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The Office of Health Information Technology, under the Bryan administration, is set to host the second annual Digital Health Summit which takes place June 14-16 at The Antilles School on St. Thomas.
The event aims to advance initiatives to expand and increase digital health services available to Virgin Islanders, according to a release issued Saturday.
The three-day conference will gather global experts, federal agency representatives, and leading figures in health IT, cybersecurity, and digital health industries. Governor Bryan will inaugurate the summit with welcoming remarks, succeeded by a keynote speech from Dr. Sandra Elizabeth Ford, a renowned pediatrician and former Special Assistant to President Biden for Public Health and Science. Dr. Ford's address will emphasize the role of digital health tools in bridging health equity gaps and improving healthcare through data-driven treatment plans.
Mr. Bryan expressed his anticipation for the summit, saying, “We’re continuing the momentum from last year’s successful summit, and these workshops will help our healthcare system navigate the digital age and help Virgin Islanders adapt to the ever-changing shifts in healthcare technology.”
The governor also revealed his excitement over the launch of no-cost health IT workforce training opportunities with Howard University and a Google program teaching Python coding to the youth. These initiatives aim to provide local residents with digital health technology skills.
The summit agenda includes presentations from federal leaders of the Office of the National Coordinator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency. National leaders in health IT, data and analytics, and population health sectors will also discuss urgent issues related to data sharing regulations, digital health enablement, and financial sustainability of providing cost-effective digital healthcare.
Mr. Bryan established the Office of Health Information Technology (OHIT) in 2021 with a vision to enhance health and wellness in the USVI through innovative and transformative health information technology resources.
Michelle Francis, the executive director of OHIT, acknowledged the summit as an “exhilarating conference that creates opportunities for unprecedented engagement,” and a platform to address challenging issues such as data security, interoperable systems, and artificial intelligence's growing influence on digital healthcare.
The Digital Health Care panels and workshops will be available for live streaming on the OHIT and GVI Facebook pages, the OHIT website, and Cable TV 27 – the Government Access Channel, and Youtube.
The summit is supported by sponsors and exhibitors including Gainwell Technologies, Scriptguide RX, FTI Consulting, Zane Networks, Community Health IT, Digiimed, Tropical Health LLC, Point Click Care, GSG Government Solutions, Innovacer, Innsena, Digiimed, USVI Research and Technology Park, Aeromd.
For more information or to register for the Digital Health Summit, visit www.ohitusvi.com.
