David Blumenthal, the Obama administration's former National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, has been named chairman of The Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System.
Blumenthal is currently Samuel O. Thier professor of medicine and professor of health care policy at Massachusetts General Hospital/Partners Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School. He succeeds James J. Mongan, founding chairman of the fund's Commission on a High Performance Health System, who died May 3, 2011.
"We are very fortunate to have Dr. Blumenthal as chairman of the commission during this critical period of implementation of the Affordable Care Act," said James R. Tallon, Jr., chairman of The Commonwealth Fund. "The commission will be well served by his deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities we face as we move the U.S. toward a high-performing health care system that will help set our nation on the path to a sound economic future."
The commission's 17 members include experts and leaders representing every sector of health care, as well as the state and federal policy arena, the business sector, professional societies and academia. The group is charged with developing recommendations promoting a high-performing health system that provides all Americans with affordable access to high-quality, safe care while maximizing efficiency in its delivery and administration.
Before he joined the Obama administration, Blumenthal was a practicing primary care physician and director of the Institute for Health Policy. He has also served on the staff of the Senate Subcommittee on Health and Scientific Research.