Good afternoon Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Pallone and distinguished committee members. I am Christine Bechtel, vice president of the National Partnership for Women & Families, a non-profit, non-partisan consumer advocacy organization. For the last four years, I have also served on the federal Health IT Policy Committee as a consumer representative.

With more than 40 years of experience working to make life better for women and families, the National Partnership promotes access to high quality health care, fairness in the workplace and policies that help women and men meet the dual demands of work and family.

As you know, health care is central to the well-being of women and families — it is a key determinant of their quality of life, their economic security, and their ability to thrive, prosper and participate in our society. In collaboration with the consumer coalitions we lead, which include the Consumer Partnership for eHealth (CPeH) and the Campaign for Better Care, we are working to advance private and secure health information technology (IT) in ways that measurably improve the lives of individuals and their families. Advancing and using health IT is essential to making health care more accessible, affordable and effective for consumers because health IT is a tool that can empower consumers to work in partnership with professional care team members and make informed choices about treatment options. It has enormous potential to improve the quality of clinical care, decrease health disparities, and bolster research and public health.

I am honored to be asked to speak with you today about how the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program (commonly known as “Meaningful Use”) is not only catalyzing a fundamental change in the health care system, but is serving as a springboard for innovation. Read more »