ONC deputy national coordinator stepping down to take Salt Lake City VA post

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT's (ONC's) deputy national coordinator, Jon White, M.D., is stepping down from the agency's leadership position in August, according to agency chief Don Rucker, M.D., in an email to staff Monday.

White joined the agency five years ago and is leaving to serve as associate chief of staff of research at the Veterans Administration Salt Lake City Health Care System.

Steven Posnack, currently the executive director of the ONC Office of Technology, will step into the deputy national coordinator position Aug. 19, according to Rucker's email.

Rucker said that during his nearly five years at ONC, White provided "exemplary executive leadership" for all ONC programs and policies and championed ONC’s key priorities of advancing interoperability and reducing provider burden.

head shot photo of ONC's Jon White, M.D.
Jon White, M.D. (ONC)

White helped lead the development of significant regulations as well as the publication of the Shared Nationwide Interoperability Roadmap, a widely publicized congressional report on information blocking and ONC’s efforts in the precision medicine initiative, Rucker said in the email.

RELATED: Health IT stakeholders calling for ONC, CMS to 'go back to the drawing board' on interoperability rules

"Jon has deep experience working with federal government partners, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as key health care professional, patient, policy, and health IT stakeholder groups to implement major health care initiatives," Rucker said.

head shot photo of Steven Posnack
Steven Posnack (HealthIT.gov)

Before joining ONC, White was the director of the division of health IT at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

"We are grateful for Jon’s service to ONC and HHS, we will miss him professionally and personally, and we wish him well in his new endeavor," Rucker wrote.

Steve has been with the agency for 14 years, and Rucker said his "unique experience and depth of knowledge will provide steady direction for the ONC team, continuity for stakeholders, and vision for the work ahead."

Posnack also will continue in his role at the Office of Technology as the agency looks to recruit for his replacement.