Vindell Washington named Deputy National Coordinator for Health IT

National Coordinator for Health IT Karen DeSalvo, in a memo to ONC staffers today, announced that Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based doctor Vindell Washington will serve as the agency's newly appointed principal deputy beginning next week.

Washington, who is president and chief medical information officer at the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System (FMOLHS) Medical Group, will begin working at ONC Monday, Jan. 25.

FMOLHS, under Washington, has been "an early adopter of technology," including the integration of medical device information into the electronic health record, according to DeSalvo; the two served together on the Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum.

FMOLHS provides care to 40 percent of Louisiana's population

At the Department of Health and Human Services, DeSalvo said, Washington will "provide high-level executive direction and leadership for all ONC programs, operations and policies and will advance key administration initiatives such as delivery system reform, the Precision Medicine Initiative and implementation of the Interoperability Roadmap."

Prior to his work at FMOLHS, Washington was CEO of Charlotte, North Carolina-based Piedmont Healthcare Management Group; he also previously served as president and CEO of Piedmont Emergency Medicine Associates in Charlotte.