Morning Headlines 11/7/13

Healthcare.gov casualty: CMS CIO steps down

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CIO Tony Trenkle will step down from his position effective November 15 according to an internal email sent by CMS COO Michelle Snyder. Trenkle joined CMS in 2005, directing the Office of E-Health Standards and Services before becoming CIO and overseeing the agency’s $2 billion IT budget.

NSA allegations prompt NIST to review data encryption processes

The National Institute of Standards and Technology announces that it will have its data encryption standards independently reviewed after leaked documents reveal that the NSA has cracked the encryption standard. NIST encryption is the de facto standard for healthcare information security.

Surescripts Network Gains Momentum, Adds 12 Health Systems to Connect Providers across Care Communities

Surescripts adds 12 Epic health systems to its growing health information exchange network.

Disability claims backlog, EHR efforts top VA nominee’s priorities

Sloan Gibson, current USO CEO and presidential nominee to be the next VA deputy director reported that he would tackle the longstanding backlog of disability claims and will work to find common ground with the Defense Department on a new strategy for a joint electronic-health records system.