The Public Technology Institute (PTI) announced today that the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) will co-host the Summit on Health Care Information Technology, to be held January 30-31, 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia. The summit will bring together local, state and federal government leaders responsible for technology initiatives in the management and delivery of health care services.

The intent of the summit is to foster a dialog among government leaders at the local, state and federal levels on the role information technology can play to improve the delivery of health care services. The agenda will look at state and federal health regulatory and policy initiatives and how these initiatives impact local government. The summit will also provide government technology best-practice case studies in the field of health care I.T.

"On behalf of the local government community, we are delighted to have state government represented at the summit through the participation of NASCIO," said Alan Shark, Executive Director of PTI. "Any effective and sustainable technology initiative in the health care arena must truly be one of collaboration between all levels of government; and we hope to showcase these initiatives at the summit."

Many governments face a crisis in the management of the health care services that they provide within their communities. Increased demands for services coupled with budgetary constraints have meant that, in many cases, technology resources are often overlooked or neglected.

Topics the seminar will address include:

• Redesigning business processes that take advantage of technology resources
• Using technology analytical tools to monitor outbreaks of disease
• Technology solutions for EMS and first-responders
• Electronic health records and public health informatics
• Mobile and wireless tools that allow access to government databases and web medical resources for health care workers in the field

PTI is a national, non-profit technology research and development organization created by and for cities and counties. NASCIO represents state chief information officers and information technology directors. The National Association of Counties (NACo), the only national organization that represents counties in the United States, is also a summit co-host.