Chief information officers leverage cutting-edge technologies to streamline operations and elevate care delivery.
The IT leaders recognized on this list are driving forward-thinking strategies that create meaningful improvements for both patients and providers. In close collaboration with their teams, they are modernizing hospitals and health systems through initiatives such as EHR enhancements, AI integration, strengthened cybersecurity frameworks and more.
Note: Becker’s Healthcare developed this list based on nominations and editorial research. This list is not exhaustive, nor is it an endorsement of included leaders or associated healthcare providers. Leaders cannot pay for inclusion on this list. Leaders are presented in alphabetical order. We extend a special thank you to Rhoda Weiss for her contributions to this list.
Contact Anna Falvey at afalvey@beckershealthcare.com with questions or comments.
Robert Ackerman. Vice President and CIO at Heywood Healthcare (Gardner, Mass.). As vice president and CIO at Heywood Healthcare, Mr. Ackerman provides executive leadership for information services strategy, operations and workforce development, aligning technology initiatives with organizational mission, patient safety and financial sustainability. He oversees technology strategic planning, resource management, systems integration, security, networking and user support, all while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and high-touch customer service.He routinely rounds in clinical areas, including overnight during planned downtime, to ensure technology decisions reflect frontline realities and support safe care delivery. His crisis leadership was highlighted during a 2025 cybersecurity incident, when he activated incident response protocols, took affected systems offline and helped stand up emergency communications, temporary wireless connectivity and more than 100 air-gapped computers to maintain essential access while clinical teams operated under downtime procedures. He led a phased restoration of clinical and administrative systems based on clinical priority, treating the event as a patient safety imperative rather than solely a technical disruption. Beyond incident response, Mr. Ackerman is recognized for reducing friction in the EHR and supporting systems by focusing on clinician usability and “invisible” technology that strengthens reliability. He is a College of Healthcare Information Management Executives member and his prior leadership experience includes service as deputy associate CIO for Massachusetts’ Executive Office of Health and Human Services.
Robert T. Adamson, PharmD. Executive Vice President and CIO of RWJBarnabas Health (West Orange, N.J.). Dr. Adamson has transformed RWJBarnabas Health’s IT and EHR capabilities, culminating in a historic Epic “Gold Star Level 10” achievement immediately upon activation, the first in the vendor’s global history. He led the $855 million “Epic Together” implementation across 12 hospitals, maintaining momentum through the Covid-19 crisis by initiating a productivity-boosting “strategic pause” that increased project efficiency by 43%. A pharmacist by training and seasoned executive, Dr. Adamson bridges clinical and IT priorities with precision and vision. He serves on multiple academic and governance boards and is widely published in pharmacy and health IT.
Chris Akeroyd. CIO of Lee Health (Fort Myers, Fla.). Mr. Akeroyd serves as CIO of Lee Health, a role he assumed in June 2025 after nearly a decade with Children’s Health in Dallas. He heads up the system’s IT strategy and digital transformation efforts, bringing almost 30 years of leadership experience in healthcare, telecommunications and financial services. Prior to taking on his current role, he was executive vice president and CIO for Children’s Health, where he oversaw the system’s information services group and championed overall enterprise digital business enablement. Other previous roles include IT positions at UMC Health System in Lubbock, Texas and at information services company InfoNXX.
Shakeeb Akhter. Senior Vice President and Chief Digital and Information Officer at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. As CHOP’s leader for enterprise digital transformation, Mr. Akhter oversees technology, analytics, AI automation and cyber security. He focuses on enhancing patient care, health system operations, and seamless experiences for patients and clinicians using technology. He developed CHOP’s digital transformation strategy, positioning CHOP as a leader for pediatric digital innovation in AI, automation and digitally enabled care models. Under his leadership, CHOP launched CHOP GPT, an AI chatbot, as well as an automation center of excellence. He is also leading the deployment of Epic’s Gen AI capabilities, such as AI-based note summarization and AI-assisted messages. CHOP was the first organization to scale ART, Epic’s AI-assisted messaging feature, to all clinicians. CHOP also piloted Abridge for ambient listening. To enable digital care, CHOP has now deployed various remote patient programs, transforming care for over 10,000 children, resulting in life-saving events and reducing readmission by 30% for some programs. In addition, CHOP is digitizing the patient journey to improve access and experience, cutting some specialty wait times up to 20 days. Lastly, CHOP is modernizing technology and improving workforce experience via a strategic partnership with Microsoft to leverage AI tools and Microsoft Azure to host clinical and operational applications, driving millions in savings for the health system.
Deb Anderson. CIO of Endeavor Health (Evanston, Ill.). Ms. Anderson brings a mission-driven, human-centered approach to digital innovation at Endeavor Health, guided by personal experiences and a collaborative leadership style. She has helped launch groundbreaking technologies, including one of the world’s first virtual care platforms, years before telehealth became a norm. At Endeavor Health, she drives agile platform strategies and oversees Epic integrations that enhance patient-centered care across multiple hospitals. With a background spanning IBM, Abbott and Silicon Valley innovation labs, Ms. Anderson seamlessly blends corporate agility with healthcare transformation, reshaping care delivery while promoting workforce wellness and transparency.
Paola Arbour. Executive Vice President and CIO of Tenet Healthcare (Dallas). Ms. Arbour is executive vice president and CIO of Tenet, overseeing leadership and strategic direction for the health system’s IT systems. She also identifies opportunities to support the company’s care network with digital technology, data automation and customer experience. She has headed strategic imperatives for the system, including the “Voice of the Consumer” strategy, which made IT a business enabler to achieve companywide objectives and outcomes. She also helped the system launch a vendor revitalization program and a self-funded innovation team.
Michael Archuleta. CIO at Mt. San Rafael Hospital (Trinidad, Colo.). As CIO at Mt. San Rafael Hospital, Mr. Archuleta leads health IT strategy, cybersecurity and digital transformation for a critical access setting, overseeing the implementation and optimization of clinical and administrative systems to improve outcomes, efficiency and data protection. His work focuses on strengthening infrastructure, ensuring regulatory compliance and advancing innovation that supports high-quality rural care delivery. Recognized as an award-winning healthcare IT leader, he has demonstrated that critical access hospitals can be national models for modernization and security-forward operations. Beyond the organization, he serves as a technology and cybersecurity advisor and board member to multiple startups, helping guide development of digital health solutions. He is also a nationally recognized speaker who educates healthcare leaders on cybersecurity, health IT and emerging technologies, translating complex risk and innovation topics into practical action. Under his leadership, Mt. San Rafael Hospital has been recognized with multiple rural performance and employer distinctions, including designation as a top 20 critical access hospital by the National Rural Health Association in 2025.
Scott Arnold. Executive Vice President and Chief Digital and Innovation Officer for Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital. Mr. Arnold has served in roles at Tampa General Hospital since 2010, first joining as vice president of IT to manage the conversation of its EHR. He now leads all digital, IT and innovation strategy. A pioneer of the “CareComm” command center, Mr. Arnold helped integrate real-time data analytics using GE Healthcare and Palantir platforms, reducing sepsis-related mortality by 3% and saving nearly 200 lives. His digital vision expanded Palantir’s Foundry across more than a dozen applications, optimizing everything from staffing to clinical decision-making. Mr. Arnold is now steering the deployment of Palantir’s AI platform to further streamline care coordination, revenue cycle operations and real-time decision support. His work has helped Tampa General earn national accolades, including Newsweek’s “Best Smart Hospitals” honors for three consecutive years from 2023-25. Mr. Arnold also fosters a culture of grassroots innovation through initiatives like “IdeaMVP”, empowering team members to transform ideas into impactful healthcare solutions.
Lisa Avellino. Vice President and Chief Information and Technology Officer at Gaylord Specialty Healthcare (Wallingford, Conn.). As vice president and chief information and technology officer of Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, Ms. Avellino leads the organization’s technology strategy during a critical phase of digital evolution in rehabilitation care. She brings a clinician-informed, patient-first approach to advancing cybersecurity, informatics and biomedical technology in support of improved outcomes. Ms. Avellino partners closely with clinical leaders to ensure technology initiatives elevate care delivery rather than add complexity to clinical workflows. Her leadership emphasizes scalable, patient-centered solutions informed by her prior CIO experience in community health settings. Known for a collaboration-first mindset, she serves as a bridge between complex technical systems and frontline clinical needs. Under her guidance, technology is positioned as a strategic enabler of Gaylord’s mission to redefine rehabilitation care.
