Accelerating the Adoption of Healthcare Information Technology through Industry Involvement MALVERN, Pa., April 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc. (http://www.siemens.com/healthcare) today announced a series of executive appointments to new roles and leadership positions in numerous strategic healthcare industry organizations. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070904/SIEMENSLOGO ) Charlene Underwood, M.B.A., director of government and industry affairs for Siemens Medical Solutions Health Services, has been elected to serve on The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) board. HIMSS members provide global leadership for the optimal use of healthcare information technology (IT) and management systems to optimize healthcare outcomes. A nationally recognized expert in the field of healthcare informatics, Underwood will use the breadth of her experience working collaboratively in diverse communities to develop and support HIMSS initiatives that leverage the value of current IT investments as the industry adopts emerging interoperability standards. This will be especially critical because of the current governmental push to increase access, improve quality and reduce the cost of care. "Siemens remains dedicated to furthering the adoption of information technology in the healthcare industry," said Janet Dillione, chief executive officer, Health Services, Siemens Medical Solutions. "We are especially proud of Charlene for her recent nomination and election to the HIMSS Board by her industry peers and of all of our executives who continue to devote themselves to working collaboratively with organizations focused on improving the state of healthcare." In addition to Charlene's election, many Siemens executives have been appointed to various industry committees, work groups and panels, including: Donald Bechtel, chief privacy officer, Healthcare Data Exchange (HDX(R)), a service of Siemens Medical Solutions, was re-elected to the Board of Directors of the Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel (HITSP) to represent ANSI-Accredited Standards Committee X12. Bechtel is currently serving his second term as co-chairperson of the X12N Health Care Task Group, which develops and maintains the financial and administrative healthcare transactions used by the insurance industry for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other purposes. Hans Buitendijk, M. Sc., senior product manager, was named as a 2007 Health Level Seven (HL7) Volunteer of the Year. The annual W. Edward Hammond, Ph.D. Volunteer of the Year Award was established in 1997 and recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to HL7's success. Buitendijk was also re-elected to the HL7 Board of Directors. HL7 is an accredited Standards Developing Organization (SDO) that provides standards for interoperability that improve care delivery, optimize workflow, reduce ambiguity, and enhance knowledge transfer among all stakeholders, including healthcare providers, government agencies, the vendor community, fellow SDOs and patients. Michael Campana, ambulatory marketing & business manager, was elected as chairperson of the HIMSS Electronic Health Record Vendors Association (EHRVA) Communications Work Group. The Work Group's mandate is to position the association, its members and its initiatives, as leading the healthcare information technology industry in the adoption of electronic health records. Campana will also continue to oversee the relationship and collaboration with the HIMSS marketing and public relations teams and direct all external marketing, public relations and promotional outreach efforts of the EHRVA. Joe D'Antonio, M.Eng., M.B.A., a senior manager for Soarian(R) HIM product development, and Denise Dunyak, M.S., R.H.I.A., marketing manager for Soarian HIM and EDM solutions, were both named members of the American Health Information Management Association's (AHIMA) Action Community for e-HIM(R) Excellence (ACE). ACE is a community composed of HIM professionals who are leading and influencing e-HIM(R) and making a difference in the healthcare environment. ACE members will assist AHIMA in advancing the HIM profession through leadership in advocacy, education, certification, and lifelong learning. D'Antonio was also elected Chair of AHIMA's, Foundation of Research and Education (FORE) Board. FORE is the 501(c)(3) charitable affiliate of AHIMA, providing the financial and intellectual resources to support continuous innovation and advances in health information management through research, education and public awareness initiatives. Susan Matney, R.N., M.S., clinical informatics, was appointed to the American Nurses Association's Committee for Nursing Practice Information Infrastructure (CNPII), which is a standing committee of the Congress on Nursing Practice and Economics (CNPE). The committee develops and implements strategic plans for managing and preserving nursing's information legacy. Michele McGlynn, manager of government and industry affairs, was selected for the eHealth Initiative Policy Steering Committee (PSC). The PSC recommends eHI positions on key policies from a multi-stakeholder perspective. Kathleen Ochal-Thompson, revenue cycle product manager, was elected as the vendor representative for the National Uniform Claims Committee (NUCC) on behalf of HIMSS and the Association for Electronic Health Care Transactions (AFEHCT). The NUCC is a voluntary organization that was created to develop a standardized data set for use by the non-institutional healthcare community to transmit claim and encounter information to and from all third-party payers. It is chaired by the American Medical Association (AMA), with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as a critical partner. Henri "Rik" Primo, director of marketing and strategic relationships for the Image and Knowledge Management (IKM) Division of the Customer Solutions Group, was re-elected as chairman of the Medical Imaging Informatics (MII) Section of the Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance, a division of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA). This is his third consecutive term as chairman of this section. MII leads and assists the diagnostic imaging and therapy systems industry in defining domestic and international policy, regulations, legislation, standardization and guidance on all equipment, software applications components and accessories used in medical imaging informatics. As the chairman of the MII Section, Primo also serves on the Board of Directors of the NEMA Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance. About Siemens Healthcare Siemens Healthcare is one of the world's largest suppliers to the healthcare industry. The company is a renowned medical solutions provider with core competence and innovative strength in diagnostic and therapeutic technologies as well as in knowledge engineering, including information technology and system integration. With its laboratory diagnostics acquisitions, Siemens Healthcare is the first fully integrated diagnostics company, bringing together imaging and lab diagnostics, therapy, and healthcare information technology solutions, supplemented by consulting and support services. Siemens Healthcare delivers solutions across the entire continuum of care - from prevention and early detection, to diagnosis, therapy and care. The company employs more than 49,000 people worldwide and operates in 130 countries. In the fiscal year 2007 (Sept. 30), Siemens Healthcare reported sales of euro 9.85 billion, orders of euro 10.27 billion, and group profit of euro 1.32 billion. Further information can be found by visiting http://www.siemens.com/healthcare . http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070904/SIEMENSLOGODATASOURCE: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc. CONTACT: Thomas Schaffner, +1-610-448-1477, , for Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc. Web site: http://www.siemens.com/healthcare

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