Authors
Don Rucker
Don Rucker, M.D.
Former National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
Dr. Don Rucker previously served as the national coordinator for health information technology. He previously worked as a clinical professor of emergency medicine and biomedical informatics at the Ohio State University and Premise Health, a worksite clinic provider, where he served as chief medical officer.
Dr. Rucker started his informatics career at Datamedic Corporation where he co-developed the world's first Microsoft Windows based electronic medical record. He then served as chief medical officer at Siemens Healthcare USA. Dr. Rucker led the team that designed the computerized provider order entry workflow that, as installed at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, won the 2003 HIMSS Nicholas Davies Award for the best hospital computer system in the U.S. Dr. Rucker has served on the board of commissioners of the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology and Medicare's Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC) and has extensive policy experience representing healthcare innovations before Congress, MedPAC and HHS.
He has practiced emergency medicine for a variety of organizations including at Kaiser in California; at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, where he was the first full-time emergency department attending; at the University of Pennsylvania's Penn Presbyterian and Pennsylvania Hospitals; and most recently at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center.
Dr. Rucker is a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine with board certifications in emergency medicine, internal medicine and clinical informatics. He holds a Master’s degree in medical computer science and a Master of Business Administration, both from Stanford.
Don Rucker's Latest Blog Posts
Don Rucker | January 14, 2021
Across the globe, countries are making significant investments and advancements to promote the movement of electronic health information. Global health information technology (health IT) leaders are working collaboratively to develop, implement, and share best practices with other nations about projects that advance key elements of digital health. These efforts can yield better patient outcomes, reduce administrative burden on providers, and enable patients’ access to their health data. One of ONC’s primary global health IT engagements for this work is the Global Digital Health Partnership (GDHP).
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Don Rucker | February 24, 2020
The accelerated use of health IT has led to exponential growth in the amount and availability of electronic health data. Despite this progress, certain research and scientific breakthroughs may remain slow due to difficulties with health IT infrastructure and the lack of high quality health data. To better understand and address these challenges, ONC led the development of National Health IT Priorities for Research: A Policy and Development Agenda, which articulates a vision where research can happen more quickly and effectively.
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Don Rucker | September 26, 2019
National Health IT Week is the perfect time to reflect on our collective success since last year. The health information technology (health IT) landscape has dramatically evolved since the first National Health IT Week in 2006. Most provider offices and hospitals use electronic health records, their patients can now view their medical information online, and we see a new wave coming in the next few years powered by the app economy. This change will give consumers better and more convenient ways to manage their own health and shop for care.
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Don Rucker | April 19, 2019
In the 1990s, many Americans interacted with the Internet through America Online. While this platform was revolutionary, providing users with e-mail services and access to content, it was also a closed network. Their users were restricted from accessing applications, content, and services available outside of AOL’s approved content providers. In the healthcare landscape, we still have a similar dynamic today. Both national networks and local or regional health information exchanges provide valuable services to their users;
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Don Rucker | February 11, 2019
Today, I am pleased to announce the release of ONC’s proposed rule to implement provisions in Title IV of the 21st Century Cures Act (Cures Act). We also released a series of educational resources that focus on areas of the rule—including patient access, information blocking, the new conditions of certification, and the role application programming interfaces (API) will play in the new health information technology (health IT) landscape created by the Cures Act. Over the next few weeks,
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