Omer Awan. Vice President and CIO at Fred Hutch Cancer Center (Seattle). Mr. Awan leads enterprise IT strategy at Fred Hutch Cancer Center, where he has engineered a sweeping digital transformation to modernize operations and enhance clinical research. His initiatives include consolidating clinical, research and administrative systems into a unified web services cloud platform, migrating hundreds of applications and driving operational efficiency. Mr. Awan spearheaded the deployment of an ambient AI solution that reduced clinician documentation time by 25%, directly improving provider satisfaction and patient experience. His restructuring of the IT department fostered agility and innovation, aligning technology with institutional research and care goals. A strong advocate for cybersecurity, he implemented advanced protections to ensure data privacy and compliance across all systems. In addition to his leadership at Fred Hutch, Mr. Awan holds advisory board positions and co-founded a nonprofit in Charlotte, N.C. to positively impact the community.
Barbara Ballard. CIO for Valley Health System (Winchester, Va.). Ms. Ballard has brought strategic foresight and cost-saving innovation to Valley Health System since taking on the CIO role in 2022. She led a high-impact virtualization initiative that saved $1 million in hardware and $340,000 annually in energy costs by migrating critical applications to VMware. Under her guidance, the system also launched a dedicated business intelligence and analytics service line, improving performance monitoring and data-driven decisions across clinical and financial domains. Ms. Ballard is known for cultivating cross-functional collaboration and leading high-performing IT teams aligned with organizational goals. Her leadership helped earn Valley Health System “Digital Health Most Wired” recognition from the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives, as well as consistent safety accolades from The Leapfrog Group. Ms. Ballad brings prior experience driving analytics strategy at Kettering (Ohio) Health Network.
Conrad Band. Senior Vice President and CIO for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Mr. Band serves as senior vice president and CIO at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, where he leads more than 230 professionals across IT operations, infrastructure, software development, cloud, digital, information security, contracting, training and adoption, change management, and application support. With more than two decades of experience across healthcare, nonprofit, financial and technology sectors, he brings a broad enterprise perspective to pediatric healthcare transformation. Mr. Band joined CHLA in 2017 as CISO, where he built and matured the organization’s information security program before transitioning to the CIO role in 2021. He has since developed a multi-year strategic roadmap to shift the organization from infrastructure-centric IT to enterprise-aligned technology delivery, emphasizing cloud modernization, digital transformation, legacy system migration and workforce re-skilling. Under his leadership, CHLA has advanced AI integration, including deployment of an ambient AI scribe solution that generates encounter transcripts and summarizes clinical documentation, improving clinician satisfaction and operational efficiency. Previously, Mr. Band served as vice president of IT operations at another California-based health system, overseeing IT services across six hospitals and leading cost optimization, insourcing initiatives and EHR modernization efforts.
Oliver Banta. Chief Business Services and Information Officer for East Alabama Health (Opelika). Mr. Banta leads cybersecurity, IT strategy, infrastructure and innovation efforts at East Alabama Health, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and secure patient data systems. His calm and assured leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic established him as a trusted figure within the organization, facilitating a culture of resilience and innovation. Mr. Banta has introduced advanced technologies such as telehealth and data analytics to improve operational efficiency and care quality. He was named a 2022 “CIO of the Year” ORBIE award winner for his leadership and contributions to healthcare IT. Mr. Banta’s approach blends strategic foresight with hands-on dedication to patient-centered digital solutions.
Daniel Barchi. Senior Executive Vice President and CIO at CommonSpirit Health (Chicago). Mr. Barchi joined CommonSpirit Health in November 2022 with more than 20 years of experience in health IT and consumer digital tools. He is responsible for the strategic vision and IT management at CommonSpirit Health. He oversees the health system’s innovation, analytics, artificial intelligence, telemedicine and pharmacy efforts. Mr. Barchi previously served as CIO for New York City-based NewYork-Presbyterian and as CIO of Yale New Haven (Conn.) Health System.
Tom Barnett. Chief Information and Digital Officer for Baptist Memorial Health Care (Memphis, Tenn.). Mr. Barnett leads information and digital strategy for the 24-hospital Baptist Memorial Health Care network, which serves Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas. His role focuses on IT infrastructure, clinical workflows and digital engagement, pairing technology with thoughtful process redesign to create lasting value and patient impact. His leadership resulted in the health system’s Epic migration to Amazon Web Services, earning the system the 2024 “CIO100” and “CSO50” awards for innovation and security. A multi-time finalist for the Tennessee ORBIE “CIO of the Year”, he is widely respected for his pragmatic, results-driven leadership. His previous executive roles span University of Rochester (N.Y.) Medical Center, NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston, Ill. and Detroit-based Henry Ford Health.
Steven Beal. Senior Vice President and CIO at MemorialCare (Fountain Valley, Calif.). With extensive experience leading complex initiatives and enterprise information systems across a diverse health network that includes four hospitals, 330 care locations, a physician group and 2,600 physicians, Mr. Beal provides strategic and operational leadership for all aspects of technology and digital transformation. He is a member of the board of directors for the MemorialCare Innovation Fund, one of the nation’s early pioneers in strategic healthcare investment. As CIO, Mr. Beal leads the development of modern, cost effective and patient centered technology solutions that enhance the experience for both internal customers and the communities MemorialCare serves. Actively engaged across governance structures, he advises senior leadership on technology strategy, workforce development, digital business models, financial planning and organizational growth, including mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic partnerships. A major area of his current focus is transforming the traditional technology delivery model from project based execution to a product oriented approach that is enabled by agile methods, fusion teams and redesigned operating models. He is also championing strategic advancements in digital health, such as ambient listening technologies, AI powered automation and new digital front door capabilities designed to elevate the patient experience and streamline systemwide access to care.
Tom Bentley, BSN. Chief Information and Digital Transformation Officer at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (Columbus). Mr. Bentley serves as chief information and digital transformation officer at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, where he directs healthcare IT strategy and delivery across hospitals and outpatient sites. He partners closely with clinical and hospital leaders to plan, implement and support clinical applications for new ambulatory and inpatient openings while leading IT governance and long-range strategic planning. Since being named to the role in 2023, he has accelerated a portfolio of initiatives that improve clinician efficiency and strengthen operations, including expansion of AI capabilities such as ambient listening for ambulatory and emergency department providers. He guided the implementation of Epic Hyperdrive Phase II to modernize web-based workflows and improve capabilities like device integration, location awareness and privacy. Under his leadership, the medical center deployed Tecsys inventory management to strengthen supply chain performance and issued “All-in-One” iPhones to nurses and patient care assistants to consolidate point-of-care workflows on a single device. He also advanced enterprise enablement through upgrades to the scheduling and timekeeping systems, as well as the rollout of smartcard badges that unify physical access and technology authentication. An Ohio State leader since 1994, Mr. Bentley previously led health system informatics, overseeing patient care and administrative applications.
Leo Bodden. Senior Vice President and CIO of Westchester Medical Center Health Network (Valhalla, N.Y.). Mr. Bodden brings decades of experience to his role at WMCHealth, where he is leading a sweeping digital transformation focused on patient experience, system integration and AI-powered population health management. Previously, at NewYork-Presbyterian in New York City, he directed the digital overhaul of clinical applications, sunsetting over 1,000 systems while unifying operational and clinical workflows. His development of “imaging as a service” helped expand access to diagnostic services while improving patient experience and data utility. At WMCHealth, Mr. Bodden now leads enterprisewide digital standardization efforts to build a unified, secure and data-driven care environment. He is also recognized for integrating large regional networks and aligning physician services with broader organizational goals. With a background spanning engineering to executive leadership, he is committed to scalable innovation in healthcare IT.
Darrell Bodnar. CIO at North Country Healthcare (Berlin, N.H.). At North Country Healthcare, Mr. Bodnar leads enterprise IT strategy for a rural, community-based health system spanning three critical access hospitals and a home health and hospice agency. He oversees the integration and standardization of the Meditech Expanse EHR across Androscoggin Valley Hospital, Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital, Weeks Medical Center, and North Country Home Health and Hospice Agency. Working closely with executive and hospital leadership, he develops and executes technology strategies that support a clinically integrated and financially sustainable system focused on population health improvement. Mr. Bodnar is recognized for translating technology investments into measurable clinical and operational value, ensuring digital initiatives enhance provider efficiency and patient access rather than add complexity. His collaborative approach strengthens adoption and alignment by grounding technology decisions in real-world clinical and operational needs. With a pragmatic focus on interoperability, security and scalability, he balances long-term planning with fiscal stewardship to support resilience across rural communities.
Chad T. Brisendine. Vice President and CIO for St. Luke’s University Health Network (Bethlehem, Pa.). Mr. Brisendine serves as the vice president and CIO for St. Luke’s University Health Network. The network’s service area includes 11 counties in two states: Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Montgomery, Monroe, Schuylkill and Luzerne counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey. St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital is based at the Bethlehem Campus. The network has over 23,000 employees, more than 2,500 physicians and advanced practitioners on the medical staff, and more than 2,250 volunteers. Thanks in large part to Mr. Brisendine’s leadership, the network has achieved Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society “Stage 7” for all facilities, College of Healthcare Information Management Executives’ “Most Wired” designation, and the Davies award from HIMSS. In this role, Mr. Brisendine is responsible for IT, innovation, radiology, construction, emergency transportation services and supply chain. He joined St. Luke’s University Health Network in 2009 after serving as the corporate director for new technology and delivery for CHRISTUS Health in Irving, Texas. He also served as a CIO for three hospitals within the health system, which includes 44 hospitals and facilities in 6 states and Mexico. He has over 20 years of experience in healthcare, with 15 years as a CIO. He specializes in transformational healthcare strategy and project delivery.
