Author: Kat Samiljan
Date published: September 3, 2024
The landscape of healthcare information technology is undergoing significant transformation, driven by key initiatives from leaders like John Rancourt, Jennifer Wendel, Gary Lynch, and Dr. Neil Evans. These experts, representing the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Verizon Business, and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), are at the forefront of efforts to modernize legacy systems, enhance data interoperability, and integrate cutting-edge technologies.
Their collaborative work, as discussed in a recent Federal Executive Forum, is enhancing patient care, ensuring accessible and equitable healthcare, and setting new standards for privacy and security in healthcare. Here is a recap of their insights:
Deeply involved with both the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), John Rancourt, describes this as an exciting time for health IT and AI. The ONC has been working with AI for a while, but recently became one of the first federal agencies to regulate AI in health data through the Health Data and Technology Interoperability Final Rule. This rule prioritizes transparency and ensures AI systems adhere to FAVES principles—fair, appropriate, valid, effective, and safe.
The Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), authorized by the 21st Century Cures Act, marks a significant stride in data interoperability, facilitating seamless and secure health record sharing across networks. Privacy and security are foundational to ONC’s work, as Rancourt stated, “We can't have data sharing if we don't have strong privacy and security.” He sees this era of interoperability, bolstered by robust standards and APIs, as revolutionary for patient care and health IT advancements.
Jennifer Wendel and her team at HHS are tackling the critical challenge of modernizing legacy systems to better serve diverse populations. A major focus for this project is supporting the Indian Health Service (IHS), which aids 2.6 million American Indians and Alaskan Natives from 574 tribes in 37 different states. The outdated Resource Patient Management System (RPMS), in use for 40 years, is being replaced with a unified enterprise electronic health record (EHR) system to improve care coordination and integrate with external systems like the VA. Additionally, HHS is streamlining grants.gov for better user access and prioritizing cybersecurity with the National Security Council. To make all of this work, Wendel said, “We have to cultivate a diverse, skilled, agile, IT savvy organization that's able to use emerging technologies and innovations to serve the mission.” The aim is to drive data-driven, interoperable solutions that empower patients with real-time decision-making and improved doctor-patient interactions, ensuring equitable healthcare access.
Advanced technologies like augmented reality, AI-enabled gloves, and overlaid 3-D imaging are enhancing healthcare delivery. However, as Gary Lynch stated, “before we can focus on these amazing clinical advancements, we must first improve operational efficiency.” Lynch’s team works to develop proactive healthcare solutions, recently concentrating efforts on bringing healthcare to the home. AI-based voice companions are being developed that can monitor patient behaviors, remind them about medications, and even assist with transportation.
This shift towards home-based care is essential, particularly in areas with older infrastructure that lack the necessary bandwidth for modern technologies. Like Wendel, Lynch's work highlights the critical need for connectivity in rural and tribal communities. This is evidenced by initiatives such as installing health kiosks in banks, which are used more frequently by rural communities and tribes. For a town like Ketchikan, Alaska the addition of health kiosks in banks has made healthcare more accessible and is helping to improve population health.
Lynch also addresses challenges such as AI bias and data normalization, emphasizing the importance of building trust in AI models. Collaboration with partners and customers is essential to solve healthcare problems, ensuring innovations are both practical and impactful. Through these efforts, Lynch and his team aim to be an enablement engine, driving the next wave of healthcare technology forward.
For Dr. Evans, the significant strides made in implementing a unified federal EHR system, an initiative that is now being used by the Department of Defense (DoD), Veterans Affairs (VA), U.S. Coast Guard, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, are a reason to celebrate. "A single, common electronic health record will support multiple federal agencies, ensuring seamless healthcare delivery across different departments,” he explained. The deployment of MHS Genesis across the entire DoD, both within the continental U.S. and abroad, represents a remarkable milestone. Concurrently, the VA has integrated this system in six medical centers from Spokane, Washington to Columbus, Ohio, 25 outpatient clinics, and 104 remote sites, and is benefiting over 275,000 veterans. The John A. Level Health Center in Northern Chicago exemplifies the success of this joint system. Despite serving beneficiaries from both the VA and DoD, the health center relied on separate systems until this year when they completed the switch to the joint DoD and VA EHR.
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