Health IT Czar Resigns

After two years of grant-giving, Health Information Technology Coordinator David Brailer steps down.

The ever-traveling, tireless Health Information Technology Coordinator David Brailer has resigned, the Department of Health and Human Services announced April 21.

The announcement of the creation of Brailers position, almost exactly two years ago, has been widely hailed by vendors, health care providers and health care payers as spurring investment in health IT.

His office gave many grants for establishing national frameworks for health IT standards and seed grants to help individual hospitals and regions adopt health IT.

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Brailer was well-known for his constant travel and speaking engagements. He is a medical doctor and has a Ph.D. in economics. While he worked largely out of Washington, he lives in San Francisco, where his child is enrolled in elementary school.

In a statement, HHS Michael Leavitt said he would miss Brailer, who will serve as the vice chair of the American Health Information Community, a panel of government and industry thought leaders that meets a few times a year.

"David has helped the [AHI] Community identify promising breakthroughs for near-term progress while continuing to move us closer to longer-term health IT goals. David will also continue to serve as a consultant to HHS to help lead the Presidents health care transparency initiative," the statement said.

Brailers successor has not yet been identified. Brailer is scheduled to speak with reporters on April 24.

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