Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News

      Interim Health IT Czar Announced

      Written by

      M.L. Baker
      Published September 21, 2006
      Share
      Facebook
      Twitter
      Linkedin

        eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

        In a brief statement on Sept. 20, Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt announced that Robert Kolodner is the interim health IT czar.

        Kolodner is currently serving as chief health informatics officer of the Veterans Health Administration, and his office oversees the VAs extensive EHR system, called VistA, and maintains over 140 national databases.

        David Brailer, the nations first health IT czar, stepped down in May 2006, saying that he never planned to be in the post for more than two years.

        Brailer had been appointed in April 2004 and spent his time criss-crossing the country calling on physicians to adopt health IT and for policymakers and technologists to create IT systems that could work together seamlessly.

        Why the appointment is designated as interim is unclear, since legislation establishing the Office of the National Coordinator states only that the coordinator is to be appointed by the Health and Human Services Secretary and does not require Congressional approval.

        Brailer announced his resignation in March and said he would help in the search for his successor.

        The HHS Office did not return calls and e-mails asking why Kolodner was not the permanent appointee and when the permanent coordinator would be announced.

        “Im perplexed,” said David Merritt, spokesman for the Center for Health Transformation, when asked why the position had not been filled permanently.

        Merrit said his group, a non-profit founded by Newt Gingrich, was advocating that the position be filled permanently by someone from the private sector rather than government. Kolodner has been with the VA for over two decades.

        Nonetheless, Kolodner was a “fine appointment,” Merrit said. “He knows Washington. He knows politics. Hes built a heck of a system at the Veterans Administration.”

        When Brailer resigned, he blamed his lack of understanding of Washington for setbacks such as having funding for his office cut when Congress passed the national budget.

        Kolodner is also a well-known face on the health IT speaking circuit. VA hospitals are famous for their successful implementation of health IT.

        Trained as a psychiatrist and with degrees from Harvard and Yale, Kolodner chaired the Mental Health Special Interest Users Group at the VA and helped lay the groundwork for the DHCP (Decentralized Hospital Computer Program), which is VAs healthcare information system.

        /zimages/1/28571.gifGovernment studies how to push digital health records. Click here to read more.

        He is credited with fostering the creation of My HealtheVet, an Internet health portal for veterans and their families as well as helping to establish an interagency health technology initiative between the VA and the Department of Defense.

        Earlier in 2006, the VAs electronic health system received an Innovations in Government Award from Harvard Universitys Kennedy School of Government.

        In 2005, Kolodner won the special achievement award from the American Hospital Associations Section for Federal Hospitals.

        Editors Note: This story was updated to include additional information and comments from a spokesman for the Center for Health Transformation.

        /zimages/1/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms for the latest news, views and analysis of technologys impact on health care.

        M.L. Baker
        M.L. Baker
        Monya Baker is co-editor of CIOInsight.com's Health Care Center. She has written for publications including the journal Nature Biotechnology, the Acumen Journal of Sciences and the American Medical Writers Association, among others, and has worked as a consultant with biotechnology companies.

        Get the Free Newsletter!

        Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

        Get the Free Newsletter!

        Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

        MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

        Artificial Intelligence

        9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

        Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
        AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
        Read more
        Cloud

        RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

        Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
        RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
        Read more
        Artificial Intelligence

        8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

        Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
        Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
        Read more
        Latest News

        Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

        James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
        I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
        Read more
        Video

        Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

        James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
        I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
        Read more
        Logo

        eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

        Facebook
        Linkedin
        RSS
        Twitter
        Youtube

        Advertisers

        Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

        Advertise with Us

        Menu

        • About eWeek
        • Subscribe to our Newsletter
        • Latest News

        Our Brands

        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms
        • About
        • Contact
        • Advertise
        • Sitemap
        • California – Do Not Sell My Information

        Property of TechnologyAdvice.
        © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

        Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

        ×