Farzad Mostashari, the head of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, is stepping down.
In a letter to Health and Human Services Department staff, Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Mostashari intends to leave the national coordinator post this fall.
Mostashari spent four years with ONC, first as a deputy national coordinator, then taking over as the National Coordinator in 2011.
"During his tenure, ONC has been at the forefront of designing and implementing a number of initiatives to promote the adoption of health IT among health care providers," Sebelius wrote in the memo. "Farzad has seen through the successful design and implementation of ONC's HITECH programs, which provide health IT training and guidance to communities and providers; linked the meaningful use of electronic health records to population health goals; and laid a strong foundation for increasing the interoperability of health records -- all while ensuring the ultimate focus remains on patients and their families."
Mostashari confirmed the news on Twitter:
A vocal supporter of mHealth and digital health technologies, Mostashari has attended the last few mHealth Summits in Washington DC, and gave an exclusive interview to mHealthNews Editor Eric Wicklund at last year's event:
Sebelius continued that the work Mostashari led at ONC also advanced the business of healthcare, coordinated care, improved patient engagement and individual health while simultaneously aiming to reduce costs where applicable.
“During this time of great accomplishment, Farzad has been an important advisor to me and many of us across the Department. His expertise, enthusiasm and commitment to innovation and health IT will surely be missed,” Sebelius wrote. “In the short term, he will continue to serve in this role while a search is underway for a replacement.”
The memo did not indicate a specific departure date.
