Peter Groen (3W5J)
Mr. Groen is the Director of the Health Information and Technology Sharing Program within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). He has over 30 years of federal service and has occupied a number of senior Information Technology (IT) management positions within VA Headquarters and in the field. Mr. Groen has served as the Director of the Medical Information Security Service, Director of VHA Telecommunications Services, the Deputy Associate CIO for Enterprise Strategies, as well as the CIO at the VA Medical Centers in Atlanta and Columbia S.C. He served as the national project manager for the VA Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) as well as the VA Internet and VHA Intranet Redesign projects. Prior to coming to the VA, Mr. Groen served in the U.S. Navy for six years. He was a supervisor of the Combat Information Center aboard the guided missile destroyer, U.S.S. Sellers DDG-11. (1S2)
Mr. Groen obtained his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree from Clemson University and a Masters of Public Administration (M.P.A.) from The Pennsylvania State University. During his long federal career, Mr. Groen has received numerous awards for outstanding performance and special contributions. He has also been published in a number of journals and books over the years focused on information technology in healthcare and is regularly invited to speak at various professional conferences. (1S4)
Presentation Summary (3W5E)
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Health IT Sharing (HITS) Program is part of the Health Informatics Strategy Office of the VHA Office of Information (OI). The HITS Program currently contains four health information sharing program areas: OneVA, Interagency, Health Community, and International Health IT Sharing. (1UD)
The HITS Program Handbook is designed to provide VHA staff and potential health IT stakeholders with practical guidance for identifying, pursuing, and implementing mutually beneficial health information sharing opportunities with selected partners in the government or private sector. Personnel from other Federal agencies and non-governmental organizations seeking to develop joint health information sharing initiatives may also find the Handbook useful. (1UE)
The Handbook is a comprehensive guide for individuals or offices new to the health information systems sharing experience. However, it is also designed to be flexible enough for experienced sharing partners to find and use discrete, specific guidance. Within VHA, the HITS Program Handbook delivers standardized instruction to health information systems sharing partners on each phase of the process, from research and evaluation of potential sharing opportunities through the more formal approval, start up, and implementation phases. (1UF)