WASHINGTON – Many healthcare leaders have a positive eye toward President-elect Barack Obama's nomination of former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) to be the next Department of Health and Human Services secretary. They urge Daschle, if he is confirmed, to focus on healthcare IT as a pivotal part of a U.S healthcare transformation.

Since the news broke of Daschle's nomination Nov. 19, he has been hailed by many stakeholders as a good pick for HHS secretary because of his bipartisan negotiating capability and healthcare advocacy.

H. Stephen Lieber, president and CEO of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) said Daschle's book, "Critical: What We Can Do About The Health-Care Crisis" is an indicator of his commitment to healthcare and healthcare IT.    

"HIMSS believes Senator Daschle understands critical healthcare issues and how IT can be leveraged to improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of care," Lieber said.  

Lieber said the HIMSS would work closely with the secretary-designate on securing additional funding for healthcare information technology as well as continuing current healthcare IT initiatives.

Tom Nickels, senior vice president of federal relations at the American Hospital Association said, "Sen. Daschle brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to HHS, and has a proven track record of building bipartisan consensus on some of our nationís most difficult challenges."

John Halamka, CIO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, said Daschle has a deep understanding of the need to increase the value of healthcare across the country by reducing costs and enhancing quality.

"He's also been a strong advocate of ensuring access to healthcare for all," Halamka said. "I believe the increased use of interoperable healthcare information technologies will help the new administration achieve these goals."