ASTP’s John Rancourt sits down with Francis Rose of FedGovToday to discuss the HHS reorganization, 2024-2030 Federal Health IT Strategic Plan, TEFCA, the department’s AI work, and more.

As part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy’s (ASTP) vision of “better health enabled by data,” we are committed to advancing health equity and person-centered ways to promote the interoperable exchange of data on patients’ health-related social needs (HRSN) and broader social determinants and dynamic social drivers of health (SDOH). In support of this effort, ASTP conducted several studies in the past year to better understand whether routine screening combined with capturing data in a structured format could facilitate immediate and downstream use of data collected through such screening as well as how the availability of dedicated resources or strategic partnerships with community organizations impacts providers’ ability to address patients’ HRSN.

Three years into the Public Health Informatics and Technology (PHIT) Workforce Development Program ―an effort funded and led by ASTP to boost the public health information technology workforce in the US―the University of Texas Health Houston (UTHealth) has exceeded expectations and completed award milestones ahead of schedule. The program exceeded its original goal of training 1,900 students, reaching 2,065 students one year ahead of schedule. UTHealth’s efforts to provide its students with opportunities to secure meaningful, cutting-edge internships and jobs will help improve the health and well-being of the surrounding communities.

Join us as we interview Acting Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer at the Department of Health and Human Services, Micky Tripathi on key developments and the future of health information technology and AI.

A year ago, based on the work led by the Pharmacy Interoperability and Emerging Therapeutics (PhIET) Task Force, the Health Information Technology Advisory Committee (HITAC) made recommendations to support interoperability between pharmacy constituents as well as the exchange of information necessary for medication management, patient safety, and consumer engagement.