E9-31216 I A

A. ONC Background

Executive Order 13335 (69 FR 24059) established the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) on April 24, 2004.

In an effort to ‘‘provide leadership for the development and nationwide implementation of an interoperable health information technology infrastructure to improve the quality and efficiency of health care,’’ the President directed the Secretary to create within the Office of the Secretary the position of National Health Information Technology Coordinator (National Coordinator).

The National Coordinator was charged with:


 * Serving as the Secretary’s principal advisor on the development, Application, and use of HIT and directing the HHS HIT programs;


 * ensuring that the HIT policy and programs of HHS were coordinated with those of relevant Executive Branch agencies;


 * to the extent permitted by law, coordinating outreach and consultation by the relevant Executive Branch agencies with public and private parties of interest;


 * and at the request of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), providing comments and advice regarding specific Federal HIT programs.

Additionally, the National Coordinator was required, to the extent permitted by law, to develop, maintain, and direct the implementation of a strategic plan to guide the nationwide implementation of interoperable HIT in both the public and private health care sectors.

Included in Executive Order 13335 as a strategic plan objective, was the goal to ‘‘advance the development, adoption, and implementation of health care information technology standards nationally through collaboration among public and private interests, and consistent with current efforts to set health information technology standards for use by the Federal Government.’’

Section 3001 of the PHSA establishes by statute the ONC within HHS and provides the National Coordinator with additional responsibilities and duties beyond those originally identified in Executive Order 13335.

Specifically, the National Coordinator is charged with, among other duties:


 * Reviewing and determining whether to endorse each standard, implementation specification, and certification criterion that is recommended by the HIT Standards Committee (a Federal advisory committee to the National Coordinator) and making such determinations and reporting them to the Secretary;


 * reviewing Federal HIT investments to ensure they meet the objectives of the Federal HIT Strategic Plan;


 * coordinating the HIT policy and programs of HHS with those of other relevant Federal agencies;


 * serving as a leading member in the establishment and operations of the HIT Policy Committee and HIT Standards Committee;


 * updating the Federal HIT Strategic Plan in consultation with other appropriate Federal agencies and through collaboration with public and private entities;


 * keeping or recognizing a program or programs to certify EHR technology;


 * conducting studies and reports;


 * and establishing a governance mechanism for the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN).