123STA T . 23 0PUBLIC LA W 111 –5—FE B.1 7, 200 9‘ ‘ Subti t leA—Prom otio n o fH e a lt hI nformation T e c hnolo gy‘ ‘ SEC.30 0 1 . OF F I CE OF TH E NA TIONA L COO RD INATOR FOR HEALTH INFOR M ATION TECHNOLO GY . ‘ ‘ (a)ESTABLI S HMEN T .—Ther e is es t a bl ishe dw ithi n the D e p art -m ent ofH ealth and H u man S er v i c es an O ffice of the N ational C oordinator for Health I nformation Technolo gy (referred to in this section as the ‘Office ’ ). The Office shall be headed by a National Coordinator who shall be appointed by the Secretary and shall report directly to the Secretary. ‘‘(b) PURPO SE.—The National Coordinator shall perform the duties under subsection (c) in a manner consistent with the develop- ment of a nationwide health information technology infrastructure that allows for the electronic use and e x change of information and that— ‘‘( 1 ) ensures that each patient’s health information is secure and protected , in accordance with applicable law
‘‘( 2 ) improves health care q uality, reduces medical errors, reduces health disparities, and advances the delivery of patient- centered medical care; ‘‘( 3 ) reduces health care costs resulting from inefficiency, medical errors, inappropriate care, duplicative care, and incom- plete information; ‘‘( 4 ) provides appropriate information to help guide medical decisions at the time and place of care; ‘‘( 5 ) ensures the inclusion of meaningful public input in such development of such infrastructure; ‘‘( 6 ) improves the coordination of care and information among hospitals, laboratories, physician offices, and other enti- ties through an effective infrastructure for the secure and authori z ed exchange of health care information; ‘‘( 7 ) improves public health activities and facilitates the early identification and rapid response to public health threats and emergencies, including bioterror events and infectious dis- ease outbrea k s; ‘‘( 8 ) facilitates health and clinical research and health care quality; ‘‘( 9 ) promotes early detection, prevention, and management of chronic diseases; ‘‘(1 0 ) promotes a more effective marketplace, greater com- petition, greater systems analysis, increased consumer choice, and improved outcomes in health care services; and ‘‘(11) improves efforts to reduce health disparities. ‘‘(c) DUTIES O F THE NATIONAL COOR D INATOR.— ‘‘(1) STANDARDS.—The National Coordinator shall— ‘‘( A ) review and determine whether to endorse each standard, implementation specification, and certification criterion for the electronic exchange and use of health information that is recommended by the HIT Standards Committee under section 3003 for purposes of adoption under section 3004; ‘‘( B ) make such determinations under subparagraph (A), and report to the Secretary such determinations, not later than 45 days after the date the recommendation is received by the Coordinator; and Reports.D e adlin e. 42USC30 0 j j –1 1.
