American Health Information Community: Members

Kerry Weems
Acting Administrator
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
US Department of Health and Human Services

Appointed Acting Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in September 2007, Kerry Weems has been recognized for his leadership at the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) under both Republican and Democratic Administrations.

As Deputy Chief of Staff to DHHS Secretary Michael Leavitt, Mr. Weems was essential in elevating health information technology as one of the foundations of a modern, value-based health-care delivery system.

Mr. Weems worked closely with Secretary Leavitt’s American Health Information Community (AHIC), helping to pave the way for adoption of electronic health records. He played a key role in the ongoing development of comprehensive health information technology standards. These are critical to linking disparate systems, networks, and software applications so that all users can communicate in the same interoperable language.

Also during his service as Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr. Weems was part of the Department’s efforts to forge both domestic and international consensus on the global monitoring and early warning system for the pandemic flu threat.

Mr. Weems joined DHHS in 1983 during the Reagan Administration as a junior analyst for Social Security, then a sub-agency of DHHS. Since then, he has served in a variety of senior leadership positions, including Acting Assistant DHHS Secretary for Budget, Technology and Finance, and Chief Financial Officer. In that capacity, he led the redesign and successful implementation of a financial management system for the Department. The new system is currently being delivered on time and on budget. It is proving to be a vital tool in managing DHHS’s $700 billion health and human service portfolio as well as the Department’s 65,000 employees.

Mr. Weems was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 1996 under Secretary Donna Shalala. He has received a number of prestigious federal awards including the HHS Senior Management Citation (1993), the Secretary’s Distinguished Service award (1995), and the Presidential Rank Award, awarded by President Clinton in 2000.

In addition to 24 years at DHHS, Mr. Weems was employed by the US Senate for two years, first as a legislative aide and later as a professional staff member for the Committee on Appropriations.

A native of New Mexico, Mr. Weems earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of New Mexico, and undergraduate degrees in both Business Administration and Philosophy from New Mexico State University. Mr. Weems, who resides in Virginia, is married and has three children.