<p> Mark Leavitt, MD, PhD</p><p>Mark Leavitt, MD, PhD, is Chair of the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology. An independent, nonprofit organization, CCHIT’s mission is to accelerate the adoption of robust, interoperable health information technology. The organization is working under a 3-year contract from the Department of Health and Human Services and is now the recognized authority for certification of electronic health records (EHRs) in the US.</p><p>Dr Leavitt practiced Internal Medicine for 10 years, but frustrated by the lack of information management tools, soon found his calling in healthcare IT. He founded and led MedicaLogic, a pioneering ambulatory EHR company, for 17 years. He served as VP for Clinical Initiatives at GE Healthcare Systems after their acquisition of MedicaLogic in 2002; then moved to HIMSS in 2003 to serve as their Chief Medical Officer. He is currently on leave from that position while chairing CCHIT.</p><p>He is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Informatics at the Oregon Health and Science University, and is a fellow of HIMSS and ACMI.</p>