ONC revealed on Twitter Feb. 12 Carolyn Petersen and Robert Wah, MD, will serve as co-chairs of the agency's federal Health IT Advisory Committee.
Ms. Petersen, a long-time patient advocate, serves as senior editor of Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic's health information website. Dr. Wah, a former president of the American Medical Association, is the global CMO of DXC Technology, a McLean, Va.-based IT services and solutions company.
As co-chairs, Ms. Petersen and Dr. Wah will jointly oversee the Health IT Advisory Committee, a group of experts comprising 25 members appointed by Congressional leaders, the HHS secretary and the comptroller general of the Government Accountability Office.
Ms. Petersen is one of 15 members Comptroller General Gene L. Dodaro named to the Health IT Advisory Committee in August. Dr. Wah is one of three members former HHS Acting Secretary Eric D. Hargan appointed to the committee in November.
The 21st Century Cures Act, which former President Barack Obama signed into law in December 2016, established the Health IT Advisory Committee to provide the ONC with policy recommendations related to interoperable health IT infrastructure.
The committee kicked off its first public meeting Jan. 18 and plans to hold additional public meetings throughout 2018.