the Government Electronics & Information Technology Association (GEIA).Learn more about TechAmerica at www.techamerica.org.