Dr. Vindell Washington | May 26, 2016
I found my passion for health information technology (health IT) in the unlikeliest of places: a combat support hospital in Haiti. During my time as a Captain in the U.S. Army, I was assigned to support the 18th Airborne Corps. While deployed in Port-au-Prince, a superbly fit 20-something fellow soldier presented to my colleagues and me with confusing signs and symptoms. He came to our field hospital emergency department appearing generally ill with a rash, and we knew neither his diagnosis and appropriate treatment nor his prognosis.
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Dr. Karen B. DeSalvo | May 16, 2016
We have witnessed dramatic changes in the adoption and use of health information technology (health IT) over the past decade. The nation has transformed from paper-based record keeping into an environment where nearly all of the nation’s hospitals and three-quarters of the nation’s eligible providers are using certified health IT. And from accessible electronic health records to wearable fitness devices and health trackers on smart phones, health IT gives each individual the tools to actively manage their health like never before
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Dr. Karen B. DeSalvo | April 27, 2016
Seven years ago, Congress passed a law to spur the country to digitize the health care experience for Americans and connect doctor’s practices and hospitals, thereby modernizing patient care through the Electronic Health Records (EHRs) Incentive Programs, also known as “Meaningful Use.” Before this shift began, many providers did not have the capital to invest in health information technology and patient information was siloed in paper records. Since then, we have made incredible progress, with nearly all hospitals and three-quarters of doctors using EHRs.
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Dr. Karen B. DeSalvo | February 29, 2016
Today, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) issued its annual report to Congress on health IT progress. Developing this report provided us with an opportunity to reflect on our collective health IT journey and the significance of the past year for HHS and our federal and private partners.
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Leila Samy | November 19, 2015
Today we celebrate the work of rural communities around the country that are working with ONC to bring health IT innovation into their practices, including initiatives that 1) help rural and poor communities locate financing and facilitate broadband connectivity to support health information exchange and telehealth infrastructure and 2) leverage health IT and Blue Button to improve care coordination for rural Veterans who seek care both within the VA and their local community providers.
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