Dive Brief:
- Just a couple months after forming the Office of Enterprise Data and Analytics, CMS has named its first chief health information officer, who will be in charge of keeping an eye on the big picture of big data for the ONC, according to an in-house email reported by Health IT Analytics.
- National coordinator Karen DeSalvo named Dr. Michael James McCoy for the job, announcing that he will have the task of developing ONC clinical policy. The ONC's goal is to make use of his expertise in patient-centric technology solutions and interoperability to ensure the ONC's initiatives are laser-focused on improving outcomes via the use of big data.
- "Mike is a board certified obstetrician/gynecologist who practiced clinically for more than 20 years, and has over a decade of experience in health information technology, with special interests in interoperability, user experience, and person-centered care," DeSalvo wrote in her email. "His background includes leadership roles in nearly all facets of the health IT domain, from use in small physician offices to large national health delivery systems, IT development and standards development organizations."
Dive Insight:
The ONC's choice to appoint someone to the job of chief health information officer is a significant development in how the ONC regards big data. Dr. McCoy has gone from voice in the wilderness to undisputed leader in the disciplines of patient-centric EHRs and interoperability.
McCoy has been a key player in the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology for some time, hosting seminars and workshops at ACOG conferences and authoring more than a few articles on the integration of EHRs for the organization.
From this appointment, it's clear that the ONC takes big data seriously, and they've put an articulate and passionate advocate for interoperability in the big chair to help ensure that eventual goal is reached.