Samuel McDowell, Ph.D., vice president of operations with Vermont Information Technology Leaders (VITL) recently presented at the New England Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) 1st Annual Vermont & New Hampshire Fall Event held in October 2013 in Lebanon, NH. The theme of the daylong conference was “Interoperability & Exchange – Standardizing Data in Healthcare.” McDowell spoke about Vermont’s health information exchange managed by VITL, on topics including its infrastructure model, patient consents and confidentiality, what data is currently being exchanged, and future goals for the organization.
The New England chapter of HIMSS, which includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, fulfills the national mission of fostering collaboration among health care information management professionals for the betterment of health through information technology. The chapter represents approximately 2,900 members and has active involvement from a number of leading health care organizations within health care delivery, payor, technology and academic institutions.
In addition to his current operations role with VITL, McDowell also teaches in the undergraduate program at Champlain College in strategic management.
Vermont Information Technology Leaders, Inc. (VITL) is a non-profit organization that assists Vermont health care providers statewide with adopting and using health information technology to improve the quality of care delivery as well as to enhance patient safety and outcomes. Comprised of a collaborative group of stakeholders including health plans, hospitals, physicians, other health care providers, state government, employers, and consumers, VITL is the designated health information exchange (HIE) for the state of Vermont and also the state’s federally-designated regional extension center.
