Malvern, PA -- Today, Siemens Healthcare (www.siemens.com/healthcare) announced details of its program aimed at assisting customers navigate the key Health IT provisions of the recently-enacted American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA). Through these activities, the company hopes to further inform its customers about the intricacies of the legislation and enable them to maximize the potential benefits of the stimulus package.

"With the recent [passage] of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, we are encouraged by the action Congress and President Obama have taken to provide resources to accelerate the adoption of electronic health records," says Janet Dillione, CEO of the Health Services business unit of Siemens Healthcare. "Siemens has a long-standing history of proactive industry involvement, and we look forward to both furthering our customerss' understanding of the impact of the legislation and supporting them in achieving outstanding performance in response to these key national initiatives."

Beginning last week, Siemens' customers were invited to participate in a series of educational webcasts discussing a broad range of relevant Health IT and ARRA topics, including:
* Tuesday, March 3, 2009: Secure Your Healthcare IT Investment
* Friday, March 13, 2009: Healthcare policy and IT initiatives: What a difference a year makes
* Tuesday, March 17, 2009: Washington Update: Policies, Politics, and News Community Hospitals Can Use
* Friday, March 27, 2009: Pre-HIMSS Update

This week, on March 13, Siemens will host the Delaware Valley Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) 2009 annual meeting at its Malvern campus, where Pennsylvania 13th District Congresswoman Allyson Y. Schwartz will provide a keynote address to all on-site attendees and national web cast participants focused on the HIT aspects of the ARRA. The program will also include an overview of national initiatives and discussion of recent and potential legislative actions on the national and state levels, as well as a thought-leaders panel who will share their views on the impacts of this new legislation on the adoption of interoperable electronic health records.

Finally, Siemens has coordinated a series of joint on-site customer education activities at several Siemens-sponsored and industry-leading events, including the MedSeries Vision Users Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, April 19-22, Siemens Healthcare Leadership Forum in Bonita Springs, Florida, May 3-5, and many others.

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