Certification Commission Seeks Candidates To Serve As Trustees And Commissioners

CHICAGO – Oct. 22, 2009 – The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology is seeking senior executives working in healthcare to serve on its Board of Trustees and Board of Commissioners.

The Commission’s 9-member Board of Trustees has fiduciary responsibility and provides leadership in the areas of fiscal oversight and stewardship of assets, organizational strategy, evaluation of senior management, and resolution of any conflicts of interest involving the Commission’s management and its 21-member Board of Commissioners. The Board of Commissioners oversees certification criteria developed by voluntary work groups, provides strategic direction and ensures the objectivity and credibility of the Commission.

Members of the Board of Trustees set direction and provide oversight of the policies, affairs and funds of the organization in accordance with the bylaws and articles of incorporation of the Certification Commission, a nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation. Application requirements include senior leadership experience (vice-president or above), previous experience as a director or trustee on nonprofit boards of directors, and a demonstrated understanding of the mission and vision of the Commission. Trustees are nominated by the current board and serve three-year terms rotating each January; trustees may be reappointed for a second term. A third of the Trustees have terms that are expiring this year.

 
Members of the Board of Commissioners are senior executives representing a wide range of stakeholders across the private and public sectors of healthcare and health IT. Those include physician practices and hospitals, payers, health care consumers, vendors, safety net providers, public health agencies, quality improvement organizations, clinical researchers, standards development and informatics experts and government agencies. Commissioners serve staggered two-year terms and may be reappointed for a second term. This year, about a fourth of the Commission positions are expected to be open. Applicants from physician practices, safety net providers, hospitals, and consumer representative organizations are especially sought.
 
The application period for both boards will be open Oct. 26 – Nov. 20, 2009, for terms that begin in January 2010. Candidates interested in applying for either the Board of Trustees or the Board of Commissioners should apply at http://cchit.org/about/commission/recruitment.

New appointments will be announced in mid-December.
 
Public comment opening
The Certification Commission also announced that its first 30-day public comment period of the 2011 development cycle will open Nov. 16 – Dec. 15, 2009. Comment will be accepted for the first round of criteria for additional electronic health record (EHR) Comprehensive certifications not included in the Commission’s Oct. 7 launch of CCHIT Certified® Comprehensive and Preliminary ARRA certification programs. These expanded areas include Clinical Research and Dermatology criteria (optional add-ons to the current Ambulatory EHR certification) and Behavioral Health EHR criteria - both standalone and as an optional add-on to the current Ambulatory EHR certification. Comment will only be taken through the Commission’s Web site.

About CCHIT
The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT®) is an independent, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that has been recognized by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) since 2006 as an official certification body for electronic health records (EHR). Its public mission is to accelerate the adoption of robust, interoperable health information technology.  More information on CCHIT, CCHIT Certified® products and Preliminary ARRA certified technology is available at http://cchit.org and http://ehrdecisions.com. 

“CCHIT®” and “CCHIT Certified®” are registered trademarks of the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology.