Stimulus dollars pour into health IT industry, driving growth

Betsi Fores | The Daily Caller | April 20, 2012

The medical industry, as we know it now, is quickly changing, thanks to a $19 billion section of the 2009 stimulus bill.Titled HI TECH and armed with specific stipulations for the purchase of new electronic health record software, the up-and-coming digital health information industry has grown steadily and strongly, despite the enduring recession. The Health Information Technology for Economic & Clinical Health (HI TECH), was “designed to create new jobs,” according to Forbes Magazine. And jobs it did create, due to of the influx of money...

Epic Systems Corps., another company in the health IT industry, has also fared thanks to this deal. In fact, the CEO, Judy Faulkner, who happens to be a major donor to President Obama, was put on the seat to determine how best to spend the allotted $19 billion. The Washington Examiner writes: “Faulkner and her company oppose the president’s vision for health IT, but Epic employees are massive Democratic donors. They’ve given nearly $300,000 to Democrats since 2006, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.”

Though the company and Obama diverge on their vision of the future of electronic health records, they were successful in securing a $14 million contract to implement the product for the Coast Guard. The Examiner writes that “one of the signers, Democratic Rep. Tammy Baldwin, received $27,800 from Faulkner, including $10,000 in contributions to her PAC.”...