September
26, 2005
Dear Ms. Davenport-Ennis,
Congratulations on your recent
appointment to the consumer position
on the American Health Information
Community (AHIC). The organizations
listed below all recognize the
potential of health IT to improve
our health care system and wish to
be engaged and supportive of the
process of developing a national
health information network. The AHIC
will play a critical role in
defining the standards and policies
that shape this network, and its
decisions could affect virtually
every American.
Our organizations have been meeting
regularly over the past year or so –
to increase our understanding of the
health IT environment and to
identify policies and practices that
will assure the best results for
patients and consumers. We have been
focused on some of the more
challenging policy questions that
will be addressed both regionally
and nationally.
You will have a vital responsibility
as the sole representative of
consumer and privacy interests on
the AHIC, and we hope that you will
keep us apprised of emerging issues
and provide us with an opportunity
to share our views with you. We
think it would be mutually
beneficial to spend some time
together, reviewing the AHIC agenda
and exchanging perspectives on how
best to move health information
technology forward in the public
interest.
We would be happy to arrange a
meeting at your convenience. Jane
Loewenson, at the National
Partnership for Women & Families, is
coordinating our group and would be
able to work with you to arrange a
time.
We look forward to better
understanding your views on the AHIC
and its assignment and working
closely with you in the coming
years.
Best regards,
AARP
AFL-CIO
American Federation of State, County
and Municipal Employees
American Hospice Foundation
Citizen Advocacy Center
Consumers Union
Department for Professional
Employees, AFL-CIO
Health Privacy Project
Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health
Maternity Center Association
National Consumers League
National Health Law Program
National Partnership for Women &
Families
Service Employees International
Union
Title II Community AIDS Network
