A recent poll shows more than 96% of Healthcare professionals have been following Obama’s Reform debate closely and with it finally being approved preparations are in full swing. The President’s new ideals for healthcare are clearly a major issue for the industry and many leading professionals are asking the question ­ is their business prepared for such change? Increased demand and financial strain are pushing all areas of Healthcare, so efficiencies must be found quickly to stabilize the industry in time for the storm.

At the recent Next Generation Healthcare Summit, such professionals met to find these answers and discuss the implications that the new reform will have. The meeting began with Healthcare industry leaders debating issues such as deploying innovative and new technologies to reduce cost and medical errors, hoping to improve top-line growth. Stephen Brown, CIO at Tenet, spoke directly to the group on the importance of Interoperability and Health Information Exchange. The group included other impresarios, such as Dr. Divya Shroff, Associate Chief of Staff, Informatics, for the Department of Veterans Affairs; Dr. Phillip Smith, CMIO of Adventist; Dr. William Bria, CMIO for Shriners Hospital; and Mike Eimer, CIO, Texas Health Resources.

Also present were leading innovators such as Verizon, GE Healthcare, and Sunquest, sharing their advancements in technology and care quality. Dr. William Bria, CIO Shriners Children’s Hospital, followed with a discussion on the historic $19 billion investment provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 set aside for Health Information Technology (HIT), driving home his definition of ‘meaningful use’ improving the processes behind healthcare’s electronic data, an essential tool to modernize the healthcare system in wake of such inevitable change.

“Such a meeting was well overdue, clear strategies must be put in place between all corners of the healthcare industry; such collaboration with new technology will enable Healthcare to work around the changes that congress has announced” Jaime Martinelli ­ Director Next Generation Healthcare.

Whether you feel Obama¹s reform will be a positive addition to the Healthcare industry or not, what is for certain is that the industry is subject to a massive change. But will they be able to move quickly enough now the Reform has been approved? This will be confirmed at the next meeting set to be held in Dallas next May.