Lauren Thompson

Director at DoD/VA Interagency Program Office

U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)

Lauren Thompson, Ph.D. is the Director of the Department of Defense (DoD)/Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Interagency Program Office (DoD/VA IPO). In this position, she provides leadership and management of the collaborative efforts of the DoD and VA to implement national health data standards for interoperability, and enable secure access and sharing of patient data across both Departments and with private health care providers. Dr. Thompson also provides guidance in DoD and VA interoperability efforts, including the adoption of and mapping to national and international health standards.

Previously, she served as Associate Director for Initiatives and Coordination in the Office of Standards and Technology in the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). In this position, she oversaw the development and
execution of the national health standards strategy, including specifications for health data interoperability and exchange. She served as Director of Standards and Director of Federal Health Architecture in prior positions with ONC.

Before joining ONC, Dr. Thompson held leadership positions in several private firms. At the Altarum Institute, a non-profit health research and consulting firm, she served as Deputy Director of the Systems Research and Initiatives group and Deputy Director of
the Health Financial Systems Group, working with with the CEO, executive leaders and Distinguished Scholars in overseeing Altarum’s research and demonstration programs. At MITRE, a federally funded research and development center, Dr. Thompson led the Health
and Human Services Division, overseeing a portfolio of health programs and serving as trusted advisor to senior executives and high priority programs across the Department of Health and Human Services.

Dr. Thompson also held leadership positions at Birch & Davis Associates, a healthcare consulting firm, where she created a highly successful consulting practice in strategy and organizational engineering; and Northrop Grumman Information Technology, where she led the operations of the Logicon Health Division, worked with executives in the integration of health-related acquisitions, and subsequently led development of the
strategy for the Health Solutions business unit as Director of Business Strategy.

Dr. Thompson also held senior positions in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs), and founded and led Principal Innovation, providing leadership coaching and strategy and organizational development consulting services to federal agencies and private firms.

Dr. Thompson holds a Doctorate in Health Policy and Strategic Management and a Master’s degree in Health Services Management and Policy, and Information Management from The George Washington University; and baccalaureate degree in Biology from Colgate University. She is a Certified Leadership Coach, a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), as well as a Fellow in the Health Information and Management Systems Society (FHIMSS), and a member of the International Coach Federation.

Dr. Thompson has served as an adjunct professor and preceptor at Georgetown University, The George Washington University and Johns Hopkins University

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