Mostashari leaving ONC post

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 (ONC) after two years in the position.

Speaking during the Aug. 7 HIT Policy Committee meeting, Mostashari said he found all the positive response to his announcement humbling. "I think it was largely undeserved but I think it shows an appreciation for the progress made in health IT which symbolizes something larger than my departure. We can still do big things in this country. The way in which we do it truly requires a partnership between government--smart government--as well as the private and nonprofit sectors. That’s how we get big things done."

Mostashari also was front and center during the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the ONC’s presentation on their strategy to aggressively accelerate health information exchange.

The agencies issued a request for information (RFI) in March, the results of which played a big part in the strategy going forward, they said.

Despite the efforts made regarding accountable care, bundled payments and health homes, “we recognize it is not enough,” said Mostashari. Suggestions to drive HIE included use of payment models, involving providers such as long-term care and behavioral health and voluntary health IT certification. “We can’t rely on any one tool to achieve our goals. We need a coordinated strategy to accelerate exchange across the healthcare system. There is no one-size-fits-all for how information is going to be exchanged.”

CMS also is working to align the Meaningful Use program with other reporting programs so that hospitals and physicians have to report to CMS only once, according to CMS Chief Medical Officer Patrick Conway, who also is the acting director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.

Mostashari said there is a lot of confusion about HIE and interoperability, and reiterated that there is a road map for information to be exchanged and used, but that there needed to be a better way to communicate it. He also said stakeholders need to educate themselves on what is happening and “we need to do a better job of creating easy to understand resources. Part of why we’re here is because this is complicated. But, we are making progress.”

How do you feel about Mostashari's announcement? Please share your thoughts.

Beth Walsh

Clinical Innovation + Technology editor