Since budget reductions are being made across the sector in response to the trying economic times, is it wise to slash education and travel budgets given the steep learning curve for ARRA and HITECH rollouts?

Across the board reductions of expense line items such as Education and Travel have been de rigueur for financial teams for years. It’s easier to cut “controllable expenses” than people or a program is the mantra. Now, with the ARRA and HITECH funding hanging in the balance, IT professionals need to stay current more than ever. As organizations struggle with salary freezes or reductions, benefits changes, reductions in force, layoffs, hiring moratoriums, the true answer lies in an overall look at current ability and making sure that as the recession recedes and funding streams come on line, you are able to respond. It is an art, certainly not a science to strike a balance between short-term funding and longer-term survival. However, one can argue that now is certainly not the time to restrict thought leadership access for IT professionals.