NEW YORK, – On February 2, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announced the launch of two pilots of its Direct Project which is part of President Obama’s ‘open government’ initiative to drive innovation. The Direct Project, which began last year and is comprised of 60 companies and other organizations, gives health care providers early access to an easy-to-use Internet-based tool that can replace mail and fax transmissions of patient data with secure, efficient electronic health information exchange. The following statement should be attributed to Dr. Peter Tippett, vice president – health care industry solutions, Verizon:
“This (Feb. 2) announcement underscores the importance of collaboration in driving the transformation of the U.S. health care system. The collective efforts of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, health care providers and private sector information technology providers such as Verizon, has resulted in a set of common standards for the secure exchange of health information. When fully implemented in 2012, the Direct Project is expected to provide the framework necessary to enable large and small health care providers to securely share data to better support basic clinical delivery and public health needs.
“Health care in the U.S. is on the cusp of major change and the effective use of IT will play a pivotal role. Whether it’s initiatives such as the Direct Project or the broad adoption of the health information exchange platforms, such as the Verizon Health Information Exchange and Verizon Medical Data Exchange, the use of IT will dramatically help improve patient outcomes and reduce costs.”
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| Media Contacts: |
| Kevin W. Irland |
| +1-703-886-1117 |
| kevin.w.irland@verizon.com |
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