Health information technology chief exits after two-year term

After two years on the job, David Blumenthal, MD, announced his resignation as the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, effective in the spring.

In a memo to Office of the National Coordinator staff and partners, Blumenthal writes that the two-year term was agreed upon before he started the position in 2009. He writes that he plans to return academic life.

Blumenthal writes in his memo that during his tenure the proportion of primary care physicians who adopted a basic electronic health record (EHR) system grew from 19.6% to 29.6%, and 41% of office-based physicians believe they will qualify for meaningful use objectives. He noted also that 38,000 providers have sought assistance with EHR selection and implementation from his office's regional extension centers.