Diana Manos

The Health IT Policy Committee, a federal advisory group, has begun work on developing the meaningful use requirements for Stages 2 and 3 of the federal Medicare and Medicaid healthcare IT adoption incentive program.

Coming out of the dog days of summer, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology is gathering steam to roll out the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs).

The nonprofit Breastcancer.org has launched its first-ever iPhone application for breast cancer patients, allowing them to receive customized research news based on their diagnosis.

The Food and Drug Administration has awarded $31.8 million to ICF International to provide information technology and scientific support services to the National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR).

The Health IT Policy Committee, a federal advisory group, has begun work on developing the meaningful use requirements for Stages 2 and 3 of the federal Medicare and Medicaid healthcare IT adoption incentive program, according to David Blumenthal, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.

Donald Berwick, MD, Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), urged health plans Monday to join with the government and other stakeholders in helping to overhaul the American healthcare system.

As I write this column in late August, Congress is on summer recess and Washington seems to be asleep in the hot afternoon sun. But appearances aren't what they seem. There is some exciting healthcare IT legislation brewing on Capitol Hill that just might make a spark come fall.

ONC will announce “soon” the names of the authorized testing and certification bodies, Carol Bean, ONC's division director for certification and testing at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) said during a phone conference on Aug. 18.

The Department of Health and Human Services withdrew its final breach notification rule for unsecured protected health information. Withdrawal of the rule came in late July, just days before the Rite Aid Corp. agreed to pay $1 million to settle potential violations of federal privacy rules.

Weno Healthcare Inc. has applied to become a temporary electronic health record certification body and, if accepted, plans to shake up the competition.