Major Focus on Healthcare IT Education at CompTIA Breakaway 2010

North America’s premier event for IT channel companies set for San Antonio Aug. 9-12

Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., July 6, 2010 – A comprehensive educational program on opportunities for information technology (IT) companies in the fast-growing market for healthcare IT products and services is planned for Breakaway 2010, CompTIA, the leading non-profit trade association for the IT industry, announced today.

Breakaway 2010, North America’s premier event for IT channel companies, is scheduled for Aug. 9 – 12 at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, San Antonio, Texas.

“Many IT companies are interested in entering the booming healthcare IT market, but the challenge of penetrating a new market with a unique and complex environment can be daunting,” said Kelly Ricker, vice president, events, CompTIA. “At Breakaway 2010, we’ll offer a comprehensive educational track on the basics of the healthcare ecosystem and how to build a healthy healthcare IT business.”

The Breakaway Healthcare IT educational track includes the following sessions:

• Healthcare 101: An Introduction to Transforming Your Business, Tuesday, Aug. 10 - Get the basics on the healthcare market. Learn whom you should meet to do business; key obstacles to overcome; and how to decipher and navigate the many policies and regulations impacting this market. Results from the latest CompTIA research on the healthcare IT market will be presented during this session.
• Cracking the HIT Nut - What You Need to Know About Building a Healthcare IT Practice, Wednesday. Aug. 11 – While healthcare IT is a huge opportunity for technology solutions providers, it’s not without its complexities and nuances. In this session, Patrick Wilson, president, Vital Signs Technology, Inc., San Ramon, Calif., will present an overview of CompTIA's Healthcare IT Guide, a ten-week plan for a building a practice.
• Building Your HIT Blueprint – Assessing the IT Needs of a Healthcare Provider to Become a Trusted Advisor, Thursday, August 12 – This workshop will provide attendees with an actionable plan and specific next steps for how best to assess a healthcare provider's current IT environment and what’s needed to transition them to an electronic health records system. Patti Dodgen, chief executive officer, Hielix, will present.

“The cost of implementing an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system is a significant investment to an ambulatory or any physician practice,” Hielix CEO Patti Dodgen said. “In an environment where Medicare reimbursement rates continue to drop, practices of every size are challenged to achieve ‘meaningful use’ and to do so without in-house expertise, against a fast approaching deadline. It’s no wonder the current EHR failure rate is estimated near 75 percent.

“Physicians need to take a proactive approach to EHR and utilize the tools and expert guidance available to ensure a successful and optimized implementation,” Dodgen added. “Otherwise, they face a costly and unnecessary up-hill battle.”

The educational track at Breakaway is part of CompTIA’s ongoing and expanding efforts to provide its members and the industry with the in-depth research, professional credentials, business tools and other resources needed to succeed in the healthcare IT market.

A 2009 CompTIA study found that three in four IT firms believed their healthcare clients are eager to incorporate new technologies into their practices; and two in three believe that better care for patients is a major factor in their healthcare clients’ decision to adopt new technologies. The study also found that among healthcare providers, 59 percent were excited about the prospect of telemedicine and 79 percent were interested in portable tablet PCs for point-of-patient care.

Breakaway offers technology companies a unique stage to promote their products, recruit business partners and interact with more than one thousand conference attendees. Attendees can participate in educational tracks covering key technology areas such as healthcare IT, cyber security and managed IT services. Breakaway also provides a unique forum for peer-to-peer networking with other business leaders to share ideas and advice on how to grow an IT business.

CompTIA reseller, vendor and distributor members can attend Breakaway for free, but registration is required. The conference also is open to non-members, including technology resellers, distributors and vendors. The non-member reseller registration price is $250, while the non-member vendor or distributor registration price is $650. The non-member registration can be applied toward the cost of a one-year membership in CompTIA. For more information on CompTIA Breakaway visit http://www.comptia.org/breakaway/default.aspx.

About CompTIA

CompTIA is the voice of the world’s information technology (IT) industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through its educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications, and public policy advocacy. For more information, visit www.comptia.org or follow CompTIA on Twitter at Http://www.Twitter.com/comptia.

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