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Blumenthal to step down as head of nation's health IT

by Olga Deshchenko, DOTmed News Reporter | February 03, 2011
Dr. David Blumenthal will step down from his position as the national coordinator for health information technology this spring, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday.

Blumenthal will return to his position as a health care researcher with Harvard University, as he planned when he took on the position, according to a memo he sent to the Office of the National Coordinator staff. "While we still have important work to do together, including the assurance of a productive transition for ONC, now is the time for me to express my deep gratitude to all of my ONC colleagues, and my admiration for all you have accomplished," he wrote.

Blumenthal's run as ONC's leader is marked by the adoption of electronic health records and the distribution of the $27 billion in incentives for providers who successfully demonstrate meaningful use.

Blumenthal, 62, was appointed by President Obama in 2009 and is the third person to head ONC. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine and a former national correspondent for the New England Journal of Medicine.