Dr. Karen DeSalvo, who had been wearing two hats at HHS, is stepping down from her role as the nation's top health information technology official.

Effective Friday, Dr. Vindell Washington, the agency's principal deputy national coordinator, will take over as head of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.

DeSalvo will remain at HHS as acting assistant secretary for health. She's held that role since October 2014 when she was asked to head up the federal response to the Ebola virus.

DeSalvo, who came to the ONC post in 2014 after serving as health commissioner of New Orleans, brought an extensive background in and an affinity for public health.

 

Both were brought into service as the ONC transitioned from an agency whose principal task had been to oversee the healthcare industry's adoption of electronic health recordsto one promoting the interoperabilityof networks to support population health management under value-based payment models.