Bobbie Byrne, MD. Senior Executive Vice President and CIO of Advocate Health (Charlotte, N.C.). Dr. Byrne leads enterprise information technology and digital strategy for the nation’s third-largest integrated nonprofit health system, encompassing 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care sites across multiple states, with responsibility for the reliability, security and performance of the technology infrastructure that underpins care delivery and business operations systemwide. A board-certified physician with deep informatics expertise, she brings a clinician’s perspective to enterprise IT decision-making that distinguishes her approach and ensures technology investments meaningfully support care delivery, workflow efficiency and patient safety. A signature accomplishment of her tenure has been leading IT through the complex strategic combination of Atrium Health and Advocate Aurora Health that created Advocate Health, unifying clinical, administrative and infrastructure environments across the newly formed organization while maintaining uninterrupted patient care and establishing shared governance models that laid the foundation for responsible innovation at scale. Central to that innovation framework is the framework for appropriate implementation and review of AI, which Dr. Byrne helped implement, enabling Advocate Health to adopt advanced technologies more quickly without compromising safety or stability. In addition to her CIO role, Dr. Byrne serves as CEO of Advocate Physician Partners and as a board member of Truveta and Spok.
Deborah Cancilla. CIO and Executive Vice President of Data Strategy for Temple Health (Philadelphia). Ms. Cancilla is reshaping Temple Health’s IT landscape by unifying operations, enhancing data strategy and driving digital transformation. She successfully implemented Epic at Philadelphia-based Fox Chase Cancer Center and oversaw the launch of Temple Health’s first patient-facing mobile app, while also modernizing intranet communications and integrating AI. She also helped expand telehealth access and ensured continuity of care during Covid-19, doubling virtual visits systemwide. Ms. Cancilla’s focus on underserved communities and breaking institutional silos has strengthened collaboration and scalability across the system.
Eric Carey. Vice President and CIO of Valley Health System (Ridgewood, N.J.). Mr. Carey has transformed Valley Health System’s digital landscape by spearheading the creation of a state-of-the-art smart hospital in Paramus, N.J., which integrates AI-driven fall prevention, real-time location systems and interactive patient room controls. Under his guidance, the system earned a “Level 9 Digital Health Most Wired” designation in 2024 and maintained 21 consecutive years of recognition for digital excellence. He expanded the IT department, streamlining operations across clinical and administrative functions. Mr. Carey’s leadership in implementing Meditech Expanse has enabled real-time monitoring of conditions such as sepsis and Covid-19, empowering clinicians with timely, actionable insights. Recognized as a New Jersey “INNOVATE100” honoree, Mr. Carey is also a sought-after speaker at national College of Healthcare Information Management Executives and Meditech forums.
Jonathan M. Carroll. Senior Vice President and CIO at Connecticut Children’s (Hartford). Mr. Carroll leads the organization’s information solutions department, which has earned Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society “Most Wired” recognition for the ninth consecutive year thanks to its commitment to leveraging technology for the betterment of care quality, safety and access. Infrastructure modernization highlights include deploying an enterprise resource planning system that consolidated six legacy systems into a single enterprise platform, creating more agile and scalable operations. Mr. Carroll also led the technology vision for the design and construction of a new patient tower that opened in December 2025, incorporating advanced patient- and clinician-centric technologies directly into care settings. New technology designed to enhance safety, efficiency, and the patient and family experience includes smart room technology such as digital whiteboards and automated, patient-specific fall risk and infection control protocols. It also includes real-time location services, advanced code cart management and integrated physical security management systems. Mr. Carroll has advanced multiple cross-functional AI initiatives across the organization, including AI-enabled recommendations to improve emergency department efficiency, a generative AI digital assistant for web conferencing to streamline collaboration, and ambient technology that reduces documentation time and clinician burnout.
Matthew Chambers. CIO of Baylor Scott & White Health (Dallas). He served as CIO of Scott & White for two years before it merged with Baylor in 2013, when he became CIO of the entire system. He now oversees health IT for all enterprise hospitals and employees. Mr. Chambers works with the executive team to align information systems strategies with business objectives. He also led the system’s EHR implementation.
Deepesh Chandra. Senior Vice President and Chief Digital and Information Officer for Montefiore Einstein (Bronx, N.Y.). Since joining Montefiore Einstein in 2023, Mr. Chandra has led a sweeping digital transformation focused on cloud migration, AI integration and cybersecurity resilience. He orchestrated a major partnership with Amazon Web Services to build a scalable, secure infrastructure and enhance decision-making with predictive analytics. Mr. Chandra also championed a collaboration with Amazon One Medical to expand care access, while deploying patient-centered digital tools and AI-powered automation that aim to improve efficiency and reduce clinician burden. A cybersecurity advocate, he has implemented next-gen threat detection to safeguard operations and patient data. Previously, he was chief analytics officer at Cincinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health.
Rohit Chandra, PhD. Chief Digital Officer at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Chandra stepped into the chief digital officer role in 2022. He leads the information technology division and drives digital innovation across Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Dr. Chandra has more than 25 years of experience in digital technology and engineering. He previously served as the vice president of engineering at technology startup Sunshine Products.
Marc Chasin, MD. Senior Vice President and Chief Digital and Information Officer for Onvida Health (Yuma, Ariz.). Dr. Chasin, both a physician and seasoned CIDO, bridges clinical care and IT at Onvida Health to ensure that technology empowers provider workflows and patient care. Since joining in 2024, he has focused on modernizing core systems like Epic EHR, improving infrastructure and deploying generative AI to enhance diagnostic accuracy. His leadership is rooted in real-world clinical understanding, ensuring tools are practical and intuitive for clinicians. Dr. Chasin ensures that every digital advancement directly enhances quality, access and provider-patient connection. Under his guidance, Onvida Health has been named a College of Healthcare Information Management Executives “Most Wired” hospital multiple times. Prior to Dr. Chasin’s current role, he held top IT roles at Westchester (N.Y.) Medical Center and Boise, Idaho-based St. Luke’s Health System, consistently driving digital innovation.
Saad Chaudhry. Chief Digital and Information Officer at SSM Health (St. Louis). As chief digital and information officer at SSM Health, Mr. Chaudhry oversees IT, digital patient engagement, clinical informatics and analytics, and also holds responsibility for facilities, real estate operations and physical security. A College of Healthcare Information Management Executives-certified healthcare CIO and certified digital health executive, he brings more than 20 years of experience advancing digital transformation across complex health systems and has been recognized by Hospital Management Systems Society as a “top future50 leader.” He is leading “Project One,” a systemwide initiative to modernize SSM Health’s Epic foundations while standardizing workflows to reduce variation, eliminate duplicative documentation, and decrease cognitive and administrative burden for clinicians. His approach emphasizes returning time to care teams while improving clinical and operational effectiveness through disciplined optimization. Mr. Chaudhry also contributes nationally as a board member of CHIME and Graphite Health. He also serves as adjunct faculty at Georgetown University’s School of Health. Under his leadership, SSM Health has continued its long-running CHIME “Most Wired” recognition streak, earning the designation for 12 consecutive years, including recognition in 2025.
Zafar Chaudry, MD. Senior Vice President, Chief Digital Officer and Chief AI and Information Officer at Seattle Children’s. Dr. Chaudry joined Seattle Children’s as its chief digital officer in 2017. In his current role, he oversees technology initiatives and information systems across Seattle Children’s. His goal is to enable clinicians with the best technology to deliver safe and excellent care to patients. Dr. Chaudry began his career as a physician and has more than 30 years of experience in all aspects of IT. His background includes work in both healthcare and corporate settings in the U.S., Australia, Western Europe and the U.K. across enterprise infrastructure development, business intelligence, unified telecommunications, and the implementation of healthcare information systems and EHRs. He previously served as CIO at Cambridge University Hospitals in the United Kingdom.
Lynnette Clinton. CIO at BayCare Health System (Clearwater, Fla.). As CIO of BayCare Health System, Ms. Clinton leads enterprise information services, clinical engineering and innovation across West Central Florida’s largest academic health system. She oversees a team of more than 700 professionals, manages a $276 million operating budget, and is responsible for more than 400 applications that support clinical and administrative operations. Her leadership is central to BayCare’s digital transformation strategy, with a focus on integrating AI into workflows to improve efficiency, clinical decision-making and the team member experience. Ms. Clinton also directs infrastructure lifecycle planning and disaster preparedness to ensure resilience and continuity across 16 hospitals and hundreds of outpatient locations. With nearly three decades of IT experience, she is known for pairing strong governance and fiscal stewardship with forward-looking innovation. Her people-first leadership style emphasizes mentorship, engagement and translating frontline feedback into actionable technology improvements.
