“It is with a great deal of gratitude and sadness I have tendered my resignation as principal deputy national coordinator for health IT,” Muntz said in his e-mail. “All of the ONC staff and, for that matter, all of the federal staff with whom I worked, have been more than patient and generous as I entered the world of federal public service.
“The goals and objectives of our diverse and important activities helped me understand and accept the challenges, and then embrace them,” Muntz said. “It is heartwarming and head-pleasing to have worked with all of the federal staff and to represent the providers and patients in the private and public sector who are pulling and pushing us toward a very promising future where the collective efforts will benefit the nation and the world. The people and the progress are awe inspiring. It's been a privilege to have played any role in such a truly transformative era, much less a leadership role in all the successes we have achieved both inside and outside ONC. I look forward to continuing to support HHS' vision of achieving interoperability and better engaging patients from the private sector.”
Mostashari, in his e-mail, said, “David Muntz and I have been honored to work together leading this exceptional organization, and we will be departing together as well. David informed me several weeks ago of his decision to return to the private sector to work more closely on the front-lines of medicine, but I asked him to hold off on any announcement until we could complete the transition planning.”
Mostashari has served as the fourth ONC chief since April 2011 after working two years at the ONC as a deputy national coordinator, setting up multiple health IT programs—including a nationwide network of federally funded, health IT regional extension centers; Beacon Communities and workforce development—as well as launching the electronic health record incentive payment programs in collaboration with the CMS and state Medicaid agencies.
Mostashari's and Muntz's last day is Oct. 5.
Reider came to the ONC in October 2011 as a senior policy adviser, was named in April 2012 as the acting head of the ONC's newly created Office of Chief Medical Officer, and became the permanent CMO in October 2012. Reider, a family physician, has a history of health IT use and leadership having served as the medical director for research and development at the former health IT vendor developer Misys Healthcare Systems, Raleigh, N.C, which merged with Allscripts in 2008.
Lewis, deputy national coordinator for operations, will replace Muntz as acting principal deputy, Mostashari also announced. Lewis served as the ONC's chief grants management officer before assuming the duties as operations chief.
Follow Joseph Conn on Twitter: @MHJConn
