Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/821337
65 CIO / HEALTH IT HHS mum on top ONC appointment: 5 things to know By Jessica Kim Cohen S ince Friday, the health IT world has been buzzing with news that Donald Rucker, MD, may be the new national coordi- nator for health IT. However, the appointment — which does not require Congressional confirmation — has not been con- firmed by HHS. Here are five things to know. 1. Politico first reported Dr. Rucker's appointment on March 31. David Pittman, a Politico eHealth reporter, tweeted the news along with a link to his Politico Pro article after reviewing the updated HHS personnel directory, according to the Politi- co Morning eHealth newsletter. Dr. Rucker — who is board-cer- tified in emergency medicine, internal medicine and clinical informatics — previously served as CMO of Premise Health and Siemens Healthcare. 2. However, HHS told industry media outlets — such as govin- fosecurity.com — the department is not commenting on per- sonnel at this time. HHS did not respond to Becker's Hospital Review for comment. 3. The HHS listing that previously included Dr. Rucker's employee details can no longer be viewed online. Industry media outlets that previously linked to Dr. Rucker's directory listing are now di- rected to Angela Rivera-Saettone, an administrative assistant. 4. Even without HHS confirmation, health IT stakeholders have be- gun welcoming Dr. Rucker. Previous ONC heads shared their con- gratulations. Doug Fridsma, CEO of the American Medical Infor- matics Association, and Joel White, senior advisor of Health IT Now, are among those who have extended their support to Dr. Rucker, according to Politico Morning eHealth. 5. The new national coordinator for health IT, once announced by HHS, will replace Jon White, MD, who has been serving as acting national coordinator for health IT since Vindell Washing- ton, MD, stepped down earlier this year. n Is Google Parent Alphabet Pivoting Toward Healthcare? 3 Notes By Jessica Kim Cohen A lphabet, Google's parent company, is increas- ingly hiring from and investing in the biotech- nology, healthcare and life sciences, according to CNBC.com. Here are three notes on the Mountain View, Ca- lif.-based company. 1. Two of Alphabet's subsidiaries recently hired health- care industry veterans. Calico, a biotech company, named Arthur D. Levinson, PhD, its new CEO. Dr. Levinson is the former CEO of Genentech and an Apple chairman. Verily, a life sciences research company, hired Tom In- sel, MD, and Jessica Mega, MD. Dr. Insel is the former head of the National Institute of Mental Health and Dr. Mega is a cardiologist, who previously worked at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. 2. Alphabet itself is searching for computational biol- ogists, robotics experts and academic researchers. Its subsidiary Sidewalk Labs, which uses technology to solve urban issues, is searching for a chief health offi- cer and head of community health. 3. Verily has partnered with a variety of large drug com- panies, including GlaxoSmithKline , Johnson & John- son and Sanofi. GV and CapitalG, both of Alphabet's venture arms, have also heavily invested in the health sector. In April 2016, GV led the Series B funding round for behavioral health startup Quartet Health. n 4 Notes on Using Blockchain for Healthcare Data By Jessica Kim Cohen I n an analysis titled Blockchain: Opportu- nities for health care, Deloitte details how blockchain can be used to revolutionize health information exchange. Here are four things to know. 1. Blockchain is a permanent and shared re- cord of online transactions or exchanges. Unlike a traditional database that is centrally located and maintained by one party, block- chain technology can be shared among a net- work of computers. 2. Blockchain uses cryptographic techniques to enable each user on the network to securely store, exchange and view information. ese user interactions on the blockchain record are permanent and viewable by all the network's users, leading to an "immutable audit trail." 3. Blockchain can improve accountabili- ty, interoperability and security in data ex- change — all of which are important goals for health data exchange. e report states a blockchain-powered HIE would make medi- cal records more secure, while also removing unnecessary intermediaries. 4. In the long term, Deloitte says a nationwide blockchain network for electronic patient re- cords can improve inefficiencies in the health- care system. To facilitate this goal, a central- ized department like HHS should establish a blockchain framework for early adopters and look into mapping the blockchain ecosystem, the report suggests. "Blockchain technology creates unique oppor- tunities to reduce complexity, enable trustless collaboration and create secure and immutable information," according to the report. n