Meridith Coburn. Vice President of IT and CIO at Saint Francis Health System (Tulsa, Okla.). Ms. Coburn oversees all information technology for Saint Francis Health System. Her team is responsible for all software applications for inpatient services, ambulatory, home health, hospice, rehabilitation, outpatient and inpatient dialysis, radiology, oncology and laboratory. She also is in charge of technology infrastructure, such as computers and networks, and led the system’s successful move to Epic, Workday and Hyland document management software. Saint Francis has its own telecommunications company, which is one of the largest phones in the state. Additionally, she oversees Medicall, the phone-answering service for all physicians. Ms. Coburn has helped to modernize its technology and tech systems. She originally joined the Saint Francis system in 1997.
Yeman Collier. Senior Vice President and CIO for University of Chicago Medicine. Mr. Collier leads all aspects of IT at UChicago Medicine, overseeing infrastructure, project management, information security and the integration of digital tools into clinical, research and business operations. With nearly two decades of experience, he brings a deep understanding of academic medical centers and a track record of aligning IT capabilities with evolving healthcare demands. Mr. Collier is recognized for his collaborative leadership, having unified UChicago Medicine’s privacy and information security offices to strengthen compliance and data protection. He joined the organization in July 2024, following successful CIO tenures at UT Health San Antonio (Texas), Duarte, Calif.-based City of Hope and Peoria, Ill.-based OSF HealthCare. His approach drives digital transformation that prioritizes safety, operational effectiveness and patient-centricity.
Sunil Dadlani. Executive Vice President, Chief Information and Digital Transformation Officer at Atlantic Health (Morristown, N.J.). Mr. Dadlani is responsible for the enhancement of digital patient and consumer experiences, which includes delivering transformative technology solutions to elevate patient care, outcomes and interactions. He is committed to leveraging technological innovation to provide the highest quality care and ultimately build healthier communities for the millions of patients Atlantic Health serves. He is particularly focused on the expansion and diversification of intelligent automation, including AI, throughout the healthcare system. He assesses broad technology needs by reflecting on industry-guiding principles, the evolving patient experience, investment models, branding and marketing, available data, work effort and investment maximization.
Jim Daly. Vice President and CIO of Washington Regional (Fayetteville, Ark.). Mr. Daly leads enterprise technology strategy, information security, healthcare informatics and digital transformation initiatives at Washington Regional Medical System, which serves Northwest Arkansas with a 425-bed medical center, two multi-specialty surgical facilities and over 40 clinic locations. He has successfully delivered large-scale technology transformations including a recent Epic implementation that reduced the organization’s application portfolio by over 40%. Mr. Daly is recognized for establishing IT governance frameworks, portfolio management disciplines, and healthcare informatics capabilities that align technology investments with organizational mission and values. His collaborative leadership approach and focus on business alignment have delivered measurable efficiencies while advancing clinical and operational excellence. He is passionate about service-oriented IT leadership that enables Washington Regional to deliver excellent patient care.
Bruce Darrow, MD, PhD. CIO and CMIO of the Mount Sinai Health System (New York City). Dr. Darrow was appointed CIO of Mount Sinai Health System in November 2024, bringing to the role a unique blend of clinical, academic and informatics expertise. A board-certified cardiologist and clinical informaticist, Dr. Darrow treats patients with a wide range of cardiovascular conditions while advancing health IT to improve care delivery and outcomes. Throughout his career, he has received numerous honors for medical education and patient care, including the Dr. Joseph N. Muschel “Housestaff Award” and multiple Solomon Berson teaching awards. He is a four-time recipient of the “Cullman Family Award” for excellence in physician communication. Dr. Darrow is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and an active member of the American Heart Association.
Myra Davis. Executive Vice President and Chief Information and Innovation Officer at Texas Children’s Hospital (Houston). Ms. Davis leads enterprise technology, AI-driven digital innovation and cybersecurity strategy for the largest children’s hospital in the nation, overseeing a 600-person IT organization supporting more than 140 sites and 5 million patient encounters annually. Her leadership has accelerated digital transformation across clinical, operational and research environments, with a focus on scalable AI, intelligent automation and secure digital infrastructure. Under her direction, Texas Children’s has expanded ambient documentation, virtual care, remote patient monitoring and data governance capabilities that improve access, strengthen care delivery and enhance workforce efficiency. The organization also has a reputation for using AI effectively, including use of a proprietary model that automates bone age assessment and reduces radiologists’ image interpretation time. Together, these initiatives have delivered tens of millions of dollars in net revenue through clinical documentation integrity and reduced clinical workload and turnaround times. Ms. Davis also modernized the organization’s cybersecurity program, earning a No. 1 national healthcare cybersecurity ranking, while maintaining Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society stage 7 designations and Magnet status. Ms. Davis is also a multiple-time ORBIE “CIO of the Year” honoree and a College of Healthcare Information Management Executives faculty member.
Joe Diver. Vice President and CIO at Signature Healthcare (Brockton, Mass.). Mr. Diver is Signature Healthcare’s vice president and CIO, a role where he leverages more than 25 years of health IT leadership to advance digital transformation and organizational independence. He is a leading advocate for interoperability, spearheading Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources-first strategies and adoption of the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement framework to enable seamless data exchange across disparate systems. His leadership was pivotal during Signature Healthcare’s recovery and reopening following a major facility disruption, ensuring technology stability and operational readiness. Mr. Diver prioritizes reducing cognitive burden on clinicians by delivering curated, deduplicated data to support real-time decision-making and reduce burnout. He brings a “COO mindset” to IT, tightly aligning technical strategy with operational and business realities. Beyond the organization, he is an active national voice in digital health, sharing insights through industry forums, speaking engagements and advisory roles.
Tracy Donegan. Chief Information and Innovation Officer of Martin Luther King Jr. Community Healthcare (Los Angeles). Ms. Donegan has more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry, including time as assistant vice president of Cognizant Healthcare Provider’s consulting practice before joining Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital. She has experience with business process transformation, consolidation and large-scale technology implementations. Ms. Donegan supports the hospital’s leaders in achieving their objectives with technology focused on population health, healthcare delivery models and value-based reimbursement.
Jake Dorst. Chief Innovation Officer and CIO of Tahoe Forest Health System (Truckee, Calif.). Mr. Dorst oversees the IT department at Tahoe Forest Health System, where he led the system’s efforts to unify EHR and provide better coordinated care. He also modernized the health system’s infrastructure to improve the network performance across the system’s two hospitals and six specialty clinics.
Michael Dozier. CIO at Singing River Health System (Pascagoula, Miss.). Mr. Dozier serves as CIO at Singing River Health System, where he leads enterprise technology and digital strategy in support of clinical, operational and business priorities. He oversees a team of more than 110 professionals across infrastructure, cybersecurity, enterprise resource planning, Epic and enterprise systems, aligning technology investments with organizational strategy while maintaining strong governance and resiliency. Under his leadership, the health system implemented an enterprise SD-WAN and firewall environment. The system also deployed a cloud-first hybrid architecture that integrates on-premises systems, co-located data centers and public cloud platforms to improve performance, security and disaster recovery. He has led migrations of mission-critical platforms, including the transition to Workday for human resources and the implementation of a cloud-based telephony solution that replaced legacy systems. Mr. Dozier also designed and launched a centralized call and contact center to improve access and scheduling, while introducing AI-driven clinical tools that enhance physician documentation efficiency and decision-making. Mr. Dozier brings prior executive leadership over ambulatory and consumer-facing service lines.
Robert Eardley. CIO at University Hospitals (Cleveland). University Hospitals’ CIO, Mr. Eardley, leads enterprise IT strategy for a health system of more than 30,000 caregivers across 21 hospitals, more than 50 health centers and outpatient facilities, and 200-plus physician offices in 16 counties. He oversees the EHR and clinical IT systems, information security, infrastructure, digital solutions and enterprise analytics, and IT innovation and development. He is known for a clear technology philosophy centered on making tools simple, intuitive and mobile for patients and caregivers. This year, he led continued optimization of the EHR used by more than 27,000 clinical caregivers and 5,000 providers, delivering time-saving enhancements that expanded patient scheduling access, automated waitlist programs, strengthened outreach tools to support outcomes, and piloted AI capabilities to improve efficiency and experience. He has also driven the system’s transition toward cloud-based computing, including migration to Microsoft Exchange Online and the move of more than 250 million files and 250 terabytes of data from on-premises servers to the cloud. Mr. Eardley co-chairs the system’s Digital Consumer Journey Council and the Emerging Technology Council, aligning digital access and innovation priorities with operational needs.
Sha Edathumparampil. Chief Digital and Information Officer for Baptist Health South Florida (Coral Gables, Fla.). Mr. Edathumparampil was appointed CIDO of Baptist Health South Florida in May 2024, where he leads all functions of the organization’s technology and digital division. In this role, he is responsible for advancing enterprisewide digital transformation while strengthening technology operations and customer service for physicians, staff and patients. Mr. Edathumparampil leverages digital platforms, data and AI to improve patient access, enhance provider and consumer experiences, and drive operational efficiency. During his tenure at Baptist Health, he has led major initiatives including the development of the system’s digital front door through the PineApp, expansion of advanced analytics capabilities, and the introduction of AI in both operational and clinical settings. He has also overseen product management, systemwide EHR standardization, and financial stewardship of the technology and digital division. Prior to Baptist Health, Mr. Edathumparampil served as chief data officer and vice president of technology at American Century Investments and held senior technology leadership roles at BMO Financial Group, The Walt Disney Company, Sabre Inc. and Fidelity Investments, bringing a strong consumer- and data-driven perspective to healthcare innovation.
Mike Elder. Vice President and CIO at Phoebe Putney Health System (Albany, Ga.). In his vice president and CIO role, Mr. Elder directs enterprise IT strategy and operations for a nonprofit system serving more than a half-million residents across Southwest Georgia. He leads digital initiatives across three hospitals, family medicine clinics, specialty physician offices and rehabilitation facilities, with a focus on streamlining services and strengthening patient care through modern technology. A central priority of his role is the implementation and ongoing support of the Meditech Expanse EHR across all system facilities, including extending the EHR to more than 200 ambulatory providers and advancing a hospice implementation. Under his leadership, Phoebe consolidated outpatient EHR capabilities onto a unified platform, piloting the Expanse Ambulatory platform in five clinics before scaling systemwide to support seamless access to patient information. He has also partnered with clinical leaders to address workforce pressures through workflow optimization and point-of-care devices designed to reduce documentation burden and burnout. Through the Future of Nursing Committee, the system has also launched a virtual nurse program aimed at improving retention, efficiency and care delivery. Mr. Elder’s work has helped position the system as a College of Healthcare Information Management Executives “Digital Health Most Wired” award recipient.
Amy Feaster. Chief Digital and Information Officer at Children’s Hospital Colorado (Aurora). Via her CDIO role, Ms. Feaster is transforming the IT division at Children’s Hospital Colorado with a focus on people, performance and patient safety. She has built high-performing teams across a pediatric system serving more than 300,000 children annually, while strengthening a clinical content program that ensures the EHR supports evidence-based practice, medication safety and regulatory requirements. With more than 37 years of experience, she has led the implementation of multiple Epic EHR capabilities, advancing both clinical reliability and operational consistency. Under her leadership, the organization has achieved top-tier performance in Epic’s “honor roll” for six consecutive years and generated more than $2 million in Epic incentives. She has also driven measurable operational gains, including reducing help desk abandonment from 38% to under 5%, and delivering ambulatory optimization and charge automation efforts that each produced more than $2 million in annual or cumulative financial impact. Her modernization work includes secure clinical communications that reduced pager reliance and saved more than $250,000 annually, and a wide area network upgrade that improved redundancy while lowering costs. Ms. Feaster has overseen more than 50 AI-driven solutions, as well as a robust disaster recovery and business continuity program that was designed to strengthen resilience against ransomware and other disruptions.
Dave Fiser. Senior Vice President and CIO of The MetroHealth System (Cleveland). Mr. Fiser was promoted to senior vice president and CIO of The MetroHealth System in April 2023. Prior to joining the system as vice president and CIO in 2018, he served as vice president and CIO of Cleveland Clinic Akron (Ohio) General for nearly a decade. In his current role, he oversees IT for the health system, which includes four hospitals and more than 20 health centers as well as 40 additional sites that support around 1.4 million visits per year. MetroHealth recently reached the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives’ “Level 10 Digital Health Most Wired” status, as well as “Summa Cum Laude” for Epic’s honor roll. Mr. Fiser was an enterprise finalist for the 2026 Ohio ORBIE “CIO of the Year” award.
Peter M. Fleischut, MD. Group Senior Vice President and Chief Information and Transformation Officer at NewYork-Presbyterian (New York City). Dr. Fleischut oversees the strategic vision and execution of enterprise information technology, data and analytics, AI, cybersecurity, innovation, and key operational domains including laboratory, pharmacy and provider services. In this expansive role, he is responsible for aligning digital and operational transformation with clinical excellence across one of the nation’s leading academic health systems. Dr. Fleischut has been instrumental in developing NewYork-Presbyterian’s award-winning digital health services and leading the implementation of clinical operations at the David H. Koch Center, a state-of-the-art ambulatory care facility. Previously, as senior vice president and chief transformation officer, he led the creation of a single EHR spanning NewYork-Presbyterian and its academic partners, Weill Cornell Medicine and Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. He also spearheaded efforts to standardize care delivery across the system’s hospitals and extensive network of clinics and physician practices. In addition, Dr. Fleischut oversaw all aspects of graduate medical education across the enterprise, ensuring alignment between education, operations and quality of care.
Jerry Fox. Chief Information and Digital Officer at BJC Health System (St. Louis). Mr. Fox is responsible for IT, information security operations, biomedical engineering technology and digital initiatives across BJC’s hospitals, clinics, service organizations and programs. He spearheaded BJC’s shift to telehealth and virtual care services, enhancing online features for quicker execution and scheduling functionality, thus resulting in significant new patient growth. Under Mr. Fox’s leadership, BJC introduced interactive online triage functions that allow patients to enter in symptoms and receive on-demand virtual care, specific to their conditions, which has resulted in an approximately 70% increase in digital platforms usage. Mr. Fox also serves as executive co-sponsor for the system’s consumer-centric initiatives and as a board member for College Bound St. Louis.
Mark Galea. Senior Vice President and CIO at Willis Knighton Health (Shreveport, La.). Mr. Galea oversees IT, digital strategy, AI, analytics strategy and enterprise technology transformation at Willis Knighton Health. Since assuming the vice president and CIO role in 2023, he has driven modernization focused on optimizing the Meditech Expanse EHR, strengthening IT service delivery, advancing automation and ensuring secure infrastructure. He instituted a three-part approach to centralize data governance, pairing governance and data management programs with advanced analytics models to improve transparency and decision-making. Mr. Galea also introduced the IT infrastructure library framework and a standardized project management methodology to professionalize delivery and accelerate reliable deployments. A defining achievement has been orchestrating the deployment of Meditech Expanse EHR across approximately 140 clinics in 12 to 14 months, including specialty-specific models to optimize workflows and improve interoperability. He established a cross-functional AI Governance Council and formalized enterprise policies to guide ethical, responsible AI adoption. By restructuring IT spending, converting contractor roles to employees and consolidating redundant systems, he funded modernization without increasing overall budget and reduced analytics unit costs by 30% while tripling report output. Under his leadership, the system earned College of Healthcare Information Management Executives “Digital Health Most Wired” recognition in its first submission, achieving “Level 8” for acute care and “Level 9” for ambulatory care.
Michael A. Garcia. Senior Vice President and CIO at Jackson Health System (Miami). Serving as senior vice president and CIO of Jackson Health System, Mr. Garcia oversees enterprise IT strategy, operations, cybersecurity, digital transformation and data governance for one of the nation’s largest public health systems. He leads teams responsible for building workflows, policies and platforms that enable collaboration across clinical, operational and technical domains. With more than 20 years of healthcare leadership experience, he has driven systemwide modernization efforts spanning clinical, financial and diagnostic technologies. Mr. Garcia is recognized for bridging clinical operations, business needs and technology to improve care delivery and operational performance. His leadership has strengthened cybersecurity, enhanced interoperability and expanded digital capabilities across the organization. Through collaborative partnerships, he positions technology as a catalyst for efficiency, innovation and high-quality patient care.
Eric Gasser, RN. CIO and Vice President of Information Systems at Wooster (Ohio) Community Hospital Health System. Mr. Gasser is the vice president of information systems and CIO at Wooster Community Hospital Health System. There, he provides strategic oversight for information systems, telecommunications and telehealth. A registered nurse by training, he brings a clinician’s perspective to enterprise IT leadership, helping align technology decisions with real-world care delivery needs. He has led system integration across multiple platforms while establishing robust security policies and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. One of his signature initiatives, the “Free Up Nurses’ Time” program, engaged frontline nurses to optimize documentation and workflows, resulting in forecasted savings of approximately 1,600 nursing hours annually. Mr. Gasser is also the system’s security information officer, responsible for HIPAA, security and interoperability compliance. He regularly shares the system’s innovations at national forums as a rural health IT leader.
