David Blumenthal has been named National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
The Boston physician is an M.D., M.P.P. and is now the lead dog in implementing the nationwide interoperable, privacy-protected health information technology infrastructure as called for in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The guy is certainly qualified as the former director of the Institute for Health Policy at The Massachusetts General Hospital/Partners HealthCare System in Boston, Mass. He was also Professor of Medicine and Professor of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School so he might be smart.
There, he also served as director of the Harvard University Interfaculty Program for Health Systems Improvement. Prior to that, he was senior vice president at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital and served as executive director of the Center for Health Policy and Management and as a lecturer on Public Policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government.
“As a primary care physician who has used an electronic record to care for patients every day for 10 years, I understand the enormous potential of this technology,” Blumenthal said. President Obama has laid out a vision of health reform that is both inspiring and long overdue. We cannot make that vision a reality without the help of our most advanced computer technology.”
He doesn’t have any chiropractic background but seems to have a good grasp on electronic records and public health policy.
May 19th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
I think that having someone as qualified as Dr Blumenthal heading up this venture is indeed a blessing
June 9th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Ok, so how can I hook up with this guy? I’m getting an MSIS with software engineering. I’m a tekkie and would love to leave the adjusting to the new kids on the block.