Advocacy Activities in Oregon

I want to highlight advocacy activity now taking place in Oregon.  The HIMSS Oregon Chapter was one of the first chapters to host a HIMSS State Advocacy Day back in January 2007.  Since then, the chapter has grown, and some of that growth can be attributed to the advocacy efforts of their volunteers.

On the Chapter Advocate Roundtable call last month, I listened to Eric McLaughlin, who is the current Advocacy Chair for Southern Oregon.  During his report, Eric mentioned that he and Chris Diaz, the Advocacy Chair for Northern Oregon, work in tandem to spearhead advocacy efforts in Oregon. 

Eric, a healthcare IT consultant, member of the Oregon HITOC HIE Technology Workgroup, and of the O-HITEC Advisory Council, works with Chris, a director in the Strategic Management Services Division of Providence Health and Services in Oregon, as they volunteer their time and efforts to advance health IT in Oregon.

During his update to fellow HIMSS Chapter Advocates, Eric mentioned that Oregon had hosted a State Advocacy Day this year and provided a letter of support to the state for inclusion of comments that were submitted to ONC for the strategic and operational plan for the state-level health information exchange. 

According to Eric, “Oregon HIMSS members are more than advocates; they are also perceived as subject matter experts on all health IT issues to many state officials.”

Eric spoke of the Oregon advocacy blog the chapter hosts on its website, indicating it is a very useful tool to keep his fellow HIMSS members informed about daily health IT activities in the state. 

I read this blog recently and found it offered a wealth of information about all things health IT relevant to Oregon.  Not only does it let readers post a personal commentary, but the blog also provides links to other states and the federal government.

My question this month, “Does your HIMSS chapter use any social media, such as a blog, to stay in touch with its members?”