19 October 2009

[Federal Register: October 19, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 200)]
[Notices]               
[Page 53505]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19oc09-63]                         

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

 
Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information 
Technology; HIT Standards Committee's Implementation Workgroup Meeting; 
Notice of Meeting

AGENCY: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information 
Technology, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

    This notice announces a forthcoming meeting of a public advisory 
subcommittee of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health 
Information Technology (ONC). The meeting will be open to the public.
    Name of Committee: HIT Standards Committee's Implementation 
Workgroup.
    General Function of the Committee: To provide recommendations to 
the National Coordinator on standards, implementation specifications, 
and certification criteria for the electronic exchange and use of 
health information for purposes of adoption, consistent with the 
implementation of the Federal Health IT Strategic Plan, and in 
accordance with policies developed by the HIT Policy Committee. The 
Implementation Workgroup is charged with benchmarking adoption rates 
for proposed standards across diverse settings; soliciting public input 
on what stakeholders need to lower the barriers to standards adoption; 
evaluating the degree to which proposed standards achieve policy 
objectives; and establishing an ongoing process to gather public input 
to inform future standards development, revisions to existing 
standards, or guidance on tools to minimize the cost of adoption.
    Date and Time: The meeting will be held on October 29, 2009, from 9 
a.m. to 3 p.m./Eastern Time.
    Location: The Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert Street, NW., 
Washington, DC. The hotel telephone number is 202-234-0700.
    Contact Person: Judy Sparrow, Office of the National Coordinator, 
HHS, 330 C Street, SW., Washington, DC 20201, 202-205-4528, Fax: 202-
690-6079, e-mail: judy.sparrow@hhs.gov. Please call the contact person 
for up-to-date information on this meeting. A notice in the Federal 
Register about last minute modifications that impact a previously 
announced advisory committee meeting cannot always be published quickly 
enough to provide timely notice.
    Agenda: The Implementation Workgroup will be hearing testimony from 
stakeholder groups, such as purchasers, vendors, and users, on health 
information technology adoption experiences with the proposed 
standards. The Workgroup intends to monitor the adoption rate of 
proposed standards, identify opportunities to accelerate 
implementation, and establish a continuous feedback loop on the 
development of new or revised standards.
    In addition to soliciting verbal and formal written comments at the 
hearing, the Workgroup will use a Web-based tool to engage the public. 
The ONC is setting up a Web-based tool to engage the public in the 
topic; please visit the ONC Web site closer to the meeting date for 
additional information.
    ONC intends to make background material available to the public no 
later than two (2) business days prior to the meeting. If ONC is unable 
to post the background material on its Web site prior to the meeting, 
it will be made publicly available at the location of the advisory 
subcommittee meeting, and the background material will be posted on 
ONC's Web site after the meeting, at http://healthit.hhs.gov. The 
meeting will be available via Webcast; visit http://healthit.hhs.gov 
for instructions on how to listen via telephone or Web.
    Procedure: Interested persons may present data, information, or 
views, orally or in writing, on issues pending before the committee. 
Written submissions may be made to the contact person from October 29th 
until November 12, 2009. Oral comments from the pubic will be scheduled 
at the close of the meeting on October 29, 2009. Time allotted for each 
presentation may be limited. If the number of speakers requesting to 
comment is greater than can be reasonably accommodated during the 
scheduled open public hearing session, ONC will take written comments 
after the meeting until close of business on that day.
    Persons attending Committee meetings are advised that the agency is 
not responsible for providing access to electrical outlets.
    ONC welcomes the attendance of the public at its advisory committee 
meetings. Seating is limited at the location, and ONC will make every 
effort to accommodate persons with physical disabilities or special 
needs. If you require special accommodations due to a disability, 
please contact Judy Sparrow at least seven (7) days in advance of the 
meeting.
    ONC is committed to the orderly conduct of its advisory committee 
meetings. Please visit our Web site at http://healthit.hhs.gov for 
procedures on public conduct during advisory committee meetings.
    Notice of this meeting is given under the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 5 U.S.C., App. 2).

    Dated: October 13, 2009.
Judith Sparrow,
Office of Programs and Coordination, Office of the National Coordinator 
for Health Information Technology.
[FR Doc. E9-25051 Filed 10-14-09; 4:15 pm]

BILLING CODE 4150-45-P