Veterans Administration executive Dr. Robert M. Kolodner has been appointed as the interim health care IT chief, assuming the position vacated by former chief Dr. David J. Brailer when resigned in May from his role as National Coordinator of Health Information Technology. Kolodner has earned praise for leading the development of the VA's VistA program and its well-received health care information system.

Dr. Robert Kolodner has been serving as the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) Chief Health Informatics Officer (CHIO). As CHIO, he was the chief advisor to the VA Under Secretary for Health on information technology issues and is responsible for information and related systems throughout the veteran's health system -- the nation's largest integrated health system. The CHIO oversees development of VA's nationally known VistA applications, software and systems, maintenance of over 140 national databases and customer support for information technology to VA facilities and offices nationwide.

Dr. Kolodner's long-standing interest in computers led to his early involvement with VA's efforts to use automation in support of mental health care. In 1983 he chaired the Mental Health Special Interest Users Group and was instrumental in laying the groundwork for the Decentralized Hospital Computer Program (DHCP), VA's healthcare information system. Dr. Kolodner saw the need to coordinate the clinical record across all clinical disciplines, and in 1989 he was named Acting Co-Chair of the Clinical Record Special Interest User Group. In 1991 he chaired the Clinical Applications Requirements Group, which was responsible for setting user-priorities for the DHCP clinical applications, and in 1993 was selected VHA Director of the Medical Information Resources Management Office to lead all health automation activities. In 1996 Dr. Kolodner was selected as Associate Chief Information Officer for Enterprise Strategy (formerly Business Enterprise Solutions and Technology) in the newly created VHA Office of Information.

Since 1997 Dr. Kolodner has been actively involved in overseeing, promoting, and guiding VA activities related to the establishment of a life-long, comprehensive, computerized clinical record for military personnel and our nation's veterans. He fostered the idea for the creation of My HealtheVet - a health portal for veterans and their families to access health information, tools and services via the Internet. He was also instrumental in establishing the Federal Health Information Exchange (FHIE) program -- an interagency health technology initiative that supports improving care to veterans and strengthening the working relationship between VA and the Department of Defense.

Dr. Kolodner received his undergraduate degree from Harvard College (1970) and his medical degree from Yale University School of Medicine (1974.) He completed a clinical fellowship in Medicine at Harvard University School of Medicine in 1975 and his Psychiatric residency at Washington University School of Medicine (1975-1978). Dr. Kolodner has medical specialty board certification in psychiatry.

He is a member of numerous professional societies, task forces and editorial boards. He has authored and co-authored articles, book chapters and books in medical and medical informatics literature and has lectured on medical informatics throughout the United States.