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CMS Interoperability and Patient Access Final Rule and Coronavirus Response Views from the Top
CMS Interoperability and Patient Access Final Rule and Coronavirus Response Views from the Top
What you'll learn
CMS is helping to lead the United States federal government response to the Coronavirus pandemic by relaxing a number of its regulatory requirements. CMS has significantly expanded allowances on the use of telehealth services that otherwise would have been prevented in the absence of the pandemic.
Alexandra Mugge
Deputy Chief Health Informatics Officer
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Bio info: Alexandra Mugge is the Deputy Chief Health Informatics Officer and Director of the Health Informatics Office (HIO)...
Alexandra Mugge is the Deputy Chief Health Informatics Officer and Director of the Health Informatics Office (HIO) at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), where she and her team have led the interoperability and health IT efforts under the Office of the Administrator since 2018. HIO’s mission is to “promote the secure exchange, access, use of electronic health information to support better informed decision making for providers and patients, and a more efficient healthcare system.” Alex led the publication of the first CMS Interoperability and Patient Access Rule in early 2020, which is destined to be transformative for CMS, its programs, and industry. Alex and her team continue to drive CMS efforts to advance interoperability.
Before leading CMS’ interoperability efforts in the Office of the Administrator, Alex served as the Deputy Director of the Division of Health IT in the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality (CCSQ) where her team lead the overhaul of the Meaningful Use Programs to create the Promoting Interoperability initiatives. Alex has broad experience analyzing trends, monitoring, and evaluating health care initiatives and programs to promote better access to health information and support value-based care.
Alex earned her Masters of Public Health from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University where she specialized in Public Health Policy.
Kim Brandt
Principal Deputy Administrator for Policy & Operations
Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services
Bio info: Kimberly Brandt is the Principal Deputy Administrator for Operations of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...
Kimberly Brandt is the Principal Deputy Administrator for Operations of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). She supports the Administrator for all activities necessary for the operation and management of CMS and its programs, including, Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Kim also assists with the implementation of the CMS priorities, cross-cutting and strategic plan initiatives and the Medicare and Medicaid program integrity programs.
Kim served as Chief Oversight Counsel on the Majority staff of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee where she has served on Committee staff from January 2011 – August 2017. In her role on the Committee, Kim coordinated oversight of the whole range of Committee issues including tax, health care, social security and trade. Before joining the Finance Committee staff, Kim was a Senior Counsel at Alston & Bird in Washington, D.C. advising clients on health care compliance and fraud and abuse issues.
Kim’s previous government service includes serving for seven years as the CMS Director of the Medicare Program Integrity Group. Prior to her first tenure at CMS, Kim worked for five years at the HHS Office of Inspector General as Special Counsel and Director of External Affairs and as a Senior Counsel negotiating False Claims Act settlements and drafting and monitoring Corporate Integrity Agreements as well as authoring the OIG’s compliance guidance for Individual and Small Group Physician Practices.
Kim received her J.D. with a concentration in health law from the DePaul School of Law, an M.A. in legislative affairs and health policy from George Washington University, and her B.A. from Valparaiso University. She is a nationally recognized expert in healthcare compliance and fraud and abuse issues and in 2016 received the Healthcare Compliance and Ethics Professional of the Year award from the Society for Corporate Compliance and Ethics and the Health Care Compliance Association.
Tom Leary, MALA, CAE, FHIMSS
Vice President, Government Relations
HIMSS
Bio info: Tom Leary is Vice President, Government Relations, at HIMSS, a global, cause-based, not-for-profit organization...
Tom Leary is Vice President, Government Relations, at HIMSS, a global, cause-based, not-for-profit organization focused on better health through information technology (IT). HIMSS leads efforts to optimize health engagements and care outcomes using information technology.
He leads the organization’s public policy initiatives and outreach to Congress and Federal agencies. Leary had served as HIMSS’ Senior Director of Federal Affairs since 2003, directing HIMSS’ public policy activities with federal agencies, including analysis and response to federal regulatory requirements and leveraging HIMSS member subject matter expertise in health IT public policy development.
Leary has spent a good portion of his career in Washington on federal healthcare policy and regulation development. His experience includes work both inside and outside of government. Prior to his arrival at HIMSS, Leary was a Division Manager for Science Applications International Corporation's TRICARE Division, where he was engaged in the coordination of healthcare administrative outsourcing solutions for the Military Health System.
He began his career in 1992 as a staff assistant to Rep. Les Aspin (D-WI). He moved to the Pentagon with the Aspin team, where he served as a Clinton Administration political appointee at the Defense Department in the Office of the Secretary of Defense Legislative Affairs office as staff assistant, then as Special Assistant for Health Care Policy. In 1997, he expanded his focus on federal healthcare policy as the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, serving on the Assistant Secretary's senior management team that addressed medical readiness and peacetime healthcare delivery for the Military Health System.
Leary obtained his bachelor’s degree in History/Political Science from Rutgers University and his master’s degree in Legislative Affairs from The George Washington University.
Details

Event Type : On Demand
Date : Jun 08, 2020 10:00 AM CT
Cost : Complimentary
Credits : CPHIMS, CAHIMS
Speaker(s) : Alexandra Mugge, Kim Brandt, Tom Leary, MALA, CAE, FHIMSS
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