Oki Mek, a senior adviser to the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) chief information officer, has been elevated to the position of chief artificial intelligence officer, G2Xchange Health reported Friday.
In his more recent capacity, Mek helped the HHS CIO office drive digital transformation and collaborative innovation efforts aimed to improve the health and well-being of people in the U.S.
He previously served as chief technology officer, chief product officer, emerging technology strategist and program manager within the department’s acquisition division.
Mek joined HHS in 2010 as information system security officer after a nearly eight-year stint as an information technology contractor for the Department of Energy.
In an interview with Forbes, Mek said the ReImagine HHS initiative brought AI, robotic process automation and blockchain platforms to the department.
He told the publication that government certification processes that would usually take eight to 12 months to complete, such as the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), could be expedited to three or four weeks with the use of emerging technology.