For yet another week, the federal government hasn’t slowed down its health IT-related activity and, in fact, created unexpected news with the stunning announcement that Farzad Mostashari, MD, ScM, will step down this fall as head of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT after two years in the position.

Now that Farzad Mostashari, MD, ScM, has made the decision to step down as national coordinator of health IT, who is best qualified to fill the role next?

Farzad Mostashari, MD, ScM, will step down this fall as head of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT after two years in the position.

The number of hospitals facing financial penalties for hospital readmissions deemed unnecessary within 30 days will remain steady next year but the punishment will double.

There has been much discussion about the convergence and interoperability of administrative and clinical data and transactions but is it truly worthwhile? That was the big question during a panel discussion at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ eHealth Summit on Aug. 2.

Four Democratic senators sent a letter to the Obama Administration calling on the president to set a specific cost-savings target to help focus federal efforts and to give the general public a clearer sense of the savings potential.

Fifteen patient groups are calling on federal officials to allow the Food and Drug Administration Safety Innovation Act workgroup ample time to develop proposed strategy and recommendations on an appropriate, risk-based regulatory framework pertaining to health IT to promote innovation, protect patient safety and avoid regulatory duplication.

At the second Senate Finance Committee hearing exploring health IT matters, lawmakers heard from witnesses speaking for and against a delay in Meaningful Use Stage 2. Meanwhile, senators and witnesses alike called for a heightened focus on interoperability and stressed a need to develop a business case to drive exchange efforts.