National Health Information Technology Week, 2011

Vol. 76

Thursday,

No. 179

September 15, 2011

Part IV

The President

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Proclamation 8711--National Health Information Technology Week, 2011

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Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 8711 of September 12, 2011

National Health Information Technology Week, 2011

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Technological advances have always driven America's
economy forward and improved the lives of our people,
from the industrial innovations of the nineteenth
century to today's cutting-edge science. Progress in
our Nation's health care system is no different, and
hinges on the work of hospitals, private practices, and
information specialists as they modernize our health
information systems. During National Health Information
Technology Week, we highlight the critical importance
of secure and efficient information systems to
improving the delivery of health care in the United
States.

Health information technology connects doctors and
patients to more complete and accurate health records.
Tools like electronic health records and electronic
prescriptions help patients and providers make safer,
smarter decisions about health care. This technology is
critical to improving patient care, enabling
coordination between providers and patients, reducing
the risk of dangerous drug interactions, and helping
patients access prevention and disease management
services. It is currently being used with great success
to coordinate and improve care for members of our Armed
Forces, as well as our Nation's veterans. Better
technology can also cut costs for providers by reducing
paperwork and duplicative tests.

Ensuring the security of health information records is
a top priority for my Administration. The American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act, passed in 2009, promotes
the use of Health IT while significantly strengthening
Federal laws protecting patient privacy. Entities
violating privacy laws are now subject to increased
penalties. The Recovery Act also provides landmark
financial incentives to eligible professionals and
hospitals that adopt and meaningfully use electronic
health records while protecting the privacy and
security of health information.

Everyone can play a role in improving our health care
system. An important part of this vision is recognizing
the pivotal role patients play in maintaining and
improving their own health. Patients can work with
their doctors to access information about their care.
And those who design and implement Health IT systems
can enable software that puts patients and their
families at the center of their own care, empowering
and engaging them in reaching their health goals.

America is home to the world's best universities and
technical schools, and the most creative scientists and
entrepreneurs. As we challenge ourselves to push
forward into a new century of health technology, we
will continue to foster and promote the innovative
spirit that has made our country what it is today.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim September 11 through
September 17, 2011, as National Health Information
Technology Week. I urge all Americans to learn more
about the benefits of Health IT by visiting
HealthIT.gov, take action to increase adoption and
meaningful use of Health

IT, and utilize the information Health IT provides to
improve the quality, safety, and cost effectiveness of
health care in the United States.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twelfth day of September, in the year of our Lord two
thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.