Knowledge Center
Episode 177: A Conversation with CMS' Principal Deputy Administrator & Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Blum
Virtual event to explore data inoperability in solving health inequalities in the U.S.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — January 13, 2021 — WEDI, the nation’s leading nonprofit authority on the use of health IT to create efficiencies in health care information exchange and a statutory advisor to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), today announced the agenda and logistics for its first educational event of 2021, “The Quest for Health Equity” – taking place virtually from February 23-24, 2021.
The virtual conference will include some of the leading professionals in health IT, including: Dr. Jorge Rodriguez and Dr. David Bates, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School; Tomi Ojo and Parsa Erfani, Harvard Medical School; Dr. Courtney Lyles, Associate Professor, Division of General Internal Medicine, UCSF; George Halvorson, Chair, CEO Institute for InterGroup Understanding; Meagan Khau, Director of the Data and Policy Analytics Group, CMS Office of Minority Health; Dr. Swapna Abhyankar, Interim Director, LOINC; Robert Dieterle, Technical Director, the Gravity Project CEO, Enable Care LLC; Evelyn Gallego, Program Manager, Gravity Project CEO, EMI Advisors LLC; Dr. Sara Murray, Associate Chief Medical Information Officer, Inpatient Care and Data Science, UCSF Health; Waldo Mikels-Carrasco, Director of Community and Government Solutions, Indiana Health Information Exchange, Jennifer Faries, Accountable Health Communities Program Manager, MyHealth Access Network and more.
Dr. Georges Benjamin, Executive Director for the American Public Health Association, will kick off day one of the event with a keynote calling for the advancement of health equity. He will explore what needs to be considered by the community, state, regional and federal perspectives as we continue the “quest” and attempt to make meaningful change for health equity in America.
Attendees of the virtual conference will learn through discussion formats and coordinated sessions which are intended to promote learning and collaboration on important health IT topics, including:
- Digital Health Equity as a Necessity in the 21st Century Cures
- Incorporating Health Equity into Value Based Care
- Locate and Access: How UCSF’s Population Data Initiative is Helping to Collect and Store Data Elements for Health Equity
- CMS Health Equity Initiatives
- Lighting a ‘FHIR’ under Health Inequalities
- Gravity Project Updates
- Considering Equity When Develop Healthcare Technology
“The Quest for Health Equity” is open to all interested health care stakeholders across provider, payer, vendor and government entities. Both WEDI members and non-members can register online and can view the complete schedule here. Please check back regularly as the conference agenda continues to evolve with the addition of new sessions and speakers. In addition to individual passes, Corporate Passes are also available, allowing everyone in an organization to attend all virtual sessions as their schedule allows.
About WEDI
WEDI is the leading authority on the use of health IT to improve health care information exchange in order to enhance the quality of care, improve efficiency, and reduce costs of our nation’s health care system. WEDI was formed in 1991 by the Secretary of Health and Human Services 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. To learn more, visit www.wedi.org and connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.