Celebrating National Health IT Week 2019

It's hard to believe that National Health IT Week (NHIT Week) 2019 is already here. Over the past year, we've seen advancements in real-life application of healthcare artificial intelligence, reductions in physician reporting burden, progress against information blocking, and efforts to lift the ban on a national patient ID. These are just a few examples of positive steps for the future of healthcare, prompted by everyday EHR and health IT users. As we celebrate these industry-wide achievements, let's not forget our individual contributions.

"I love working in healthcare IT because what we do every day makes a difference," said Joncé Smith, Stoltenberg Vice President of Revenue Cycle Management. "When we assist an end user with better understanding a system function, the end result is a patient receiving higher quality care. Every day brings something new, and no two days are the same! The work is hard and not for everyone, but if you enjoy a challenge and want a long lasting career, this field has both. Healthcare IT is truly rewarding for those who are passionate about the job."

On the analyst or consultant side of the table, we initiate everyday improvements in workflow and system usability that trickle down to patients, but sometimes we get reminders that we are impacted personally as patients.

"I just got done logging into my patient portal to pay my bill. In just a few clicks, I could see a graph of all my blood work for the past 18 months since my heart surgery. This ease of patient access keeps me accountable for appointment follow up, but most importantly, it was easy," said Tim McKeough, Stoltenberg Vice President of Business Development. "There was even a reminder alert and preference option to schedule my daughter's annual checkup. During a busy work day, phone call reminders can be interruptions, but the evolution of the patient portal offers so much convenience. This may seem like a simple story, but it's a common reminder of what we're fighting for in health IT services – patient access to drive engagement, care plan adherence and better patient outcomes."

What is your health IT story? We encourage you to take a moment to reflect this week on health IT's impact on your own career, family life or personal path. What does HIT mean to you? Post your thoughts on social media with the hashtags, #NHITweek, #HITworks and #IheartHIT. Cheers to National Health IT Week 2019!