Dr. Farzad Mostashari has been named to succeed Dr. David Blumenthal as the new head of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), the agency coordinating the U.S. government's policy on healthcare IT.
A media spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirmed Mostashari's appointment this morning. Additional details will be provided in a press announcement to be made at the end of the day.
Prior to being named national coordinator, Mostashari had been serving as the deputy national coordinator for programs and policy. Before joining the ONC in July 2009, he served as the assistant commissioner for the primary care information project of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. In this position, he facilitated the adoption of prevention-oriented healthcare IT by more than 1,500 providers in underserved communities.
Mostashari also led the New York City Center of Excellence in Public Health Informatics project, as well as a project that focused on quality measurement at the point of care.
He received his medical and graduate public health degrees at Yale School of Medicine and the Harvard School of Public Health, respectively. Mostashari completed his residency in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.
