The move makes Mr. Gfrerer the first permanent CIO at the VA since the start of the Trump administration, ending a nearly two-yearslong vacancy.
As VA CIO, Mr. Gfrerer will oversee the agency’s EHR modernization project to ensure its system is interoperable with the Defense Department. During his nomination hearing in September, Mr. Gfrerer said he wants to address cybersecurity vulnerabilities at the VA, which have landed the agency on the Office of Inspector General’s high-risk list for the last three years.
Mr. Gfrerer was in the U.S. Marine Corps for 20 years, including serving as the first director of the Marine Corps Information Operations Center. Since 2015, he has been an executive director at Ernst & Young, a professional services firm. Politico notes that Mr. Gfrerer has no prior experience in healthcare.
More articles on health IT:
AI can re-identify de-identified health data, study finds
HHS issues guidance on preventing 5 types of cyberattacks
In 2009, Microsoft predicted what 2019 would look like — Here’s how it stacks up today
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.