[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 106 (Tuesday, June 3, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31941-31943]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-12981]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary


Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of 
Authority; Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information 
Technology

    Part A, Office of the Secretary, Statement of Organization, 
Functions, and Delegations of Authority for the Department of Health 
and Human Services, Chapter AR, Office of the National Coordinator for 
Health Information Technology (ONC), as last amended at 77 FR 29349-50 
(May 17, 2012), 76 FR 65196 (Oct. 20, 2011), 76 FR 6795 (Feb. 8, 2011), 
75 FR 49494 (Aug. 13, 2010), 74 FR 62785-86 (Dec. 1, 2009), and 70 FR 
48718-20 (Aug. 19, 2005), is amended as follows:

I. Under AR.10, Organization, delete all of components and replace with 
the following:
    A. Immediate Office of the National Coordinator (ARA)
    B. Office of Clinical Quality and Safety (ARG)
    C. Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Analysis (ARB)
    D. Office of Standards and Technology (ARC)
    E. Office of Programs (ARD)
    F. Office of Public Affairs and Communications (ARH)
    G. Office of the Chief Operating Officer (ARE)
    H. Office of the Chief Privacy Officer (ARF)
    I. Office of Policy (ARI)
    J. Office of Care Transformation (ARJ)
    K. Office of the Chief Scientist (ARK)
II. Delete AR.20, Functions, in its entirety and replace with the 
following:
Section AR.20, Functions
    A. Immediate Office of the National Coordinator (ARA): The 
Immediate Office of the National Coordinator (IO/ONC) is headed by the 
National Coordinator, who provides leadership and executive and 
strategic direction for the ONC organization. The National Coordinator 
is responsible for carrying out ONC's mission and implementing the 
functions of the ONC. The IO/ONC: (1) Ensures that key health 
information technology initiatives are coordinated across HHS programs; 
(2) ensures that health information technology policy and programs of 
HHS are coordinated with those of relevant executive branch agencies 
(including federal commissions and advisory committees) with a goal of 
avoiding duplication of effort and of helping to ensure that each 
agency undertakes activities primarily within the areas of its greatest 
expertise and technical capability; (3) reviews federal health 
information technology investments to ensure federal health information 
technology programs are meeting the objectives of the strategic plan, 
required under Executive Order 13335, to create a nationwide 
interoperable health information technology infrastructure; (4) at the 
request of OMB, provides comments and advice regarding specific federal 
health information technology programs; (5) develops, maintains, and 
reports on measurable outcome goals for health information technology 
to assess progress within HHS and other executive branch agencies; and 
in the private sector, in developing and implementing a nationwide 
interoperable health infrastructure (HIE coordination); (6) provides 
oversight of the ONC federal health architecture; and (7) fulfills the 
administrative (i.e., executive secretariat), reporting, program 
management, legislative affairs, infrastructure, and budget support 
needs of the office.
    The Deputy National Coordinator, a part of the IO/ONC, works with 
and reports directly to the National Coordinator and is responsible for 
supporting the National Coordinator in day-to-day operations and 
strategy for ONC, internal information technology strategy, and staff 
management of ONC for those reporting to the Deputy or as requested by 
the National Coordinator. The Deputy in conjunction with the National 
Coordinator and Chief of Staff provides executive oversight for the 
activities of all ONC offices.

[[Page 31942]]