Jeff M. Gautney. Senior Vice President and CIO of Rush University System for Health (Chicago). Mr. Gautney serves as senior vice president and CIO at Rush University System for Health, where he leads a team of more than 500 IT professionals supporting the organization’s patient care, academic, and research missions. With more than 40 years of experience across provider, vendor and professional services environments, he brings deep perspective on how technology can enable large, complex health systems. Prior to joining Rush in 2021, Mr. Gautney was a managing director with Deloitte Consulting’s health provider technology strategy and architecture practice. He remains highly engaged in national health IT leadership, participating in initiatives such as the Health Management Academy’s AI Catalyst program, Avia’s GenAI Collaborative, and the White House–sponsored Healthcare AI Commitments collective. In addition, Gautney has contributed to workforce development and education as an adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University and through leadership roles within Rush’s Health Systems Management program.
Eric Goodwin. CIO for Universal Health Services (King of Prussia, Pa.). Mr. Goodwin serves as CIO for Universal Health Services, where he oversees information systems operations for the organization’s acute care and behavioral health divisions, as well as the corporate office. A senior healthcare IT executive, he is recognized for aligning technology, analytics and digital capabilities with enterprise strategy, all while delivering value through large-scale implementation and optimization initiatives. His priorities include advancing analytics platforms, modernizing revenue cycle solutions, expanding digital and mobile assets for consumers and physicians, and driving continuous EHR optimization. Under his leadership, UHS has successfully embedded AI into both clinical and administrative workflows, producing measurable results that extend well beyond experimentation. Mr. Goodwin emphasizes practical AI deployment built on strong foundations, featuring effective prompt engineering, tailored models, integrated data access and seamless workflow integration. One notable example includes an AI-enabled appeals process that helps clinical staff rapidly analyze potential payment denials, summarize patient histories, ensure payer compliance and generate high-quality appeal letters, significantly improving efficiency.
Tom Gordon. Senior Vice President and CIO at Virtua Health (Marlton, N.J.). Serving as senior vice president and CIO at Virtua Health, Mr. Gordon leads enterprise technology strategy, supporting care delivery across more than 400 locations, which includes five acute care hospitals, a large physician enterprise, home health and a broad outpatient footprint. He oversees a highly integrated environment of more than 300 applications, network and telecommunications infrastructure, and production and disaster recovery data centers. Since joining the system in 1997, he has led teams across web platforms, application development and integration, databases and business intelligence, affording him deep institutional knowledge. A defining achievement of his tenure has been leading the strategy, planning and execution of Virtua’s Epic EHR implementation, uniting hospitals and Virtua Medical Group practices on a single information-sharing platform. He also directed key IT work for the Lourdes Health System integration following Virtua’s acquisition, enabling operational alignment and continuity of care. In 2025, he led the launch of a new enterprise resource planning system to automate and optimize enterprise workflows while continuing to expand Virtua’s digital front door and virtual care models, including virtual ICU, inpatient virtual nursing and centralized capacity management. Under his stewardship, Virtua has earned College of Healthcare Information Management Executives “Most Wired” recognition for 14 consecutive years, and “Level 10” for the second year running.
Cherodeep “Chero” Goswami. Chief Information and Digital Officer for Providence (Renton, Wash.). Mr. Goswami serves as chief information and digital officer at Providence, overseeing all technology functions, cybersecurity, AI and digital platform strategy across one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the U.S. In his role, he drives initiatives to reduce administrative burdens for clinicians and implements transformative technologies aligned with Providence’s mission to serve vulnerable populations. Prior to joining Providence, he was system vice president and chief information and digital officer at Madison, Wis.-based UW Health, where he led strategic direction for IT, AI integration and digital innovation. He also held multiple leadership roles at BJC Healthcare in St. Louis, including vice president of business relationship management, guiding enterprisewide tech strategies. In addition to healthcare, his experience spans finance, telecommunications and transportation.
Clara Guixa. Chief Information and Digital Officer at Baystate Health (Springfield, Mass.). As CIDO at Baystate Health, Ms. Guixa leads the system’s strategic and operational IT and digital agenda across Baystate and its affiliates, with a focus on advancing the Baystate 2030 strategy. She directs the planning, development and execution of digital initiatives that support clinical care, operational performance and enterprise growth. Ms. Guixa has established tiered governance structures to align technology decisions with organizational priorities and strengthen accountability and transparency. She has formalized enterprise technical standards and led the modernization of core platforms, all while streamlining the application ecosystem to reduce complexity and improve reliability. Drawing on more than 25 years in healthcare IT, she is recognized for expertise in interoperability, optimization, business process transformation, and cyber and information security, including experience helping implement a single Epic EHR in prior roles. With a leadership style grounded in standards, metrics and value realization, she aligns digital investment with measurable outcomes for caregivers, patients and communities.
Adriana Guzman. CIO at Loretto Hospital (Chicago). Ms. Guzman assumed the role of CIO at Loretto in December 2023, with duties including management and oversight of a new Meditech Expanse implementation project. She is also in charge of the entire IT staff and its functions, leading digital transformation, enterprise IT strategy and cybersecurity. She leads technological initiatives that streamline clinical workflows, elevate patient outcomes, and modernize infrastructure to meet the demands of today’s healthcare environment. Ms. Guzman advances zero-trust architectures, advanced encryption protocols, and proactive risk management practices to safeguard sensitive patient information, ensure regulatory compliance and protect healthcare organizations against cyber threats. She also brings strong negotiating capabilities to the technology and consulting aspects of her role. She brings more than two decades of experience to her role, and has been a key player in the implementation of healthcare software programs and in complex system integrations.
David Hall, MD. CIO at OSF HealthCare (Peoria, Ill.). Dr. Hall has been the CIO at OSF HealthCare since 2020, overseeing more than 470 employees across the IT department. These teams are responsible for all software used by the system and its subsidiary across ambulatory, inpatient, diagnostics, revenue cycle, resource planning and reporting departments, as well as medical and clinical informatics that implement and optimize that technology. The division maintains expert technicians in the IT service, cybersecurity, institute of learning, and technology infrastructure, including two data centers with a total storage of approximately 25 petabytes. His teams support more than 50 clients, not limited to OSF HealthCare, at over 800 locations. His teams’ work has saved tens of millions of dollars in the last several years, lowering IT’s percent of the net patient revenue. In 2025, the system achieved the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives “Most Wired” status, marking the 14th straight year. The system reached “Level 9” status in ambulatory care, inpatient care and long-term/post-acute care. Dr. Hall joined OSF in 1999 in internal medicine-pediatrics, transitioned to informatics in 2006, became vice president and chief medical information officer in 2011, and transitioned to senior vice president, along with retaining the CMIO position, in 2017.
Amanda Hammel. Senior Vice President and CIO of Memorial Hermann Health System (Houston). Ms. Hammel has led one of the largest Epic transformations in the country, executing a $700 million rollout across 15 hospitals and 250 care sites to unify clinical, operational and financial systems at Memorial Hermann Health System. Her efforts have ensured immediate interoperability via Epic’s “Care Everywhere” platform, exchanging millions of records within weeks and improving care coordination across the Houston region. Beyond the EHR, Ms. Hammel has adopted the National Institute of Standards and Technology framework, along with technical playbooks for disaster recovery and continuity, elevating the system’s cybersecurity posture. She is also advancing AI adoption, from clinical applications to personalized digital experiences, while championing IT’s role in population health analytics and in-home care strategies. A mentor and equity advocate, Ms. Hammel supports women-led health tech startups through her role on the IGNITE steering committee.
Justin Harlan, RN. Director of Information Technology at Redlands (Calif.) Community Hospital. Mr. Harlan holds the director of information technology role at Redlands Community Hospital, bringing a registered nurse’s clinical perspective to enterprise technology strategy. In his role, which is equivalent to CIO, he leads strategic technology investment to improve quality, safety and efficiency, overseeing the hospital’s full application portfolio to ensure tools are meaningful and usable for clinicians. Mr. Harlan develops comprehensive three- to five-year technology roadmaps aligned to organizational growth, regulatory requirements and community needs, built through close partnership with physicians, clinical leaders and business stakeholders. He drives IT governance and performance standards in collaboration with executive leadership while overseeing multi-million-dollar modernization projects with strong financial accountability. Anchored in a rigorous IT service management framework, he focuses on resource optimization, workflow streamlining and strengthening the hospital’s cybersecurity posture. His technical depth spans enterprise data warehousing, structured query language, integration, secure file transfer protocol and robotic process automation, supporting initiatives such as hospital care at home, digital front door and automation programs that reduce operational friction and support uninterrupted patient care.
