Karen DeSalvo, MD, has been named the next National Coordinator for Health IT, taking over for Acting National Coordinator Jacob Reider, MD.
Dr. DeSalvo currently serves as the City of New Orleans Health Commissioner and senior health policy advisor to New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu. She has spearheaded efforts to modernize the New Orleans healthcare system, including leading health IT-focused projects to augment the city's neighborhood-based medical homes to improve access to care for underserved populations following Hurricane Katrina and overseeing the construction of the city's newest hospital, which will feature a fully integrated health IT network.
"Dr. DeSalvo’s hands-on experience with health delivery system reform and health IT and its potential to improve healthcare and public health will be invaluable assets to the Office of the National Coordinator and the department," wrote HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in a memo to staff announcing the appointment.
In an email to ONC staffers, Dr. Reider echoed Sec. Sebelius' praise: "Her experience is a perfect fit for ONC’s role of using health IT to improve the healthcare system nationwide."
Dr. DeSalvo will begin her new position Jan. 13, 2014.
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