Description: This webinar will inform participants of the current state of affairs on Capitol Hill and across the federal agencies, including updates on legislative and regulatory affairs, with a deeper dive into several of AHIMA’s policy priorities including the MATCH IT Act of 2025, as well as opportunities to promote improved interoperability, data privacy, and the HI profession in the regulatory space. The session will also emphasize the importance of participating in grassroots advocacy and how to get more involved.

NOTE: Because of the time sensitive nature of the updates during this presentation, not all slides are shared, only the beginning part of the presentation was shared about the AHIMA team and how we engage with coalitions, where and how we influence, etc. One note, the Patient ID Now coalition slide was updated as in 2026 new steering committee members will be added. 

Webinar Date: This was presented as part of IHIMA’s 2025 Virtual Conference – December 2025

Duration: 1 hour

Speakers: 

Caterina DeBarros, MPP, is the Manager of Government Affairs on the Policy and Government Affairs team at the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). Caterina manages the Advocacy Leaders group, tracks AHIMA grassroots campaigns, and advocates for the AHIMA policy agenda on Capitol Hill. Previously she worked at Research!America in several roles, including as a program associate. She has a Bachelor’s degree in public health as well as a Master’s degree in public policy, both from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. 

Tara O'Donnell, MPH, is the Manager, Regulatory Affairs at the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), where she advocates to federal agencies on a wide range of issues related to healthcare information technology. Tara has particular interest in information blocking, utilization management processes, and interoperability, and enjoys learning about standards and implementation guides. Prior to joining AHIMA, she spent several years at the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) working on both state and federal policy and advocacy, as well as at the Gallaudet University Center for Deaf Health Excellence. Tara received a Bachelor of Science degree in public health and a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in health policy, both from the George Washington University.

Click HERE to register for this webinar! 

Cost: $25 Members/ $35 Non-Members 

1 AHIMA CEU* 

Domain V. Health Law and Compliance 

*Relevant AHIMA CEUs are also accepted by the AAPC and ACDIS. Check eligibility on their website.