HIMSS, CHIME take issue with DeSalvo’s part-time role

The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives and Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society are voicing concerns that Karen DeSalvo MD, MPH, MsC, serving in the role of National Coordinator for Health IT on a part-time basis is inadequate to handle the critical health IT issues facing the country.

DeSalvo was named by Health & Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell as acting assistant secretary for health to help coordinate the federal Ebola response effort last month. However, at the Health IT Policy Committee meeting on Nov. 4, it was she announced she would retain her position as chair of the committee.

In the CHIME and HIMSS joint letter, they welcomed DeSalvo spliting up her responsibilities—but only if it is intended to be temporary and that she would eventually resume her role as the full-time leader of ONC.

“A full-time national coordinator must be in place in time for ONC’s review of all comments received from the public on the Interoperability Roadmap v1.0,” according to the letter. “If DeSalvo is going to remain as the acting assistant secretary for health with part-time duties in health IT, we emphasize the need to appoint new ONC leadership immediately that can lead the agency on the host of critical issues that must be addressed.”

The letter also generally expressed concern about the recent exodus of ONC leadership, including Judy Murphy, Doug Fridsma, PhD, and Jacob Reider, MD.

“We urge you to fill all ONC leadership positions as soon as possible with well-respected leaders who possess a combination of clinical training and practice, clinical and business informatics expertise, a clear vision for IT’s role in enabling healthcare transformation and experience in public policy,” the organizations wrote.

Read the letter.