May 21-23 conference will bring healthcare leaders together to focus on bridging information and technology to improve healthcare
The Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) (@WEDIonline), the nation’s leading nonprofit authority on the use of health IT to create efficiencies in healthcare information exchange and a trusted advisor to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced Dr. Donald Rucker, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, will headline the 2018 WEDI Spring Conference this May 21-23 at the Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch in Scottsdale, Ariz. Dr. Rucker will join healthcare leaders from across payers, providers, government regulators and industry vendors for a candid discussion on current and upcoming ONC initiatives, while also interacting with conference attendees during an open dialogue on emerging industry topics.
“Bringing Dr. Rucker’s real-world clinical experience and comprehensive knowledge of health information technology, together with the diverse cross-section of healthcare minds we’ve assembled for our Spring Conference, will be the driving force behind the many high level discussions surrounding key issues impacting our industry that are sure to take place out in Scottsdale,” said Charles W. Stellar, WEDI president and CEO. “This event, as it has for the past 26 years, will continue to provide the setting for attendees to experience today’s best practices in Health IT firsthand through collaboration and networking with industry colleagues.”
In addition to Dr. Rucker, attendees will hear from ONC Blockchain Challenge winners Erik Pupo of Accenture and Kyle Culver of Humana who will lead an informative discussion on how blockchain is no longer just hype, but rather a reality that the healthcare industry, especially payers, need to address head-on. The conference will also feature two sessions highlighting the four-year old interoperability standard, FHIR, with members of the HL7 Da Vinci Project on tap to discuss an overview of their group, its mission, and current use cases. These industry thought leaders will join a lineup of health IT experts offering best practices, emerging trends and case studies focusing on timely topics impacting the healthcare industry including: artificial intelligence, all-payer claims databases, value based care, the 2017 CAQH Index and the new CMS Medicare Card Project.
WEDI 2018 will kick-off with two special pre-conference summits focusing on attachments as well as privacy, security and cybersecurity. The later will feature Special Agent Paul Schaaf of the Federal Bureau of Investigation who will provide attendees with an overview of the FBI’s cybersecurity
initiatives. In addition to Agent Schaff’s remarks, Greg Garcia, executive director of the Cybersecurity, Healthcare Sector Coordinating Council will discuss how they work together with the National Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center, as well as provide an overview of both organizations.
Following the pre-conference sessions, WEDI’s workgroups will host working meetings that will provide an opportunity for workgroup members to meet face-to-face, collect input, exchange ideas and make recommendations for changes in the industry, as well as an opportunity for members and nonmembers to sit in and understand some of the projects of focus.
WEDI 2018 is open to all interested healthcare stakeholders across provider, payer, vendor and government entities. Both WEDI members and non-members can visit the WEDI 2018 Conference page to register online and for information on discounted room rates.
About WEDI
The Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) is the leading authority on the use of health IT to improve healthcare information exchange in order to enhance the quality of care, improve efficiency, and reduce costs of our nation’s healthcare system. WEDI was formed in 1991 by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and was designated in the 1996 HIPAA legislation as an advisor to HHS. WEDI’s membership includes a broad coalition of organizations, including: hospitals, providers, health plans, vendors, government agencies, consumers, not-for-profit organizations, and standards development organizations.