Aneesh Chopra, the first ever U.S. chief technology officer (CTO), has stepped down from his post, amidst speculation he will run for lieutenant governor in Virginia. Chopra was a strong advocate for use of technology in healthcare and helped the government install a $19 billion federal stimulus package that incentivized the use of electronic health records (EHRs).
Chopra, who was a mainstay and healthcare technology conferences, also implemented several developer challenges to help promote the use of technology in healthcare. He constantly worked with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT and has partaken in its Health IT Standards Committee.
President Obama tapped Chopra in the role of U.S. CTO in 2009. Previously, Chopra served as the Commonwealth of Virginia’s secretary of technology. While at that post, he worked to advance the use of IT to improve patient outcomes. According to The Washington Post, Chopra said he is going back home to continue promote use of technology in healthcare, education and energy.
In a statement Obama said, “Aneesh found countless ways to engage the American people using technology, from electronic health records for veterans, to expanding access to broadband for rural communities, to modernizing government records. His legacy of leadership and innovation will benefit Americans for years to come, and I thank him for his outstanding service.”
