Va.'s gov-elect appoints tech czar

Virginia's Governor-elect Tim Kaine has named health information technology expert Aneesh Chopra the state's new secretary of technology.

Chopra, 33, is managing director at the Advisory Board Company, which provides best-practices research and analysis to health care companies.

His appointment signals the growing importance of health e-records for both state and federal government. Chopra will also work on issues affecting technology companies in Northern Virginia.

Chopra was appointed to the Governor's Electronic Health Records Task Force earlier this year, in which he worked to identify technology strategies to decrease health care costs and improve patient safety.

"Aneesh's experience in the private sector and with state committees seeking to control health care costs through technology will be an important addition to my cabinet," Kaine said in a statement. Chopra will work with other members of the governor's cabinet to expand the use of IT to serve citizens and promote Virginia to technology companies, Kaine said.

Chopra received a bachelor's degree in public health from Johns Hopkins University and a master's in public policy from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.