New National Coordinator for HIT Named
David Blumenthal, MD, MPP, is the Obama administration's pick as the new National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. According to a Department of Health and Human Service
press release, Dr. Blumenthal has his work cut out for him. "Dr. Blumenthal will lead the implementation of a nationwide interoperable, privacy-protected health information technology infrastructure as called for in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act," the PR noted.
Dr. Blumenthal's last role was as a physician and director for the Institute of Health Policy at The Massachusetts General Hospital/Partners HealthCare System in Boston. Partners was named one of the top 100 "Most Wired" health systems last year. Dr. Blumenthal also served as a professor of medicine and health care policy at Harvard Medical School. The new coordinator acted as a senior health adviser to President Obama during his campaign.
Before that, he filled the role of senior vice president at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital and as the executive director of the Center for Health Policy and Management.
"Dr. Blumenthal has extensively researched the dissemination of health information technology, quality management in health care, the determinants of physician behavior, access to health services and the extent and consequences of academic-industrial relationships in the health services," the news release read.
Dr. Blumenthal will replace Robert Kolodner, MD, who served as the national coordinator under President Bush.