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Office of the National Coordinator: Mission

Mission Statement

"We will make wider use of electronic records and other health information technology to help control costs and reduce dangerous medical errors."
-- President Bush, January 31, 2006

More on the President's Vision for Health IT


"..to link all health records through an interoperable system that protects privacy as it connects patients, providers and payers, resulting in fewer medical mistakes, less hassle, lower costs and better health."
-- HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) provides counsel to the Secretary of HHS and Departmental leadership for the development and nationwide implementation of an interoperable health information technology infrastructure. Use of this infrastructure will improve the quality, safety and efficiency of health care and the ability of consumers to manage their health information and health care.

The ONC also provides management of and logistical support for the American Health Information Community (AHIC). The AHIC is a federally-chartered advisory committee that makes recommendations to the Secretary of HHS on how to make health records digital and interoperable, encourage market-led adoption and ensure that the privacy and security of those records are protected at all times.

The National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC):

  • Serves as the Secretary's principal advisor on the development, application, and use of health information technology;
  • Coordinates the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) health information technology policies and programs internally and with other relevant executive branch agencies;
  • Develops, maintains, and directs the implementation of HHS’ strategic plan to guide the nationwide implementation of interoperable health information technology in both the public and private health care sectors, to the extent permitted by law; and
  • Provides comments and advice at the request of OMB regarding specific Federal health information technology programs.

View the Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority (PDF - 56KB)

Medical Identity Theft Town Hall Plans Underway;
Please RSVP

To learn more, visit ONC Commissioned Medical Identity Theft Assessment.

The ONC-Coordinated
Federal Health IT Strategic Plan:
2008-2012

Now Available

Upcoming Events

HL7 22nd Plenary and Working Group Meeting
Vancouver, B.C.
September 14 - 19, 2008
More >>

AHIC September Meeting
Washington, DC
September 23, 2008
More >>

All Upcoming Events items

Personal Experiences

"We have hospitals in Afghanistan and Iraq, and many of the soldiers would arrive without records in Germany, with no record of the CAT scans or what happened in surgery in Afghanistan or Iraq. The clinicians in Germany would have to re-operate on the patient, would have to redo all their x-ray evaluations, CAT scans, etc...." ~ Colonel John Holcomb

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