Healthcare IT: How Reform Is Giving CIOs A More Strategic Role in Delivering Patient Care

CIOs haven’t had much authority, historically, over the medical side of healthcare, but “meaningful use” of IT—the centerpiece of the estimated $27 billion earmarked for health IT in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)—is shifting more responsibility to IT departments at hospitals and other healthcare organizations and giving technology executives a more strategic role.

Starting this month for hospitals and in January for physicians, healthcare providers will have to demonstrate they are using IT effectively to earn bonus payments through the federal Medicare and Medicaid programs. Anyone who isn’t doing so by 2015 can expect financial penalties.