HHS Seeks Public-Private successor to AHIC

       As part of the efforts to design and establish a public-private partnership to succeed the American Health Information Community (AHIC) by fall 2008, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued the final white paper describing the vision for and attributes of a successor. The purpose of the AHIC is to serve as an HHS advisory body on the development and adoption of healthcare information technology (IT). The successor will build on the AHIC achievements to realize the vision of an interoperable healthcare system.
       “The AHIC work to date represents excellent progress in moving the national health IT agenda forward,” says HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt. “We have made major strides toward interoperability, and the AHIC successor will be the vehicle to further advance standards creation and adoption in order to achieve nationwide interoperability.”
       A Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) to an entity selected to design and establish the AHIC successor by spring 2008 will be issued later this month, and a grant will be awarded this fall. A public information meeting will be held on August 17th to discuss how interested parties can participate in the design and establishment of the successor. In early September, another public meeting will be held to answer detailed questions related to the NOFA. The AHIC successor white paper is available for public comment through September 10th and can be accessed at www.hhs.gov/healthit/community/background/AHICsuccessor.html.

RD411 Launches Wound Resource Center

       RD411 announces another major expansion with the launch of its Wound Resource Center (WRC). Highlights of this new, multidisciplinary destination site include an extensive wound glossary, professionally designed patient hand-outs, staff training materials, extensive PowerPoint slides, and a multitude of useful materials for the wound care professional.
       RD411.com is a centralized, comprehensive, user-friendly resource for health and nutrition professionals, offering free downloadable and customizable in-services, policies and procedures, patient materials, and care plans, among other materials. It also includes peer-reviewed practice tools to optimize nutrition services and resources that can be used for client and professional education, complete with a slide library.
       For information, visit www.wounds411.com and/or www.RD411.com.

NCAL Announces National Assisted Living Week

       The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) announces the theme “Legacies of Love” for the 2007 National Assisted Living Week^® (NALW). This year’s theme highlights the privilege, value, and responsibility of passing the legacies of elders’ lives down through the generations. Each assisted living resident has a unique story to tell, a proud heritage to celebrate, and/or mementos and keepsakes that can be acknowledged and shared.
       The logo is available for facilities to use on their celebration materials, such as calendars or invitations, at www.nalw.org. NCAL is pleased to welcome back the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) as a collaborative partner for the fourth year in a row.

Bed-Check Acquired by Senior Technologies

       Bed-Check^® Corporation (Tulsa, Okla) has been purchased by Senior Technologies, a business unit of Stanley^® Security Solutions, Inc. (Indianapolis, Ind), which is a division of The Stanley Works. This acquisition was completed in June. Bed-Check designs, manufactures, and sells electronic fall-risk monitoring systems for caregiver use, primarily in hospital and long-term care environments. Bed-Check systems are sold through a network of distributors across the United States and Canada.
       For more information, call 800-523-7956 or visit www.bedcheck.com.