The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) has appointed Gregory Zeller, DDS, MS, to serve on its board of commissioners, starting January 1, 2011. Dr. Zeller is the first and only dentist currently on the 19-member board.
The nonprofit commission has been certifying electronic health record (EHR) technology since 2006 and is approved by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as an authorized testing and certification body.
The CCHIT board of commissioners comprises healthcare providers, academia, the private sector, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies. The commissioners, who serve two-year terms, guide and approve the tasks of the commission's work groups and staff as they develop certification criteria, inspection processes, and policy regarding EHRs tested and certified in the commission's CCHIT-certified program.
"As the laws and regulations governing the sharing of electronic health information continue to evolve, the ADA is proud to have Dr. Zeller represent dentistry on the board of the CCHIT," said ADA President Raymond Gist, DDS, in a press release.
The federal government in 2004 announced the goal of adopting EHRs for all Americans by 2014. As envisioned, these records would contain health-related information entered for an individual at the medical office or hospital where they receive medical care. With initial patient authorization, dentists and physicians would have access to complete patient information at their office and would update the patient record with any new information.
The ADA is working with various agencies to position dentistry for implementation of EHRs in dental offices.
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