Starting off the new year, the Health Information Technology Advisory Committee (HITAC), which makes recommendations to the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, has three new members.
In December Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States and head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), announced three new appointments and four reappointments.
One newly appointed member — Alexis Snyder — is being appointed to complete the remaining term for a vacancy on the committee and will serve for one year. She is a patient family advisor and engagement specialist with experience identifying and resolving health information technology challenges as a patient, caregiver, and advocate. Snyder works with healthcare systems and research organizations to help them engage with patients and family members and consider patients’ perspectives when planning and implementing health care and research programs.
The other newly appointed members — James Pantelas and Abby Sears M.B.A., M.H.A. — are being appointed for three-year terms.
Pantelas serves on multiple boards and committees for healthcare and research organizations, providing his perspective as a patient and caregiver. A lung cancer survivor and disabled veteran, Mr. Pantelas is a retired information technology and human resources executive. Among other initiatives, he has contributed to hospitals’ efforts to improve patient- and family-centered care and has developed training to enhance patient and family member participation in medical research.
Sears is president and CEO of OCHIN, a national nonprofit health information technology organization based in Portland, Ore., that focuses on the needs of historically underserved communities across the country. She leads initiatives to help providers and patients use technology to improve health care outcomes. Under her leadership, OCHIN has built a network of clinical data to support scientific research and a platform to test and implement innovative health care solutions.
Current committee members being reappointed to a final second term are John Kansky, Brett Oliver, Raj Ratwani and Denise Webb.
The 21st Century Cures Act, enacted in December 2016, established the HIT Advisory Committee and gave the Comptroller General responsibility for appointing most of its members. The committee makes recommendations to the National Coordinator on policies, standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria relating to the implementation of a health information technology infrastructure that advances the electronic access, exchange, and use of health information.
