OCHIN, a nonprofit national leader in quality health information technology; the Oregon Medical Association (OMA), a nonprofit organization that serves and supports physicians and physician assistants in their efforts to improve the health of Oregonians; and Oregon Health Network (OHN), a subsidiary of OCHIN dedicated to improving the quality, access, and delivery of health care to all Oregonians; have just announced plans to host the first, coordinated health care conference in the fall of 2013. ThecHealth Innovation Symposium is a unique, nonprofit industry organization event whose model is designed to break down siloes of knowledge and expertise in order to expedite productive discussions and best practices across the entire health care continuum.

 The theme of this year's conference is "Engaging Health Care and Health IT in a Coordinated Landscape," and the conference’s first Diamond-level sponsor is Charter Business (www.charterbusiness.com), who is a national provider in 30 states, places local technicians in every market; offers a portfolio of Internet, Ethernet, Voice and TV solutions; and supports Enterprise customers with a dedicated U.S.-based Network Operations Center.

The cHealth Innovation Symposium is designed for chief executive officers (CEOs), chief information officers (CIOs), chief technology officers (CTOs), chief operating officers (COOs), chief medical information officers (CMIOs), physicians, clinicians, IT directors, compliance and privacy officers, operations/billing leaders, and many others who are involved in health care today.

 "We are always pleased to partner with the OMA, but we’re especially excited to do so on this ground-breaking occasion," stated Abigail Sears, OCHIN’s CEO. "Integrating technology with the workflow of the clinicians is the ultimate focus of this symposium."

 "The OMA is truly excited about this conference and the opportunity it represents for our members. Learning just works better when we can leverage the strengths of our entire community. As we work to expand and innovate in the education we offer our members and the medical community, partnering with OCHIN and OHN is a natural next step for us," continued the OMA’s executive vice president and CEO, Jo Bryson.

 The cHealth Innovation Symposium is a three-day event that is split between the supporting organizations' one-day "boot camp/training day" (Nov. 13) and the main two-day conference (Nov. 14 and 15). Over the three days, attendees will have access to special training and accreditation, as well as knowledge and discussions from some of our nation’s leading experts on a range of health care workflow, information technology, and industry best practices.

Health care providers, educators, and health IT experts need access to trusted and best-in-class information, resources, continued education opportunities, and a supportive community to explain, vet, and prioritize the health IT needs of the entire health care community. And they need it all in one place. They need access to the best information and experts to keep themselves and their organizations and communities on the leading (not bleeding) edge of health care reform.

To learn more about the symposium, please visit: www.chealthinnovation.com.

 About OCHIN

Established in 2000 through a partnership with CareOregon, the Oregon Primary Care Association, Multnomah County Health Department, Clackamas County Health Department, and Virginia Garcia

Health Clinics, OCHIN became an independent nonprofit in 2002. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, OCHIN is one of the nation’s largest Health Information Networks and is recognized for its innovative use of Health IT to improve the integration and delivery of health care services across a wide variety of practices. With an historical emphasis on safety net clinics and small practices, OCHIN has expanded to include private practice providers and specialists. To date, OCHIN operates in 14 states and supports 70 health center networks and over 4,500 medical providers who serve over 2.5 million patients. For more information, visitwww.ochin.org.

About the Oregon Medical Association

The Oregon Medical Association is an organization of over 8,000 physicians, physician assistants and medical and PA students organized to serve and support physicians in their efforts to improve the health of Oregonians. Founded in 1874, the OMA has existed to educate, advocate for, and serve members, and is continuing that proud tradition in a new century as medicine evolves and changes at an ever-quickening pace. With initiatives such as hosting its first-ever health fair in 2013, publishing a quarterly magazine focused on key community health issues, and lending legislative support to workforce solutions, reducing student loan debt and improving vaccination rates, the OMA balances policy with service. Additional information can be found at www.theOMA.org.

About Oregon Health Network

Oregon Health Network (OHN), an OCHIN Organization, is a member-based, nonprofit whose mission is to improve the quality, access, and delivery of healthcare to all Oregonians via a variety of services to its 229 member facilities: enhanced broadband connectivity, health IT best practices, hosted services, and advocacy. A nationally top-performing Federal Communications Commission Rural Health Care Pilot Program, (RHCPP), OHN was founded in 2007. OHN’s scalable and statewide broadband infrastructure supports the coordination of care among Oregon’s physicians, allied providers, clinics, health organizations, educators, students, and government agencies. For more information, visit www.oregonhealthnet.org.