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Better health
care through
technology
Conference focuses
on building health
care partnerships,
technology transfer
opportunities in
Southeastern Ohio
Sept.
12, 2008
By Richard Heck
The impact of health
information
technology on rural
clinical and
community settings
and the way health
care affects
economic development
are among the topics
featured in an
upcoming conference
at the Ohio
University College
of Osteopathic
Medicine.
Building upon
efforts begun last
fall, OU-COM will
sponsor the
2nd
annual RHIOhio
conference Oct. 13
and 14 at Baker
University Center.
Participants at this
year’s conference, “RHIOhio:
Building
Partnerships for
Change,” include
health care
providers and
professionals,
biotechnology
researchers and
administrators,
government
officials, policy
makers and
representatives. The
focus of the two-day
event includes
discussion about the
integration of
health information
technology into
clinical and
community
environments, and
the impact
information
technology can have
on economic
development and job
creation.
“RHIOhio 2007 was an
overwhelming
success, and our
expanded program for
2008 will provide
additional
opportunities for
practitioners,
technologists,
researchers and
policy makers to
explore new
partnerships in
health information
technology,” said
Brian Phillips,
chief information
officer for OU-COM
and chairman of the
conference.
“This year’s
program will focus
on building
partnerships to
explore the
challenges and
opportunities of
health information
technology,
including deploying
information
exchanges,
rethinking workforce
development and
contributing to
economic development
through technology
transfer
opportunities,”
Phillips said.
“In many rural and
small communities,
health care
facilities such as
hospitals often are
the largest
employer,” Phillips
noted.
The region’s unique
aspects make the
area ideally suited
for economic
development of the
biotechnology
industry because of
ongoing research
into the field and
of already
well-established
biotechnology
businesses, such as
Diagnostic Hybrids
based in Athens,
said Phillips.
New to this year’s
conference is a
concurrent clinical
diabetes track
organized by the
ARHI Diabetes Center
@ OU-COM for
diabetes physicians,
nurses, educators
and community health
professionals. The
intent of the
clinical track is to
provide information
concerning barriers
to diabetes care in
rural Appalachian
Ohio. The diabetes
track will be held
Oct. 13, only.
Keynote speaker for
this year’s
conference is Aneesh
Chopra, secretary of
technology for the
Commonwealth of
Virginia. Chopra
leads the
Commonwealth’s
strategy to
effectively leverage
technology in
government reform,
promotes Virginia’s
innovation agenda,
and fosters
technology-related
economic development
with an emphasis on
entrepreneurship.
The conference
registration fee is
$150, or $50 for
students, and
includes admission
to both days of all
general and breakout
sessions, conference
meals and the vendor
exhibition area.
A limited number of
scholarships have
been generously
provided by the
Foundation for
Appalachian Ohio. ”On-line
registration is
available at
www.oucom.ohiou.edu/rhiohio/registration2008.htm.
For additional
information, contact
Elissa Welch
at (740) 597-3367 or
at
rhiohio@oucom.ohiou.edu.
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