Government & Policy

The Public Health Information Technology Maturity Index can help officials understand how well they are using IT and data to respond to outbreaks and epidemics. 

The framework will make interoperability work happening today widespread as more and more EHR vendors, HIEs and providers join the network, according to an Epic executive.

This past Friday, Karen DeSalvo, MD, officially stepped down as National Coordinator, passing the baton to her second-in-command, Vindell Washington, MD. The former principal deputy national coordinator has been with ONC since January 2016.

Reimbursement specialist R-C Healthcare Management, a business associate under HIPAA, left patient information accessible on the web for four days.

DeSalvo made her way from New Orleans to Washington and while serving as National Coordinator, she realigned ONC and delivered visionary strategic plans for interoperability and health IT, before President Obama nominated her to a key HHS post.

Rural healthcare is receiving a $16 million boost for telehealth and quality improvement activities from the Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources & Services Administration, it was announced Thursday.

The Democratic nominee also promised to institute a public health insurance option, paid family leave, affordable childcare and cracked a one-liner about using Trump’s Estate Tax amount to care for 3 million children. 

The democratic nominee urged Congress to return and hammer out a new compromise as ZIka cases rise to 121 infected people.

The 2016 MGMA Cost and Revenue Report also found technology costs have increased 40 percent from 2009 to 2015, corresponding with the 2009 HITECH Act.

The diagnostic and imaging company will use the funding to advance development of technology for testing blood supplies for the Zika virus.