Twenty years ago this month, 21 of the industry’s leading EHR vendors came together to form what was then called the HIMSS EHR Vendor Association to accelerate the widespread adoption of EHRs. It was based on a bold premise: competitors working collaboratively to identify issues related to software development and functionality for EHR products and to further the initiatives laid out in the Health IT Strategic Framework, which had been released in July 2004 by what was then known as the ONC (now ASTP). 

The new association was also tasked with helping HIMSS establish its strategic direction and official positions on issues related to the EHR and providing input and feedback to the certification process established by CCHIT.