[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 106 (Tuesday, June 3, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31941-31943]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-12981]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Office of the Secretary
Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of
Authority; Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information
Technology
Part A, Office of the Secretary, Statement of Organization,
Functions, and Delegations of Authority for the Department of Health
and Human Services, Chapter AR, Office of the National Coordinator for
Health Information Technology (ONC), as last amended at 77 FR 29349-50
(May 17, 2012), 76 FR 65196 (Oct. 20, 2011), 76 FR 6795 (Feb. 8, 2011),
75 FR 49494 (Aug. 13, 2010), 74 FR 62785-86 (Dec. 1, 2009), and 70 FR
48718-20 (Aug. 19, 2005), is amended as follows:
I. Under AR.10, Organization, delete all of components and replace with
the following:
A. Immediate Office of the National Coordinator (ARA)
B. Office of Clinical Quality and Safety (ARG)
C. Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Analysis (ARB)
D. Office of Standards and Technology (ARC)
E. Office of Programs (ARD)
F. Office of Public Affairs and Communications (ARH)
G. Office of the Chief Operating Officer (ARE)
H. Office of the Chief Privacy Officer (ARF)
I. Office of Policy (ARI)
J. Office of Care Transformation (ARJ)
K. Office of the Chief Scientist (ARK)
II. Delete AR.20, Functions, in its entirety and replace with the
following:
Section AR.20, Functions
A. Immediate Office of the National Coordinator (ARA): The
Immediate Office of the National Coordinator (IO/ONC) is headed by the
National Coordinator, who provides leadership and executive and
strategic direction for the ONC organization. The National Coordinator
is responsible for carrying out ONC's mission and implementing the
functions of the ONC. The IO/ONC: (1) Ensures that key health
information technology initiatives are coordinated across HHS programs;
(2) ensures that health information technology policy and programs of
HHS are coordinated with those of relevant executive branch agencies
(including federal commissions and advisory committees) with a goal of
avoiding duplication of effort and of helping to ensure that each
agency undertakes activities primarily within the areas of its greatest
expertise and technical capability; (3) reviews federal health
information technology investments to ensure federal health information
technology programs are meeting the objectives of the strategic plan,
required under Executive Order 13335, to create a nationwide
interoperable health information technology infrastructure; (4) at the
request of OMB, provides comments and advice regarding specific federal
health information technology programs; (5) develops, maintains, and
reports on measurable outcome goals for health information technology
to assess progress within HHS and other executive branch agencies; and
in the private sector, in developing and implementing a nationwide
interoperable health infrastructure (HIE coordination); (6) provides
oversight of the ONC federal health architecture; and (7) fulfills the
administrative (i.e., executive secretariat), reporting, program
management, legislative affairs, infrastructure, and budget support
needs of the office.
The Deputy National Coordinator, a part of the IO/ONC, works with
and reports directly to the National Coordinator and is responsible for
supporting the National Coordinator in day-to-day operations and
strategy for ONC, internal information technology strategy, and staff
management of ONC for those reporting to the Deputy or as requested by
the National Coordinator. The Deputy in conjunction with the National
Coordinator and Chief of Staff provides executive oversight for the
activities of all ONC offices.
[[Page 31942]]
B. Office of Clinical Quality and Safety (ARG): The Office of
Clinical Quality and Safety is headed by a Director and is responsible
for working with public and private sector medical organizations to
achieve widespread use of health information technology by the medical
community with special emphasis in the areas of clinical quality and
patient safety. The office includes the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) who
advocates for patient care, clinical, and staffing nursing standards at
the national level for ONC. The Office of Clinical Quality and Safety
also engages with a wide array of clinical stakeholders and provides a
clinically based perspective on ONC policies and activities. This
includes clinical issues involving health IT safety, usability,
clinical decision support, and quality measurement.
C. Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Analysis (ARB): The Office
of Planning, Evaluation, and Analysis is headed by a Director. The
Office: (1) Provides advanced analysis of health information technology
strategies to ONC; (2) applies research methodologies to perform
evaluation studies of federal investments in health information
technology; and (3) applies advanced mathematical or quantitative
modeling to the U.S. health care system for simulating the
microeconomic and macroeconomic effects of investing in health
information technology. Such modeling will be used with varying public
policy scenarios to perform advanced health care policy analysis for
requirements of the Recovery Act and other legislation as required,
such as reductions in health care costs resulting from adoption and use
of health information technology. Functions include strategic planning,
building a national consensus agenda, developing external measures,
evaluating external advancement, developing internal priorities and
plans tied to measures, and evaluating organizational performance.
