16 Nov Tommy Thompson joins Picis board of directors
Wakefield, Mass. – Former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson has been elected to the board of directors of Picis, a provider of information systems for high-acuity care areas of a hospital, such as the emergency department, the operating room and the intensive care unit.
Thompson began his career in public service in 1966 as a representative in Wisconsin’s state Assembly. He was elected assistant Assembly minority leader in 1973 and Assembly minority leader in 1981. He was elected to four terms as Governor, starting in 1986. During his 14 years as governor, Thompson gained national attention for his leadership on welfare reform, expanded access to health care for low-income people, and education.
At HHS, Thompson led the nationwide movement to adopt healthcare information technology as a means to improve patient care, increase efficiencies and reduce costs. He led initiatives that have now resulted in some 18 pieces of legislation before Congress and state legislatures. He created the Office of the National Coordinator for Healthcare Information Technology and enabled several grants to be issued for healthcare information technology acquisition by rural medical centers.
The Picis corporate headquarters are located in Wakefield, Mass., and the company has major offices in Chicago and Barcelona, Spain. Picis’ systems are installed in more than 900 medical centers and hospital networks worldwide, automating more surgical procedures, emergency visits and intensive care stays than any other system in the world.