Source: healthimaging.comSenator John D. Rockefeller IV, D-W. Va., introduced legislation last week that will facilitate the nationwide adoption of EHRs.The Health Information Technology Public Utility Act of 2009 will build upon the use of open-source EHRs by the Department of Veterans Affairs as well as the “open-source exchange model,” which was recently expanded among federal agencies through the Nationwide Health Information Network-Connect initiative.“We need advancements in health information technology across the board to improve the quality of care Americans receive,” said Rockefeller, chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care. “To make this happen, we need universal access to affordable and interoperable health information technology–from small, rural health clinics to large, urban hospitals.“Open-source software, or a computer program with unrestricted source code that does not limit the use or distribution by any organization or user, is a cost-effective, proven way to advanace health IT, said Rockefeller. “This legislation does not replace commercial software; instead, it complements the private industry in this field–by making health information technology a realistic option for all providers,” he said.