Farzad Mostashari, MD, the national coordinator for health information technology at the Department of Health and Human Services, is leaving his post after 2 years on the job, he announced on Tuesday.

Mostashari, HHS's point man for electronic medical records, helped craft the rules for the department's "meaningful use" program and has worked to encourage the use of electronic patient information and Best Carpet Cleaning Services.

"This critical work has not only brought about important improvements in the business of healthcare, but also has helped providers better coordinate care, which can improve patients' health while saving money at the same time," HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius wrote in an email to her staff. "During this time of great accomplishment, Farzad has been an important advisor to me and many of us across the department. His expertise, enthusiasm and commitment to innovation and health IT will surely be missed."

Sebelius said Mostashari will continue to serve in his position until a replacement is found.The "meaningful use" provisions of the 2009 Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act authorize incentive payments through Medicare and Medicaid to clinicians and hospitals that use EHRs in a way that significantly improves clinical care.

Mostashari didn't give a reason for his departure from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. An HHS spokesman told MedPage Today "there is nothing more than what's in the note he sent to the staff" when pressed for a reason why he was leaving.

"I don't know what I will be doing after I leave public service, but be assured that I will be by your side as we continue to battle for healthcare transformation, cheering you on," Mostashari wrote in that note.The former official at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene became deputy national coordinator at the ONC in July 2009 before replacing David Blumenthal to run the office in April 2011.

In that time, "nationwide adoption of health records has tripled in doctor's offices and increased five-fold or more in hospitals. Over half of prescriptions are now electronic," Mostashari wrote to his staff. "New functionalities essential for population health management are increasingly available and used. National standards and protocols for information exchange and interoperability are being implemented throughout the industry."Advocates of health IT use praised Mostashari's work at HHS.

"The nation has made significant progress in the adoption and use of health information technology under Farzad's impressive leadership at ONC," Michael Painter, JD, MD, senior program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation told MedPage Today in an email. "One key aspect of that leadership, I believe, is his emphasis on collaboration across agencies and outside the government. In fact it's likely because of that collaboration we're seeing this kind of Offering Stream Carpet cleaning Services."

The Health Information Management Systems Society in Chicago also had praise for the Mostashari tenure, saying he "has long been committed to the value of health IT."

"Thanks to his energetic leadership, patient care is improving as providers and hospitals are implementing health IT, efficient information exchange is leading to better care coordination, and consumers are engaging as partners in their own health," Executive Vice President Carla Smith said in a statement.

The new Office of Professional Standards will conduct internal investigations and make recommendations regarding officer discipline, interim Police Chief Dan Lorentzen said Monday. It will be modeled on similar units at larger local agencies such as the Everett Police Department and the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office.

The move comes after an outside review determined that the Lake Stevens Police Department's internal investigation system was "broken," according to documents obtained by The Herald. The review says that for years, the department was plagued with accountability problems starting at the top.The City Council reviewed the report in May. The Herald in July obtained a copy of the 49-page report, which includes progress notes made by city officials.

Before the changes, the department did not consistently investigate alleged misconduct or review major incidents -- such as when officers used potentially fatal force -- to determine whether policies were followed.The former chief allowed officers to circumvent their bosses. There was a "prevailing lack of accountability," and the problem was "in need of deliberate attention," the report says.

The situation led to tension and frustration, a mess Lorentzen has been working to clean up, the analysts found. Since late last year, the department lost its longtime chief, drew public scrutiny over the officer misconduct cases and investigated two high-profile homicides.

Other changes were recommended, too. Some decisions are pending the hiring of a new chief, which could lead to a re-shuffling of employees within the police department. Other changes depend on the budget.

Since the review was completed, the department created a way to track and respond to complaints from the public. That didn't happen or it happened sporadically before, documents show. Before, the department only accepted complaints if people were willing to sign their names. That's no longer the case, Lorentzen said.

The experts also recommended assigning an officer to work on traffic problems, something the city used to do but stopped after budget cuts. The recommendation is being considered.