GAO Names Seven to Health IT Advisory Committee

The Government Accountability Office has inducted seven members to its Health Information Technology Advisory Committee.

Members of the committee will advise the national coordinator for health IT on policies and standards related to the implementation of systems that advance the electronic access, exchange and use of health information, GAO said.

HITAC was established in December 2016 under the 21st Century Cures Act, which promotes the acceleration of medical product development.

The new members are Cerner’s Hans Buitendijk, the Texas Department of State Health Services’ Steven Eichner, MCG Health’s Rajesh Godavarthi, Children’s Health in Texas’ Hung Luu, the University of California San Francisco Health’s Aaron Neinstein, the University of Texas at Austin’s Eliel Oliveira and Yardi Systems’ Fillipe Southerland.

Gene Dodaro, comptroller general of the United States and head of the GAO, announced the appointment of the seven new members. According to the 21st Century Cures Act, the U.S. comptroller general has to appoint at least 14 committee members, in addition to 11 others selected by the secretary of health and human services, the majority and minority leaders of the Senate, and the speaker and the minority leader of the House of Representatives.

All committee members will initially serve a three-year term and may be reappointed for subsequent terms, the GAO said.

According to Dodaro, the appointees have impressive qualifications and a range of experiences to advance the HITAC’s work on promoting the use of technology for care coordination, supporting public health and addressing the needs of children and other vulnerable populations.