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The Department of Health and Human Services released earlier this week the final rule establishing Medicare and Medicaid incentive programs for the meaningful use of electronic health records, yet questions about the full details of the directive remain and many health care providers are unsure whether they understand the ruling well enough to take full advantage of the government's incentive program.

Health Data Management's editorial staff is producing a one-hour web seminar that will provide experts' views on the key differences between the proposed and final meaningful use (MU) criteria, the implications of the changes, and how that might affect ongoing I.T. projects. The event, titled "Final MU Ruling. What You Need to Know Now," will be held this Friday, July 16, at 12 pm ET.

This complimentary web seminar will be tightly focused by editors of HDM to ensure that attendees come away better informed on the final rules and armed with practical information that will help their organizations achieve meaningful use of EHRs.

Speakers include:

· Mary Anne Leach, VP & CIO, The Children's Hospital, Aurora, CO;

· Pamela McNutt, SVP & CIO, Methodist Health System, Dallas, TX;

· Linn F. Freedman, Partner, Nixon Peabody LLP, Providence, RI;

· Erica Drazen, Managing Partner, CSC, Falls Church, VA; and

· Chuck McDevitt, CIO, Self Regional Healthcare, Greenwood, SC.

In addition, John Halamka, M.D., CIO at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, co-chair of the HIT Standards Committee, chair of the Health Information Technology Standards Panel and a practicing ER physician, has prepared a presentation with his insights for the event.

HDM editor-in-chief Gary Baldwin will moderate the event. Panelists will delve into the accompanying data standards, implementation specifications and certification criteria rule. The presentations will be live and accessible to anyone with a web browser and Internet access, and attendees will be able to ask questions of the speakers.

To learn more about the event and to register, click here.

--John McCormick