The Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday morning that Karen DeSalvo, MD, City of New Orleans Health Commissioner, will take over the helm of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology on Jan. 13th.
DeSalvo, also a senior health policy advisor to New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, will replace Jacob Reider, MD, who has been serving as the Acting National Coordinator for Health Information Technology since Oct. 4.
In a Dec. 19 internal letter, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius praised DeSalvo’s qualifications, describing her as a key leader of efforts to modernize the New Orleans healthcare system following Hurricane Katrina. DeSalvo has led projects to increase access to care by augmenting the city’s neighborhood-based medical homes for low income, uninsured and other vulnerable populations in the New Orleans area.
In addition, DeSalvo has served as president of the Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum, the Louisiana lead for their health information exchange and regional extension center grants. She has also served as a member of the Steering Committee for the Crescent City Beacon Community grant.
“As the New Orleans Health Commissioner she has made the increased utilization of HIT 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,” Sebelius said.
In a Dec. 19 email to ONC staff, Reider welcomed DeSalvo. “Her experience is a perfect fit for ONC’s role of using health IT to improve the health care system nationwide,” he said.
Reider said he would be returning to his role as ONC chief medical officer. “We have a great team, great mission-driven people, and an incredible opportunity to change our world for the better,” he added.
