McCoy Named ONC's First Chief Information Officer

By Katie Wike, contributing writer

The ONC has announced Michael McCoy, M.D., will become its first chief information officer later this month.

On January 26, Dr. Michael James McCoy will assume his new position as the first Chief Information Officer for the ONC. In an email, National HIT Coordinator Karen DeSalvo said, “In this new role, Mike will lead development of ONC clinical policy for standards and regulatory matters to help ensure ONC initiatives improve health beyond health care.  He will also be the lead clinical subject matter expert on interoperability.”

McCoy practiced as an OBGYN for more than 20 years and also has a background in health information technology. “His background includes leadership roles in nearly all facets of the health IT domain – from use in small physician offices to large national health delivery systems, IT development and standards development organizations,” explains De Salvo. She says he also has “special interests in interoperability, user experience, and person-centered care.”

Most recently, McCoy has held the position of CEO at Physician Technology Services Inc., in Lawrenceville, GA. He has been involved in standards development for over a decade and has been involved in Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) Patient Care Coordination domain, and the IHE International Board of Directors. Also, McCoy represented the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) as its health information technology strategist in multiple SDO forums; has worked with the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) as co-chair of the Women’s Health Work Group; and participated on the Child Health Expert Panel and the Ambulatory Work Group.

“He is passionate, as am I, on making effective use of interoperable healthcare IT while ensuring a person-centered health system that results in the best outcomes possible,” noted De Salvo.