INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AHIC Successor, Inc. today announced the appointment of Charles Kennedy, M.D., vice president for Health Information Technology, WellPoint, Inc., to its board of directors. AHIC Successor is an independent, sustainable public-private enterprise whose role is to bring together the best of the public, non-profit and private sectors into a trusted, purpose-driven organization for the creation and use of a secure interoperable nationwide health information system. The new organization is being established in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a successor to the American Health Information Community (AHIC), a federal advisory committee that will soon be dissolving.

The board of directors will be immediately tasked with defining the strategies by which the organization will fulfill its mission to develop a unified approach in creating an effective, interoperable nationwide health information system in the United States.

At WellPoint, Inc., Dr. Kennedy is responsible for building technical solutions which leverage health plan data sets to help improve patient care. With over 20 years of healthcare experience, he has deployed several advanced health IT tools and was responsible for creating strategic acquisitions and investments in companies that focus on healthcare technology.

"I am honored to be appointed to AHIC Successor, Inc. board of directors and to be working with an esteemed group of individuals to develop a unified approach in creating an interoperable nationwide health information system in the United States," said Kennedy. "WellPoint recognizes the potential value of health IT to address the current challenges in the American health care system. I intend to assist in shaping our initiatives to help improve the quality of care that Americans receive while using this new infrastructure and to allow for more efficient care delivery."

In addition to being a recognized expert in health IT, Dr. Kennedy has served on multiple boards such as the National Alliance for Health Information Technology (NAHIT), The California Regional Health Information Organization (CalRHIO), and was a founding commissioner of the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT).

"We are pleased to have the participation of such a distinguished group of individuals from both the public and private sectors who are committed to the successful integration and use of health IT in the United States," said John Tooker, M.D., M.B.A., Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the American College of Physicians and one of the three original incorporators of AHIC Successor. "The board's leadership and insights from across the health care, IT, academic, and consumer communities will be invaluable as our members collaborate on the development of implementation strategies for a standards-based, interoperable health IT system that ensures confidentiality, privacy, and security for patients."

The initial three signatories to the incorporation -- John Glaser, Ph.D., vice president and chief information officer, Partners HealthCare System, Inc.; Jonathan Perlin, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer and president, Clinical Services, Hospital Corporation of America; and Dr. Tooker -- will

also participate as board members for the first year, after which they will step down without replacement.

The current AHIC, which is scheduled to complete its work by the end of 2008, advises HHS on how to accelerate the development and adoption of health information technology.

Widespread adoption of health information technology will improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of health care by enabling the exchange of relevant patient information to better manage health information and care. When used with appropriate safeguards that protect confidentiality and privacy, health IT can enable comprehensive management of medical information and its secure exchange between health care consumers, providers, and other relevant parties. Health IT enables improvements at the point of care, broader public health improvements, and more efficient and effective data collection and analysis by researchers to improve quality and affordability of care.

For more information about AHIC Successor and background on the Board appointees, please visit www.ahicsuccessor.org .

About WellPoint, Inc.

WellPoint, Inc. is the largest health benefits company in terms of medical membership in the United States. WellPoint is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and serves its members as the Blue Cross licensee for California; the Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (as Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield in 10 New York City metropolitan and surrounding counties and as Empire Blue Cross or Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield in selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.),Wisconsin; and through UniCare. Additional information about WellPoint is available at www.wellpoint.com .

SOURCE: WellPoint, Inc.