New Orleans health commissioner named new natl. coordinator of health IT

Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH, MSc has been named as the next national coordinator for health IT. The City of New Orleans health commissioner and senior health policy advisor to Mayor Mitch Landrieu starts in her new role on Jan. 13.

In an announcement email to Department of Health & Human Services employees, Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said DeSalvo has been “at the forefront of efforts to modernize the New Orleans healthcare system” and has “advocated increasing the use of health IT to improve access to care, the quality of care and overall population health outcomes” throughout her career.

As the New Orleans health commissioner, DeSalvo “has made the increased utilization of health IT a cornerstone of the city’s primary care efforts and a key part of the city’s policy development, public health initiatives and emergency preparedness. Further, she has led the planning and construction of the city’s newest public hospital, which will have a fully-integrated HIT network.  Her work as commissioner has led to positive changes to the way healthcare providers deliver care to their patients, improved accessibility and outcomes for patients, and improved the health of all New Orleanians,” Sebelius wrote. 

DeSalvo is a graduate of Suffolk University, Tulane Schools of Medicine and Public Health and Harvard School of Public Health.

Acting National Coordinator Jacob Reider, MD, wrote to Office of National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) employees, saying DeSalvo “has deep knowledge and experience in health policy, medical education and public health. Her experience is a perfect fit for ONC’s role of using health IT to improve the healthcare system nationwide.”

"I am certain you will share my enthusiasm for Karen’s appointment as you all get to meet and work with her.  2014 will be an incredible next chapter in ONC’s history and one that we should all be looking forward to."

DeSalvo as the next national coordinator is an “interesting choice,” said Lyle Berkowitz, associate chief medical officer of innovation for Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the medical director of IT & innovation for Northwestern Memorial Physicians Group in Chicago. Despite her experience, she is relatively unknown in the healthcare IT community which could “signal that [HHS] wants to focus more on the outcomes and usage than on technical specifications and other technical issues.”