Virginia, Dec. 16, 2005
Ramesh Malhotra
Virginia, Governor, Tim Kaine has named Aneesh Chopra
the state's new secretary of .health information technology
expert.
NRI, Aneesh Chopra, 33, is managing director at the
Advisory Board Company, which provides best-practices
research and analysis to health care companies. His
appointment signals the growing importance of health
e-records for both state and federal government. Chopra
will also work on issues affecting technology companies
in Northern Virginia.
Chopra was appointed to the Governor's Electronic
Health Records Task Force earlier this year, in which
he worked to identify technology strategies to decrease
health care costs and improve patient safety.
"Aneesh's experience in the private sector and
with state committees seeking to control health care
costs through technology will be an important addition
to my cabinet," Kaine said in a statement. Chopra
will work with other members of the governor's cabinet
to expand the use of IT to serve citizens and promote
Virginia to technology companies, Kaine said.
Chopra will replace Eugene Huang, who has served
as secretary of technology under Gov. Mark Warner
since Oct. 1, 2004. Chopra will be the first Indian
American to hold a cabinet-level position in Virginia
Chopra received a bachelor's degree in public health
from Johns Hopkins University and a master's in public
policy from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School
of Government.
