Kentucky Enacts Far-reaching E-Health Network Legislation

From Health-IT World:

Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher, M.D., last week
signed legislation to create a statewide electronic health information
network and establish an academic research partnership that boosters
say could become a foundation for national healthcare reform. The
signing caps a four-year effort by Sen. Daniel Mongiardo, M.D., an
otolaryngologist from the Appalachian town of Hazard, Ky., who is the
state legislature’s only practicing physician. The governor, a
Republican, is a non-practicing family physician.

"We hope this will become the backbone for the
national health information network," Mongiardo said. More importantly,
he said that the law will help research play a greater role in
healthcare policy-making traditionally dominated by politics.

"We’ve got to bring science and scientific
research into the future of healthcare," said Mongiardo. "We can then
deliver to Congress on a silver platter reform that can be applied
nationally."

I like his attitude!