D. Office of Standards and Technology (ARC): The Office of
Standards and Technology is headed by a Director. The Office of
Standards and Technology is responsible for: (1) Leading research
activities mandated under the HITECH Act provisions of ARRA; (2)
promoting applications of health information technology that support
basic and clinical research; (3) collecting and communicating knowledge
of health care informatics from and to international audiences; (4)
collaborating with other agencies and departments on assessments of new
health information technology programs; (5) developing and maintaining
educational programs for staff of the Office of the National
Coordinator and advising the National Coordinator concerning the
educational needs of the field of HIT; and (6) developing the
mechanisms for establishing and implementing standards necessary for
nationwide health information exchange. The Office of Standards and
Technology possesses specialized knowledge of biomedical informatics,
which involves the study and application of advanced information
methods and technologies in support of health care delivery and
population health.
E. Office of Programs (ARD): The Office of Programs is headed by a
Director. The Office of Programs is responsible for implementing and
overseeing grant programs and other initiatives that advance the nation
toward universal adoption and meaningful use of interoperable health
information technology in support of health care and population health.
This Office supports care providers in the adoption, implementation and
optimization of health information technology and adaptation to new
care and payment models. The Office also oversees consumer use of
electronic personal health information and activities for certification
of health information technology.
F. Office of Public Affairs and Communications (ARH): The Office of
Public Affairs and Communications is headed by a Director. The Office
is responsible for: (1) Setting the strategic direction for ONC
communications efforts; (2) guiding the development of a comprehensive
stakeholder communications and constituency relations plan; and (3)
ensuring that all communications activities are developed and
implemented consistent with and in support of this plan.
G. Office of the Chief Operating Officer (ARE): The Office of the
Chief Operating Officer is headed by the Chief Operating Officer. The
Office of the Chief Operating Officer is responsible for performing the
activities that support the Office of the National Coordinator for
Health Information Technology's programs. These include: (1) Budget
formulation and execution; (2) contracts and grants management; (3)
facilities management and information technology infrastructure; (4)
human resources; and (5) financial and human capital strategic
planning.
H. Office of the Chief Privacy Officer (ARF): The Office of the
Chief Privacy Officer is headed by the Chief Privacy Officer, who
advises the National Coordinator as directed by the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act. The Chief Privacy Officer may also report to
other individuals, as necessary. The Office of the Chief Privacy
Officer is responsible for: (1) Advising the National Coordinator, the
Secretary, or other Department of Health and Human Services leaders
where indicated on privacy, security, and data stewardship of
electronic health information; (2) overseeing privacy and security of
the consumer use of electronic personal health information; and (3)
coordinating the Office of the National Coordinator for Health
Information Technology's efforts with similar privacy officers in other
federal agencies, state and regional agencies, and foreign nations with
regard to the privacy, security, and data stewardship of electronic,
individually identifiable health information.
I. Office of Policy (ARI): The Office of Policy is headed by a
Director. This Office is responsible for providing expertise and
strategic direction for health information technology policy
initiatives. The Office of Policy leads ONC's domestic policy
initiatives and coordinates international policy efforts. In addition,
the Office of Policy provides advanced analysis of health information
technology polices to ONC. This office coordinates with executive
branch agencies and other relevant organizations (including federal
commissions and advisory committees) with a goal of avoiding
duplication of efforts and of helping to ensure that each agency
undertakes activities primarily within the areas of its greatest
expertise and technical capability.
J. Office of Care Transformation (ARJ): The Office of Care
Transformation is headed by a Director. This Office is responsible for
providing expertise and strategic direction in the domain of
transforming and optimizing health care through the leveraged use of
health information technology throughout the Department of Health and
Human Services, with the private sector, and with other federal
partners. This office facilitates and informs payment and care delivery
reform for physicians and other providers in the health system, and
provides guidance for the facilitation and development of cross-cutting
innovative payment reform programs in the public and private sector.
K. Office of the Chief Scientist (ARK): The Office of the Chief
Scientist is headed by the Chief Scientist. This office is responsible
for developing and evaluating ONC`s overall scientific efforts and
activities and, as necessary, develops, establishes, or recommends
scientific policy to the National Coordinator. The office is also
responsible for identifying, tracking,
[[Page 31943]]
and anticipating innovations in health care technology across the ONC
organization.
III. Delegation of Authority. Pending further delegation,
directives or orders by the Secretary or by the National Coordinator
for Health Information Technology, all delegations and redelegations of
authority made to officials and employees of affected organizational
components will continue in them or their successors pending further
redelegations, provided they are consistent with this reorganization.
Dated: May 29, 2014.
E.J. Holland, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary for Administration.
[FR Doc. 2014-12981 Filed 5-30-14; 4:15 pm]
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