"health IT" Posts

Portrait of Dr. David Blumenthal

Expanding and Strengthening the Health IT Workforce

Dr. David Blumenthal | December 24, 2009

Today the administration announced two additional programs to support the development of the skilled workforce needed to support broad adoption and use of health IT.  Awards totaling $32 million to establish or expand university-based health IT training programs and $6 million dollars to develop a health IT competency testing program will complement the previously announced workforce development program grants established through the Recovery Act.

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Portrait of Dr. David Blumenthal

The ONC Commitment to Transparency

Dr. David Blumenthal | December 23, 2009

As we work to encourage the meaningful use of health information technology, we want to hear what you have to say. That’s why we started this blog and it’s why we have worked so hard to ensure our process for moving forward is open and transparent. Today, I want to address another step we’re taking to bring more Americans into the conversation about health IT.

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Portrait of Dr. David Blumenthal

Health IT Innovation is the Key to Care

Dr. David Blumenthal | December 18, 2009

As Americans, we realize the importance of relentless innovation.  A key component of securing a healthy future for all Americans relies on harnessing innovation in health IT.
The new Strategic Health IT Advanced Research Projects (SHARP) Program announced today and funded at a level of $60 million through the HITECH Act, is designed with this purpose in mind. This program will fund projects in areas of research where breakthrough advances are needed to address barriers in health IT adoption.  

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Portrait of Dr. David Blumenthal

Benefits of Health IT

Dr. David Blumenthal | November 30, 2009

In February 2009, President Obama and the Congress launched a vast, ambitious program to improve the health of Americans, and the performance of their health system, by building a nationwide, interoperable, private and secure, electronic health information system.  This vision – of health care empowered by a modern information system, serving each and every American according to their needs and preferences – reflects decades of study and thinking by health care experts, health professionals, and average citizens. 

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