The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives and the Association of Medical Directors of Information Systems have formed a strategic partnership to better serve their respective CIO and CMIO members.

[See also: IT and informatics play well together]

Through this alliance, which will focus primarily on education and public policy, AMDIS will serve as the main physician informatics advisor to CHIME, while CHIME will offer health IT perspective for AMDIS.

The two organizations will remain separate entities, legally and financially, but will seek more ways to work together, such as the upcoming CHIME/AMDIS CMIO Boot Camp, officials say.

[See also: CMIOs see roles changing]

"CHIME strongly believes that the formation of closely aligned partnerships can enable true IT transformation and progress in healthcare," said CHIME President and CEO Russell P. Branzell, in a press statement. "This alliance demonstrates the commitment of both organizations to support the industry's leading IT professionals and their pivotal role in the delivery of healthcare."

"Both organizations have a shared understanding of the unprecedented need for health IT in supporting the transformation of care delivery," added AMDIS CEO Richard L. Rydell. "Our enhanced relationship will enable meaningful collaboration and accelerate HIT benefits realization."

The two organizations will meet three times each year to review goals and develop future objectives.

"Like CHIME, AMDIS and its physician members are committed to improving the safety, quality and efficiency of patient care, and by combining our efforts, we can significantly further our position in the industry and meet the challenges ahead," said CHIME Board Chair Randy McCleese, in a statement.

"It has never been more important for all those who understand information instruments and patient care to come together to achieve the transformation of American medicine," added AMDIS Board Chairman William F. Bria, MD, in a statement. "Our goal is nothing less than to demonstrably improve the care of our fellow man."