/EINPresswire.com/ -- BURLINGTON, VT--(Marketwired - May 25, 2016) -  The Vermont Information Technology Leaders, Inc. (VITL) board of directors continues to affirm the organization's commitment to improving the quality and efficiency of Vermont's health care system, by recently electing Bruce D. Bullock, M.D. as the new board chairperson. Since September 2015 VITL has also welcomed four new board members, each bringing extensive knowledge from several health care sectors. The new board members are: Michael Del Trecco, Representative Avram Patt, Richard Elmore and Jerry Ford.

Dr. Bullock -- co-owner of Marble Valley Healthworks, LLC in Rutland, VT -- has served on the VITL board since October 2010, and as co-chair of the organization's provider advisory committee since July 2014. Dr. Bullock, along with VITL Medical Director Kate McIntosh, M.D., launched the provider advisory committee to provide guidance and advice on VITL's strategic plans and objectives.

In looking at the challenges ahead Dr. Bullock said, "The delivery of health care services is changing rapidly in Vermont and across the nation. Our challenge is to continue to adapt the VHIE as a platform from which we can deliver new and relevant services to the health care provider community in Vermont."

During Dr. Bullock's tenure on the board, VITL has greatly extended the reach of the Vermont Health Information Exchange (VHIE) -- the state's health data network -- by completing connections to all Vermont hospitals, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, all Vermont Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), numerous primary and specialty care practices, home health agencies, designated mental health agencies, nursing homes and commercial labs. During this time VITL also launched VITLAccess, a secure portal that gives providers a view of clinical data available in the Vermont Health Information Exchange.

John K. Evans, president and CEO at VITL, reflected on the board composition saying, "At VITL, we are fortunate to have such high caliber individuals on our board. With recognized industry experts, government representatives, health care payers, administrators, and clinicians, our board is a true cross section of health care in Vermont and underscores the important role we play in improving health care outcomes in Vermont."

Michael Del Trecco, FACHE, is the co-executive officer and vice president of finance for the Vermont Association of Hospital and Health Systems (VAHHS). Mr. Del Trecco was elected to the VITL board of directors in March, 2016 and brings more than 20 years of health care finance experience with both academic and community hospitals to VITL. At VAHHS, Mr. Del Trecco has been actively engaged in the health care policy making process in Vermont and nationally.

The broad group of stakeholders that comprises the VITL board of directors includes representation from the Vermont Legislature as well. In January, 2016, Representative Avram Patt -- Democrat, Lamoille-Washington district -- was appointed to the board by Speaker Shap Smith. Representative Patt is a member of the House Committee on Health Care and also serves as a justice of the peace, director of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility and as chair of the Goddard College Board of Trustees.

Health information technology is changing rapidly. In order to stay informed and anticipate the impacts of these changes on VITL's stakeholders, the board is pleased to have representation and expertise from the corporate health technology sector. Mr. Richard Elmore, senior vice president for corporate strategy and development at Allscripts, a leader in healthcare information technology solutions, and Mr. Jerry Ford, chief executive officer of Marathon Health, which provides workplace-based population health management solutions for employers, were both elected to the board in September, 2015.

Mr. Elmore, an expert in health care standards and health information exchange, is also the vice chairman of Commonwell Health Alliance, and co-chair of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) Content Standards Workgroup. Mr. Elmore has a long and distinguished career with Allscripts and IDX Corporation (now GE Healthcare).

Joining Marathon Health as CEO in 2008, Mr. Ford led the company through its initial start-up phase to sales of $48M to clients in 39 states. Prior to joining Marathon Health, Mr. Ford was president and chief executive officer at Systems & Software, Inc. in Colchester, VT and before that, held several key executive roles at IDX Corporation (now GE Healthcare).

About VITL:

Vermont Information Technology Leaders, Inc. (VITL) is a nonprofit organization that assists Vermont health care providers with adopting and using health information technology, to improve the quality of care delivery, to enhance patient safety and to reduce the cost of care. VITL is legislatively designated to operate the health information exchange (HIE) for Vermont, and is governed by a collaborative group of stakeholders including health plans, hospitals, physicians, other health care providers, state government, employers, and consumers. For more information, please visit www.vitl.net

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Joanna Cummings
Marketing Manager
VITL
802-861-1942