Atlanta: a Hotbed of Healthcare IT

Lisa Reichard, RN, Director of Business Development
December 6, 2010

More than 100 IT companies attended the recent Healthcare Leadership Summit at Atlanta's historic Fox Theatre. The summit - organized by the Technology Association of Georgia's Health society, the Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Georgia Department of Economic Development - brought together business community leaders, healthcare providers and educators to further propel Georgia as the national leader in healthcare IT (HIT). Keynote presentations, panels and a technology showcase offered attendees the opportunity to address current and future industry requirements necessary to expand, equip and sustain the HIT industry in Georgia.

In his keynote address, Eastlake Partners General Partner Bob Bozeman posed the question, "What will it take for Georgia to be the global leader in HIT?" A grand idea, to be sure, and one that is not completely out of reach. Georgia ranks as the leading state for total HIT revenues, according to the Healthcare Informatics HCI-100 list. And according to TAG, Georgia has over the past decade attained the premier nationwide leadership position as a HIT cluster.

Photo Courtesy of TAG

According to Bozeman, Atlanta is outpacing all other states in HIT; Fortune 1000 companies are coming through Atlanta and IT jobs are thus on the rise. He believes that Atlanta has heart and compassion behind its healthcare industry, and these qualities are what will propel the city forward in its quest for global leadership.

Like at most other industry events happening right now, interoperability was a big theme. Providers are still struggling with the decision to go digital, and how to maneuver through the morass that is the healthcare reform bill. HIEs were on most people's minds, especially with regard to how next steps of the HITECH Act will affect their efforts to meet, or help providers meet, Meaningful Use deadlines.

Dedra Cantrell, RN, CIO of Emory Healthcare, told her audience that Atlanta can take the lead in interoperability, but that more talent is needed to make this happen - a problem being felt around the country.

Photo Courtesy of TAG

Executives representing additional healthcare and HIT industry stakeholders discussed near-term (one- to five-year) strategic considerations and plans to address the immediate challenges of the state of Georgia's HIT industry - where they're going and how they're going to get there, with a big emphasis placed on reducing high unemployment rates and increasing HIT workforce training.

As an Atlanta-based company, it is exciting to be in the midst of this hotbed of HIT activity. As the city and the state of Georgia strive to bring even more global healthcare IT industry to the South, Billian's HealthDATA will continue to provide key market intelligence to companies around the globe and in our own backyard.

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