Dear HIUG Members,

As you know, the overall Healthcare environment continues to change. With the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment (ARRA) Act in February of 2009, the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act signed into law on March 18, 2010 and lastly the Patient Protection and Affordable Care (PPACA) Act signed into law along with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation (HCERA) Act in March of 2010, the healthcare industry is facing change like never before.

These changes go to the heart of the healthcare delivery system. In the end, that will have an impact on the technologies we use, when/if we can upgrade them, and even possibly our ability to attract and retain the best talent.

In order to do our part both as citizens and employees in healthcare, we need to be aware of these issues and appreciate their potential impacts. To that end, it is absolutely essential that we maximize our use of our Oracle products to gain any and all efficiencies.

The Healthcare Industry User Group (HIUG) is about knowledge sharing - to ensure that all of us know what the best of us knows. Our group helps to virtually and physically share our collective knowledge when it is needed, by whoever needs it to help utilize their Oracle systems and solutions more effectively.

With the services that the HIUG can offer to its members, it is easier than ever before for Oracle Healthcare customers to network, share, and communicate.

Some of the ways that the HIUG members can stay connected:

Annual Interact Conference: Each year there is a very informative annual conference where HIUG members come together. The conference consists of an exceptional 2 ½ days filled with many networking opportunities.

Powerful User Group Tools: The HIUG website allows members to find other member companies quickly and easily. Each of member organizations has a complete profile listing what Oracle products and tools they are using. Members can easily view this information online and find other members using similar products.

• Forums: By using the web interface or customizable email listservs, members can share experiences and work together with the entire HIUG community more effectively. There are listservs for every product line focus within the HIUG.
• File Libraries: All the presentations from the annual conferences are now available online to members.
• News: Find out the latest information related to the HIUG and Oracle. The HIUG news engine even allows members to post go-live events and success stories for other members to see.
• Polls, Surveys and Mailings: Members can create a simple poll, or send out a complex survey with multiple parts targeted specific members of the group – the HIUG tools provide the flexibility to quickly gather quick information from all members.

Through the HIUG web site and the annual Interact conference, the HIUG Board believes we are helping our members save time and money on their Oracle projects.

And, the HIUG board continues to look for new and innovative ways to help its members communicate, to learn about Oracle’s recent advances and participate in discussions about some of the most important issues facing healthcare organizations today.

On behalf of the HIUG Board, thank you for your support of the HIUG community.

Sincerely,
Linda Helgerman