The new office should exercise both horizontal and vertical coordination: horizontally, across healthcare providers, consumers, public health programs, standards development organizations, payers, government agencies, academic and healthcare institutions, and others, and vertically, through local, State, and national entities. It must explicitly encompass the personal health, healthcare provider, and population health dimensions rather than focus on any single area. At the same time, the NHII-related activities of each HHS agency need to be strengthened and new resources added under the general coordination of the new office. The Federal Government has a key role to play in these developments, but it cannot do so alone. A dynamic, nationwide, collaborative venture is needed for this purpose. .
