D.C. Report: PCAST Workgroup Expresses Concerns on Universal Exchange Language

Attestation Calls Set for May. CMS announced a schedule of conference calls for Eligible Hospitals (May 3, 2-3:30 p.m. ET) and Eligible Professionals (May 5, 1:30-3 p.m. ET) on navigating the attestation process with CMS experts available to answer participant questions. The agenda includes path to payment, walkthrough of the attestation process, troubleshooting and resources. Registration to be available soon. Meanwhile, check out the Attestation Page for other details on the process.

HHS Partnership for Patients Gains Members. As reported in last week’s Advocacy Corner, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and CMS Administrator Don Berwick launched Partnership for Patients—a patient safety initiative that seeks to reduce preventable injuries by 40 percent and cut preventable readmission by 20 percent by 2013. This week CHIME joined the partnership along with more than 700 hospital and hospital-related groups, pledging to work towards the goals of this initiative and commit to building on work already underway to achieve safe, high quality care by utilizing tools and processes that improve safety for patients. One way we at CHIME will do this is by continuing to communicate with CMS, ONC, and others about ways that technology can improve patient safety. Also, as part of our StateNet efforts to increase information exchange between CHIME CIOs and other HIT stakeholders inside and across their state, we will provide space to highlight patient safety best practices and other resources. Other groups such as the American Hospital Association, the Federation of American Hospitals, the American Board of Pediatrics, and several state-level hospital groups have added their names to the Partnership for Patients—more than 1,700 healthcare practitioners and stakeholders so far.