DIRECTOR:
Dana Haza
Director, Commission on Systemic Interoperability
National Library of Medicine

Dana Haza received a Presidential appointment to be the Director of the Commission on Systemic Interoperability early in January of 2005. It is the goal of this commission to produce a comprehensive report by the end of October, identifying the strategy necessary to foster the development of accessible electronic health information to provide optimal health and healthcare for every American. Dana is also currently co-authoring a monograph with Dr. Andy von Eschenbach, Director of the National Cancer Institute, describing the breakthroughs in cancer research that will ultimately result in much of cancer evolving into a chronic disease by 2015. Dana is passionate in her pursuit of health and wholeness for every American. This commitment is a testimony to her continual personal development and renewal as a leader in health and healthcare thinking and reform.

Prior to her appointment, Dana was the Director of Policy for Newt Gingrich at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI), one of America's largest and most respected think tanks. In her capacity as Director of Policy, Dana worked closely with a variety of federal agencies and branches of the government on such projects as the 2003 Medicare bill, patient safety issues, electronic health records, as well as with the National Cancer Institute on creating a model of eliminating suffering and death by cancer by 2015. She has co-authored the book, Saving Lives & Saving Money, with Newt Gingrich and Anne Woodbury. Dana has served on a congressional panel for the Academy- Health and Friend of AHRQ. She serves as a consultant to the Gingrich Group and the Center for Health Transformation. As a speaker, Dana regularly gives presentations on transformation, strategic thinking and 21st century health and healthcare system reform to a variety of conferences, hospital boards, state health and professional societies, managed care organizations, pharmaceutical companies, as well as guest lecturing for graduate level health classes.

Dana brings to the public policy arena 15 years of healthcare experience. She was the Director of Managed Care and the Director of a 250-physicianhospital organization (PHO), an HCA facility in Augusta, GA. She has been an office manager for a variety of health specialties, and a physician recruiter. She has also served on the Boards of the Georgia Hospital Association, and Georgia Society for Managed Care as well as in other advisory and teaching capacities. Dana formerly held the position of Special Projects Director and District Director for Georgia Congressman, Charlie Norwood. She graduated from Mercer University with a major in journalism.

After serving as the Director of the Commission on Systemic Interoperability, Dana will act as the Interim Director for the Office of Programs and Coordination in the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.

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Report Highlights:

Patient and Healthcare Provider Stories

An Interoperable Medication Record for Every American

Existing Efforts Nationwide

Audio Patient and Provider Interviews