Michael Hasselberg, PhD. Chief Transformation and Digital Officer for Nebraska Medicine (Omaha, Neb.). Dr. Hasselberg assumed the role of chief transformation and digital officer at Nebraska Medicine in September 2025, bringing deep expertise at the intersection of clinical care, digital innovation and academic research. He is responsible for advancing enterprise transformation initiatives that leverage digital health, data science and AI to improve care delivery, access and health outcomes. Dr. Hasselberg spent his career at the University of Rochester (N.Y.) Medicine, where he progressed from nursing assistant to inpatient nurse before moving into senior research and innovation leadership roles. Most recently, he served as chief digital health officer and co-director of the UR Health Lab, the system’s digital innovation incubator. A nationally recognized thought leader, Dr. Hasselberg has led groundbreaking work in AI, rural health, behavioral science, entrepreneurship and clinical research. He is a professor of psychiatry, clinical nursing and data science, and was named by Rock Health as one of the “Top 50 in Digital Health” for advancing health equity through technology during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Billy Helmandollar. CIO at DCH Health System (Tuscaloosa, Ala.). Serving as CIO of DCH Health System, Mr. Helmandollar directs all technology operations for an 880-bed system encompassing three hospitals, a cancer center, specialty services, home health and physician practices. He leads a team of approximately 50 IT professionals and is responsible for aligning technology strategy with clinical quality, operational efficiency and business growth. Under his leadership, DCH successfully implemented Meditech Expanse during the Covid-19 pandemic, eliminating more than 450 customizations, reducing system costs and improving physician workflows. His initiatives have delivered measurable results, including a 15-day reduction in the billing cycle, annual savings of up to $100,000 through system optimization, and improved outcomes in sepsis and fall risk management. Mr. Helmandollar has also driven gains in patient safety, helping elevate Leapfrog safety grades and medication scanning compliance.
Nolan Hennessee. Vice President and CIO at St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System (Savannah, Ga.). Mr. Hennessee serves as vice president and CIO of St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System, overseeing all aspects of IT for a two-hospital, 714-bed regional health system with a large employed physician group. He leads the selection and implementation of technology solutions that support operational excellence and the organization’s mission to treat illness and promote wellness for all people. Under his leadership, the system has advanced a “one patient, one record” strategy, bringing more than 100 physicians onto a single integrated EHR across ambulatory, acute, emergency and oncology settings. He also guided implementation of an integrated oncology solution connecting the Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion with infusion and radiation sites. Mr. Hennessee’s work aligns technology with health equity and community wellness initiatives across a diverse regional footprint. A College of Healthcare Information Management Executives-certified healthcare CIO, he also serves as the system’s CISO, reinforcing secure, patient-centered digital care delivery.
Donette Herring, RN. CIO for ECU Health (Greenville, N.C.). With more than three decades of experience in nursing, consulting and IT leadership, Ms. Herring has led ECU Health’s digital transformation since 2013, blending clinical insight with technological expertise. Her nursing-informed approach ensures that digital solutions improve patient outcomes, operational efficiency and clinical team wellbeing. Ms. Herring oversaw the integration of IT systems with East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine and championed innovations like MyChart Bedside and the “Hello World” texting initiative, directly benefiting over 1.4 million patients in rural North Carolina. She led ECU Health to achieve “Level 8 Digital Health Most Wired” recognition from the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives in 2024 for excellence in infrastructure, analytics, patient engagement and more. Beyond technology, she is passionate about nurturing future healthcare leaders.
Steve Hess. CIO of UCHealth (Aurora, Colo.). Mr. Hess oversees IT for UCHealth, a nonprofit health system with a workforce of more than 35,000 people and an operating revenue of $9 billion. The system includes 14 hospitals and more than 2,500 inpatient beds, along with over 200 clinic locations. Mr. Hess manages the enterprise EHR system, website and patient portal. Prior to becoming CIO of the system, he was CIO of University of Colorado Hospital and spent time as CIO of ChristianaCare in Newark, Del.
George T. “Buddy” Hickman. Chief Digital and Information Officer at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (Buffalo, N.Y.). Mr. Hickman leads the planning, development and implementation of technology policy and activation across Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, founded in 1898 as the first facility of its kind. Since Mr. Hickman joined Roswell Park in early 2024, his team has delivered advances translating to benefits for patients, clinicians, researchers and workforce members. His work has helped stand up a framework for shared leadership and governance of progressive digital health and IT, organizationwide AI policy and governance, AI integration, data and development efforts with clinical, translational and scientific research colleagues, as well as an IT improvement plan based on internally led assessments and surveys. His team has also developed patient and workforce applications, improved infrastructure resiliency and raised the customer experience. Mr. Hickman has served the health industry as a CIO for more than two decades, touching every facet of the clinical and business continuum while supporting academic and research missions. An industry speaker, author and mentor in digital health leadership, he is a past board chair for the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, actively serves on industry and vendor advisory boards. He is a past recipient of the “John E. Gall Jr. CIO of the Year Award” from CHIME and HIMSS.
Stephanie Hines, RN. Senior Vice President and CIO at Valleywise Health (Phoenix). Ms. Hines is senior vice president and CIO for Valleywise Health, Arizona’s public teaching hospital and safety net health system. She oversees enterprise IT and health technology strategy across an acute care hospital, behavioral health facilities, federally qualified health centers and other system components. Her scope includes infrastructure, clinical informatics, applications, data and analytics, cybersecurity, health technology management and IT project management. Leveraging her clinical background as a registered nurse, Ms. Hines aligns technology initiatives with patient safety, regulatory compliance and cost-effective care delivery. Under her leadership, Valleywise Health earned its first Epic “honor roll – cum laude” designation, reflecting measurable improvements in clinical workflows and decision-making. She also serves nationally on the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives “Most Wired” validation team, contributing to industry standards for digital excellence.
David Hotchkiss. Chief Information and Security Officer and Vice President of Information Services at Medical College of Wisconsin (Milwaukee). In his role as CISO and vice president of information services at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Mr. Hotchkiss leads enterprise technology and cybersecurity strategy, supporting business operations and the care of more than 520,000 patients annually through MCW’s clinical partner health systems. He oversees a team of more than 100 information services and security professionals focused on maintaining and improving secure, efficient operating systems for faculty, learners and the broader organization. Since stepping into the CIO role in October 2012, he has driven MCW’s shift from IT as an administrative utility to an enterprisewide enabler of productivity, collaboration and streamlined workflows. He was instrumental in establishing MCW’s first research computing center, providing large-scale storage and computing to support a $164 million research mission. He also led the development of a hybrid cloud strategy to support a mobile workforce and learners. Mr. Hotchkiss also created an AI strategy workshop to align stakeholders around an ethical, human-centered AI roadmap for the academic medical center. During the Covid-19 pandemic, his teams launched a new telepsychiatry service in under 48 hours and enabled rapid transition to an online School of Medicine curriculum while prioritizing platform security. He is also known for strengthening cross-organizational alignment with clinical partners, including Milwaukee-based Froedtert Health and Inception Health, and has been recognized with a 2024 ORBIE award and MCW’s “Distinguished Service Award” in 2025.
Michelle Hurtarte. Vice President and CIO at Nicklaus Children’s Health System (Miami). As Nicklaus Children’s Health System’s vice president and CIO, Ms. Hurtarte leads enterprise technology strategy supporting the delivery of highly specialized pediatric care. She oversees clinical and business systems, infrastructure, cybersecurity, data governance, analytics and digital transformation initiatives across the organization. Working closely with executive leaders, physicians and operational teams, she ensures technology investments align with clinical priorities, regulatory requirements and long-term growth. Her leadership has focused on optimizing EHR performance, strengthening interoperability and maintaining high availability of mission-critical systems. Ms. Hurtarte also prioritizes cybersecurity and risk management to safeguard patient and organizational data in an increasingly complex threat environment. In addition, she directs IT financial planning, vendor strategy and governance to ensure responsible stewardship of resources.
Eric Jimenez. CIO of Artesia (N.M.) General Hospital. Mr. Jimenez directs all IT operations at Artesia General Hospital, managing the annual budget and an IT team. He consolidated three EHR systems into one enterprise platform, and led the construction of a new data center that secures the hospital’s long-term growth and stability. Mr. Jimenez’s strategic cybersecurity framework has earned industry accolades, including the “Stage 6″ analytics EHR adoption model recognition from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society and multiple “Most Wired” awards from the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives. He also introduced a phishing prevention campaign that reduced risk by 54% and has developed disaster recovery protocols aligned with national standards. Mr. Jimenez brings more than 20 years in healthcare IT to his current role.
Tony Johnston. CIO and Senior Vice President of Information Services for Cincinnati Children’s. With more than 30 years of pediatric health IT leadership, Mr. Johnston has helped shape Cincinnati Children’s into a national leader in digital innovation. He co-developed the hospital’s AI literacy curriculum, “AI 101”, ensuring every employee gains proficiency in emerging technologies. Mr. Johnston also led the deployment of Epic, constructed the system’s enterprise data center, and introduced the first-ever augmented reality and virtual reality training center inside a hospital. His vision has positioned information services as a collaborative partner in advancing patient care and institutional excellence. The health system has earned consistent honors under his tenure, including the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives’ “Digital Health Most Wired” recognition and Forbes’ “Best Employer” accolades. Mr. Johnston also serves on numerous national advisory boards, driving the healthcare technology conversation at both regional and national levels.
