ONC launches HIT-FACA Workgroup Application Database

A Federal advisory committee is any committee, board, commission, council, panel, task force, or other similar group that advises or recommends to the agency it is charged. The Federal Advisory Committee Act was enacted in 1972 to govern the behavior of these advisory committees. In 2005 the ONC formed its first advisory committee, the American Health Information Community. The committee met and formed the first workgroups, Biosurveillance, Consumer Empowerment, Chronic Care, and Electronic Health Records (EHRs). Once the HITECH Act became law, the ONC continued to build and revise the previous Strategic Plan and the information acquired from the American Health Information Community. The committee was then replaced with the two current committees, HIT Policy and HIT Standards committees. Along with the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS), these 3 committees advise and recommend the ONC to meet the HITECH Act mandates.

The committees and their workgroups have been instrumental in the details of the EHR Incentive Programs and defining meaningful use. Last week as part of the ONC’s ongoing efforts to recruit highly qualified workgroup members, they announced a new online application database system. This will allow anyone with interest and expertise to submit for consideration their information and credentials to become a workgroup member. When new committees are formed or active committees lose members, the ONC will use the database to consider the new members.

Submit your application and create an account in the system for future consideration. The account can be updated at anytime once you have created one. To apply you must submit the following information:

• Full Contact Information
• Resume/CV (in MS Word, PDF, RTF, or .TXT format)
• Short Biographical Sketch (in MS Word, PDF, RTF, or .TXT format)
• Top 5 areas of expertise