Dr. David Blumenthal is a preeminent academic physician and health care policy expert whose distinguished career has uniquely bridged clinical medicine, health policy, and information technology leadership. He currently serves as Professor of Practice of Public Health and Health Policy at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Research Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, maintaining his emeritus status as Samuel O. Thier Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. A Harvard University graduate with undergraduate, medical, and public policy degrees, Dr. Blumenthal completed his residency in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital before embarking on a career that has profoundly shaped American health care policy for over four decades. His leadership journey includes serving as president and CEO of the Commonwealth Fund from 2013 to 2023 and as Chief Health Information and Innovation Officer at Partners Health System, where he spearheaded the implementation of the EPIC electronic health record system across the organization.
Dr. Blumenthal's most transformative contribution came during his tenure as National Coordinator for Health Information Technology under President Obama from 2009 to 2011, where he successfully launched the implementation of the HITECH Act and established the concept of meaningful use of electronic health records. He achieved what many consider one of the largest publicly funded infrastructure investments in U.S. history, creating an interoperable, private, and secure nationwide health information system within an unprecedented timeframe. As author of more than 300 scholarly publications and books, including seminal studies on health information technology adoption in the United States, his research has provided critical evidence for health policy decisions at the highest levels of government. In 2010, Modern Healthcare named him the most influential physician executive in the United States, recognizing his extraordinary impact on shaping the nation's health care landscape during a pivotal period of transformation.
Beyond his governmental and academic leadership, Dr. Blumenthal has significantly influenced the field through his service as a national correspondent for the New England Journal of Medicine and his current role on the board of New England Journal AI, guiding the integration of artificial intelligence into medical practice. He actively contributes to value-based care through his board membership at Aledade, a company supporting primary care innovation, and chairs the board of the Carol Emmott Foundation, advancing women's leadership in health care. His thought leadership has been recognized with prestigious honors including the Distinguished Investigator Award from AcademyHealth, the Graham Prize for Health Services Research, and multiple honorary doctorates from leading institutions. Dr. Blumenthal continues to shape the future of health care through his scholarship, mentorship of emerging health policy leaders, and advocacy for evidence-based reforms that improve system efficiency and patient outcomes.