Jason Joseph. Chief Digital and Information Officer at Corewell Health (Grand Rapids and Southfield, Mich.). Mr. Joseph leads strategic and operational information services at Corewell Health, with a primary focus on simplifying and enhancing the healthcare experience for the system’s patients, health plan members, teams and communities. Through easy-to-use digital platforms, applications, technology and medical devices, Mr. Joseph and his team aim to make health more accessible and equitable. He also leads the system’s efforts in cybersecurity, data and analytics, clinical technology and emergency preparedness. In 2026, looking at AI governance and data practices, he aims to keep fortifying the system’s data foundation that underpins enterprisewide AI.
Bruk Kammerman. Senior Vice President and CIO for Avera (Sioux Falls, S.D.). Mr. Kammerman became senior vice president and CIO of Avera in February 2021, responsible for creating and delivering on its IT vision and plan to become a data-driven organization. He also supports consumer experience initiatives and leads digital technology implementations. Mr. Kammerman was regional CIO of MultiCare Health System in Spokane, Wash., before joining Avera. Prior, he held several healthcare CIO roles.
Doug King. Senior Vice President and CIO for Northwestern Medicine (Chicago). Mr. King serves as senior vice president and CIO at Northwestern Medicine, where he leads enterprise information technology and digital strategy for one of the nation’s leading academic health systems. In this role, he and his team leverage advanced technology and AI to enhance patient care, improve operational efficiency and support sustainable organizational growth. Mr. King is a strong advocate for thoughtful, disciplined investment in digital capabilities, emphasizing collaboration across clinical, operational and technology teams to ensure meaningful outcomes. His leadership focuses on aligning innovation with patient safety, clinician experience and long-term system performance. Mr. King has been with Northwestern Medicine for nearly nine years and has held the CIO role for more than six years, providing continuity and strategic consistency during a period of rapid digital advancement.
Joel Klein, MD. Executive Vice President, Chief Digital and Information Officer at Hackensack Meridian Health (Edison, N.J.). Dr. Klein holds the executive vice president and CIDO position at Hackensack Meridian Health, overseeing technology infrastructure, applications, AI, analytics, cybersecurity and digital outreach across 18 hospitals and more than 500 patient care locations. He leads a team of more than 1,000 and manages more than $500 million in annual capital and operating budget, supporting care delivery, research, medical education and air medical transportation. Drawing on two decades as an emergency physician, Dr. Klein brings frontline clinical insight to technology governance, change management and operational readiness. Since joining the system in 2025, his early priorities have included strengthening IT security and governance while overseeing a transformational transition to Workday to improve payroll, accounts payable, supply chain and other enterprise financial operations for a workforce of roughly 38,000 and 7,000 physicians. He is also advancing responsible AI use cases, including tools designed to improve operating room efficiency and scale across the system. Previously, as senior vice president and CIO of the Baltimore-based University of Maryland Medical System, he led an organizationwide digital transformation with a single Epic clinical system, implemented Infor ERP, completed a multi-year network overhaul and directed command response through major operational disruptions.
Matt Kull. Chief Information and Digital Strategy Officer for Inova (Falls Church, Va.). Mr. Kull leads all technology and digital strategy for Inova, where he has been a driving force behind the organization’s innovation journey and digital transformation. He successfully implemented AI-powered healthcare solutions such as Hyro and Abridge, enhancing patient interactions, clinical documentation, overall experience and efficiency. Under his leadership, Inova was the first in the nation to earn The Joint Commission’s “Responsible Use of Health Data” certification, highlighting his ability to champion innovation while safeguarding data privacy. His prior roles at Cleveland Clinic and Dallas-based Parkland Health included overseeing global tech expansions and implementing groundbreaking infrastructure like quantum computing and 5G-enabled hospitals. Mr. Kull’s expertise has been recognized nationally, including features in Forbes and numerous “CIO of the Year” accolades from Inspire CIO, DallasCIO and D CEO Magazine.
Craig Kwiatkowski, PharmD. Senior Vice President of Enterprise Information Services and CIO for Cedars-Sinai (Los Angeles). At Cedars-Sinai, Dr. Kwiatkowski leads technology operations and oversees clinical technology and day-to-day information services strategy across the health system. In this role, he is responsible for ensuring that enterprise IT capabilities reliably support high-quality care, clinical efficiency and operational excellence. Dr. Kwiatkowski has spent more than a decade at Cedars-Sinai, holding a series of progressively senior leadership roles that have given him deep insight into both clinical and enterprise systems. Earlier in his tenure, he served as executive director of application systems, guiding inpatient, ambulatory and outpatient application platforms. Most recently, he was vice president and associate CIO of applications, with responsibility for the organization’s full enterprise application portfolio. His leadership has been recognized through multiple honors, including the Cedars-Sinai “President’s Award” and the “Friend of Nursing” award. Before joining Cedars-Sinai, Dr. Kwiatkowski held clinical and operational leadership roles at the University of Chicago Medical Center, including directing drug information and leading the pharmacy informatics program.
Brent Lamm. Senior Vice President and CIO at UNC Health (Chapel Hill, N.C.). Mr. Lamm is the senior vice president and CIO for UNC Health, leading enterprise technology strategy, operational excellence and digital innovation for one of North Carolina’s largest health systems. He leads the information services division with emphasis on value realization, standardization, security and service excellence, advancing data- and AI-enabled capabilities that support patient care and clinical operations. As co-chair of the Information Services Oversight Committee, he modernizes governance across IT, analytics and clinical engineering to strengthen alignment, enable enterprise decision-making and reduce risk. Under his leadership, UNC Health has advanced systemwide initiatives including Epic optimization, AI-enabled clinical documentation, connected device lifecycle management and cybersecurity readiness. He is recognized for building strong partnerships with clinical and operational leaders through on-site engagement across the state, ensuring technology priorities reflect local needs and system strategy. Mr. Lamm has also operationalized a value realization function to measure and communicate the impact of digital investments and launched an “Unrivaled Service Experience” initiative to improve service consistency and position IT as a proactive advisor. His work has supported outcomes like large-scale Epic optimization productivity gains and enterprise AI rollout momentum.
Brian Lancaster. Senior Vice President and CIO of Children’s Mercy Kansas City (Mo.). As CIO, Mr. Lancaster has led Children’s Mercy Kansas City through a major digital transformation, including an EHR transition from Oracle Health to Epic and a hybrid cloud infrastructure deployment using Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. These efforts have created new opportunities for informatics and cloud engineering while improving care delivery and operational scalability. Under his leadership, the organization was selected for a $10 million Amazon Web Services grant to support children’s health innovation. Mr. Lancaster held previous leadership roles at Omaha-based Nebraska Medicine and Cerner, where he honed his experience in health IT transformation.
Will Landry. Senior Vice President and CIO for FMOL Health (Baton Rouge, La.). Mr. Landry serves as senior vice president and CIO for FMOL Health, where he leads enterprise technology strategy for a Catholic health system with hospitals and ambulatory locations across Louisiana and Mississippi. A healthcare IT executive with more than 20 years of experience spanning wholesale, retail and healthcare environments, he brings deep expertise in cloud infrastructure management, data center design and enterprise architecture. Mr. Landry has been a strong advocate for modernizing legacy technology, emphasizing that traditional on-premise systems cannot meet the resiliency, business continuity and disaster recovery demands of today’s health systems. Under his leadership, FMOL Health has focused on leveraging cloud-based platforms, automation and virtualization to improve reliability while significantly reducing IT operating expenses. He is also recognized for his strengths in software application design and large-scale implementation, ensuring technology solutions align with clinical and business needs.
Josh Lee, MD. Senior Vice President and CIO at TMC Health (Tucson, Ariz.). TMC Health’s senior vice president and CIO, Dr. Lee, leads enterprise strategy for information, data and technology while overseeing all functions of the information services department. In a distinctive dual role, he also practices as an internist and continues to see patients at TMCOne offices, bringing frontline clinical insight to digital strategy. Under his leadership, TMC Health advanced enterprise AI adoption through DAX, an ambient AI scribe designed to reduce documentation time and enable physicians to focus more on patient care. He is also leading the development of AI-driven patient flow capabilities to optimize bed utilization and length of stay. Dr. Lee has driven patient engagement and access improvements, with MyChart utilization exceeding industry benchmarks and expanded deployment of MyChart Bedside keeping hospitalized patients better informed. He also mentors future clinicians as an associate professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine.
Naomi Lenane. CIO and Senior Vice President of Information Services for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston). Since assuming her role in 2017, