The journey to streamline the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) disability determinations process and become more responsive to changes within the healthcare industry by becoming the first Federal entity to begin production on the nationwide Health Information Network was the topic of JBS’s second Issue Briefing held at the firm’s North Bethesda headquarters on June 18, 2009. The keynote presentation was titled “One Agency’s Health IT Journey—Strategic Planning Through Tactical Implementation and Beyond.” Until she retired in May 2009, featured keynote presenter Debbie Somers was the Senior Advisor to the Deputy Commissioner for Systems for SSA and Health IT Program Manager. Ms. Somers currently consults on health IT strategies and policies for industry and government clients.
Latif Khalil, JBS’s Vice President of IT Development and Operations and Director of the firm’s Stellar Division, presented “Federal Portal for Safety Reporting, A Unified Federal Approach to Adverse Event Reporting.” Mr. Khalil has been leading a team of developers working on an application to report adverse safety events that will transmit information to appropriate destinations (e.g., Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, other U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agencies). Adverse safety events can include events related to food, drugs, medical devices, or even clinical trials. Once implemented, the system will allow anyone at any stage of the manufacturing or consumer process to file an incident report.
JBS Issue Briefings feature invited experts who discuss their perspectives on current and emerging social and healthcare challenges. The presenters are on the front lines of emerging issues—well versed, knowledgeable, and with an eye to the future. Question-and-answer sessions following each presentation allow attendees to explore the topics.
JBS’s premier Issue Briefing “Strategies for Addressing Today’s—and Tomorrow’s—Health IT Issues” was held in March 2009. The featured keynote speaker was Karen Bell, M.D., whose vast experience includes promoting the national health IT agenda for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and serving as an adviser to President Obama’s transition team on health IT policy.
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