Amid its IT reorganization, the FDA established a new Office of Digital Transformation and appointed Vid Desai to serve as CIO, the agency announced Sept. 15.
Five details:
1. The new digital transformation office oversees the FDA's IT, data management and cybersecurity functions and will report directly to the FDA commissioner, elevating the office to agency level, according to the news release.
2. The reorganization will improve the FDA's data and IT management so it can streamline the agency's operations by reducing duplicative processes and implementing technological efficiencies across the organization.
3. The FDA began its technology modernization effort in September 2019 with the launch of its Technology Modernization Action Plan, which outlined ways to apply technology to improve the FDA's review of medical product applications, food safety and other functions.
4. Mr. Desai will lead the new office as the FDA's new CIO. He joined the FDA in August 2019 as its chief technology officer.
5. Mr. Desai has more than 30 years of IT and healthcare industry experience. Before joining the FDA, he was CIO at Vyaire Medical, a respiratory medical device company, and also CIO at Endochoice, a GI device and services provider.