Karen M. Bell, MD, MMS

Biography

Karen Bell, MD, MMS, is Chair of the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT®), effective April 26, 2010.

Dr. Bell brings to the Commission wide and varied expertise in health information technology (HIT), quality assurance and clinical practice, in both the private and public sectors. Most recently, she served as Senior Vice President, HIT Services, Masspro, the federally-contracted Quality Improvement Organization within Massachusetts, where she oversaw the development, implementation and distribution of products and services to support adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) within the health care system. Between 2005 and 2008, Dr. Bell was Director, Office of Health Information Technology Adoption, Office of the National Coordinator (ONC), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and, in 2006, served as Acting Deputy of ONC. She was ONC’s representative on CCHIT’s Board of Commissioners from 2006 to 2008.

Prior appointments held by Dr. Bell include Division Director, Quality Improvement Group/Office of Standards and Quality for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) from 2004 to 2005, and Medical Director of Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of Rhode Island (2004) and of Anthem BCBS of Maine (2001-2004). She also has served as Associate Medical Director, Partners Community Healthcare, Inc., Boston; Medical Director, BCBS of Massachusetts; Associate Medical Director, Harvard Community Health Plan/Pilgrim Health Care, Boston; and Deputy and Acting Health Director, Monroe County Health Department, Rochester, N.Y.

She received her medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, and her master of medical science degree from Brown University, Providence, R.I. Dr. Bell has clinical experience as a board certified physician in internal medicine and also was an Associate Professor at the University of Rochester, and Clinical Instructor at Harvard University School of Medicine.