HHS names interventional radiologist as next national coordinator for health IT
The Trump administration on Tuesday announced it has selected interventional radiologist Thomas Keane, MD, MBA, as the next national coordinator for health information technology.
A physician and engineer, Keane previously served as senior advisor to the deputy secretary of Health and Human Services, along with administering the COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund. As the ninth national coordinator for health IT—succeeding the Mayo Clinic’s Micky Tripathi, PhD—Keane will oversee federal policy related to interoperability, electronic health records and other medtech issues.
The administration said on LinkedIn June 3 it “is pleased to welcome Dr. Thomas Keane as the new assistant secretary for technology policy/national coordinator for health IT. His leadership will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of health IT and HHS's technology strategy.”
Keane previously piloted development of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s National Nursing Home COVID Action Network. The effort was a partnership between AHRQ, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and others to improve infection control and safety practices in nursing facilities. Keane also worked as a software developer and engineer before becoming a radiologist, the agency said in a biography.
The radiologist trained at Albany Medical College in New York’s capital, interned at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, and completed his residency at New York Presbyterian. He earned a fellowship in IR at Hopkins and is board-certified in diagnostic, vascular and interventional radiology, according to a profile posted by Miami-based IntelliRad Imaging.
Keane has served both the American College of Radiology and the Radiological Society of North America. ACR applauded the radiologist’s appointment Tuesday, noting his support for improving image exchange and reducing regulatory burdens on physicians.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.