In the last few years, the U.S. has come a long way in its bid to gain widespread adoption of electronic health records. More providers than ever are moving to new health IT systems, which many commentators have said will improve efficiency and quality while reducing costs for all stakeholders.
Now, the man who has been at the center of this rapid progress is preparing to step down, which some experts have said will leave a major hole in the country’s efforts to complete its transition to a completely networked nation.
Last week, David Blumenthal, the national coordinator for health IT announced that he would leave his post and return to a teaching position at Harvard University. Industry insiders are now saying that the government is losing a strong leader who deftly helped lay out a strong foundation for broader technology use in medicine.
Stephen Lieber, the president and CEO of HIMSS, told Government Health IT that that Blumenthal was able to satisfy the demands of legislation that was asking for a major transition in healthcare while also taking into consideration the needs and desires of the providers who were being asked to change the way they operate.
“Despite pressure from many sides, he has been able to pull resources from across the government and the nation, stick to an extremely aggressive schedule set by law, and begin putting the critical pieces into place to establish a safer and more efficient healthcare system in the U.S.,” he told the news source.
Others told the news source that the U.S. is now far more prepared to proceed to a completely networked healthcare system that it was before Blumenthal took the office.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, in announcing Blumenthal’s departure, said that she was aware that heading back to the world of academics was his plan all along, but still expressed regret that he would be leaving the post before full adoption is achieved, according to CMIO Magazine.
"While this was his plan when he joined ONC, we will miss his formidable abilities, steady leadership and incredible dedication," she said, according to the news source. "[W]ith the enactment of the Health IT Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009, followed by David’s adept and powerful leadership in implementing the principle of meaningful use of EHRs, America is finally on the road to harnessing the full power of EHRs."