    B. Office of Clinical Quality and Safety (ARG): The Office of 
Clinical Quality and Safety is headed by a Director and is responsible 
for working with public and private sector medical organizations to 
achieve widespread use of health information technology by the medical 
community with special emphasis in the areas of clinical quality and 
patient safety. The office includes the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) who 
advocates for patient care, clinical, and staffing nursing standards at 
the national level for ONC. The Office of Clinical Quality and Safety 
also engages with a wide array of clinical stakeholders and provides a 
clinically based perspective on ONC policies and activities. This 
includes clinical issues involving health IT safety, usability, 
clinical decision support, and quality measurement.
    C. Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Analysis (ARB): The Office 
of Planning, Evaluation, and Analysis is headed by a Director. The 
Office: (1) Provides advanced analysis of health information technology 
strategies to ONC; (2) applies research methodologies to perform 
evaluation studies of federal investments in health information 
technology; and (3) applies advanced mathematical or quantitative 
modeling to the U.S. health care system for simulating the 
microeconomic and macroeconomic effects of investing in health 
information technology. Such modeling will be used with varying public 
policy scenarios to perform advanced health care policy analysis for 
requirements of the Recovery Act and other legislation as required, 
such as reductions in health care costs resulting from adoption and use 
of health information technology. Functions include strategic planning, 
building a national consensus agenda, developing external measures, 
evaluating external advancement, developing internal priorities and 
plans tied to measures, and evaluating organizational performance.
    D. Office of Standards and Technology (ARC): The Office of 
Standards and Technology is headed by a Director. The Office of 
Standards and Technology is responsible for: (1) Leading research 
activities mandated under the HITECH Act provisions of ARRA; (2) 
promoting applications of health information technology that support 
basic and clinical research; (3) collecting and communicating knowledge 
of health care informatics from and to international audiences; (4) 
collaborating with other agencies and departments on assessments of new 
health information technology programs; (5) developing and maintaining 
educational programs for staff of the Office of the National 
Coordinator and advising the National Coordinator concerning the 
educational needs of the field of HIT; and (6) developing the 
mechanisms for establishing and implementing standards necessary for 
nationwide health information exchange. The Office of Standards and 
Technology possesses specialized knowledge of biomedical informatics, 
which involves the study and application of advanced information 
methods and technologies in support of health care delivery and 
population health.
    E. Office of Programs (ARD): The Office of Programs is headed by a 
Director. The Office of Programs is responsible for implementing and 
overseeing grant programs and other initiatives that advance the nation 
toward universal adoption and meaningful use of interoperable health 
information technology in support of health care and population health. 
This Office supports care providers in the adoption, implementation and 
optimization of health information technology and adaptation to new 
care and payment models. The Office also oversees consumer use of 
electronic personal health information and activities for certification 
of health information technology.
    F. Office of Public Affairs and Communications (ARH): The Office of 
Public Affairs and Communications is headed by a Director. The Office 
is responsible for: (1) Setting the strategic direction for ONC 
communications efforts; (2) guiding the development of a comprehensive 
stakeholder communications and constituency relations plan; and (3) 
ensuring that all communications activities are developed and 
implemented consistent with and in support of this plan.
    G. Office of the Chief Operating Officer (ARE): The Office of the 
Chief Operating Officer is headed by the Chief Operating Officer. The 
Office of the Chief Operating Officer is responsible for performing the 
activities that support the Office of the National Coordinator for 
Health Information Technology's programs. These include: (1) Budget 
formulation and execution; (2) contracts and grants management; (3) 
facilities management and information technology infrastructure; (4) 
human resources; and (5) financial and human capital strategic 
planning.
    H. Office of the Chief Privacy Officer (ARF): The Office of the 
Chief Privacy Officer is headed by the Chief Privacy Officer, who 
advises the National Coordinator as directed by the American Recovery 
and Reinvestment Act. The Chief Privacy Officer may also report to 
other individuals, as necessary. The Office of the Chief Privacy 
Officer is responsible for: (1) Advising the National Coordinator, the 
Secretary, or other Department of Health and Human Services leaders 
where indicated on privacy, security, and data stewardship of 
electronic health information; (2) overseeing privacy and security of 
the consumer use of electronic personal health information; and (3) 
coordinating the Office of the National Coordinator for Health 
Information Technology's efforts with similar privacy officers in other 
federal agencies, state and regional agencies, and foreign nations with 
regard to the privacy, security, and data stewardship of electronic, 
individually identifiable health information.
    I. Office of Policy (ARI): The Office of Policy is headed by a 
Director. This Office is responsible for providing expertise and 
strategic direction for health information technology policy 
initiatives. The Office of Policy leads ONC's domestic policy 
initiatives and coordinates international policy efforts. In addition, 
the Office of Policy provides advanced analysis of health information 
technology polices to ONC. This office coordinates with executive 
branch agencies and other relevant organizations (including federal 
commissions and advisory committees) with a goal of avoiding 
duplication of efforts and of helping to ensure that each agency 
undertakes activities primarily within the areas of its greatest 
expertise and technical capability.
    J. Office of Care Transformation (ARJ): The Office of Care 
Transformation is headed by a Director. This Office is responsible for 
providing expertise and strategic direction in the domain of 
transforming and optimizing health care through the leveraged use of 
health information technology throughout the Department of Health and 
Human Services, with the private sector, and with other federal 
partners. This office facilitates and informs payment and care delivery 
reform for physicians and other providers in the health system, and 
provides guidance for the facilitation and development of cross-cutting 
innovative payment reform programs in the public and private sector.
    K. Office of the Chief Scientist (ARK): The Office of the Chief 
Scientist is headed by the Chief Scientist. This office is responsible 
for developing and evaluating ONC`s overall scientific efforts and 
activities and, as necessary, develops, establishes, or recommends 
scientific policy to the National Coordinator. The office is also 
responsible for identifying, tracking,

[[Page 31943]]

and anticipating innovations in health care technology across the ONC 
organization.
    III. Delegation of Authority. Pending further delegation, 
directives or orders by the Secretary or by the National Coordinator 
for Health Information Technology, all delegations and redelegations of 
authority made to officials and employees of affected organizational 
components will continue in them or their successors pending further 
redelegations, provided they are consistent with this reorganization.

    Dated: May 29, 2014.
E.J. Holland, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary for Administration.
[FR Doc. 2014-12981 Filed 5-30-14; 4:15 pm]
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