Search

As Karen DeSalvo, MD, prepares to take the reins as national coordinator for health information technology in 2014, here are 10 aspects of her background that may help define how she'll carry on the crucial work of her predecessors.

Karen DeSalvo is certainly more than qualified to head up ONC, having brought post-Katrina New Orleans up to snuff on electronic health records and more. How well do you know her background? Here are some lesser-known facts.

Robert Kolodner, MD, admits to keeping a low profile following his stint as interim National Coordinator for Health IT, a position he left in 2009 after a 31-year government career - three years at ONC, and before that 28 at the Department of Veterans Affairs. As chief informatics officer at VA, he led the development of VistA, the department’s open-source electronic health record.

In order to make big strides in healthcare IT – and particularly within the new collaboration between the Department of Veterans Affairs and Georgia Tech – Steve Rushing advocates taking small, smart steps.

Open Health Tools, a multi-stakeholder open source community whose chief health informatics officer is Robert M. Kolodner, MD, the former national coordinator, is joining with the Georgia Institute of Technology on a public-private initiative designed to accelerate the adoption of health information technology.

David Riley and Vanessa Manchester, two leaders of the Federal Health Architecture’s open source CONNECT data exchange initiative, announced the formation of the nonprofit Alembic Foundation this past spring.

Earlier this spring, David Riley and Vanessa Manchester, two leaders of the Federal Health Architecture’s open source CONNECT data exchange initiative, announced the formation of the nonprofit Alembic Foundation.

There are many eligible candidates who come to mind when thinking about who could fill the shoes of David Blumenthal, MD, national coordinator for health information technology. Experts cite meaningful use and electronic health record implementation experience as important criteria, but one consultant puts particular emphasis on finding a new leader who possesses a care team approach to health IT.

The stage is set for unprecedented healthcare reform possibilities, with many of the key leaders now in place. David Blumenthal, MD, took his new position as National Coordinator for Health Information Technology on April 20. For the first six months, healthcare IT leader John Glaser, CIO of Partners Healthcare, will advise him on how best to approach the HITECH Act within the stimulus package.

David Blumenthal, MD, the newly-appointed National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, will assume the role Monday, April 20.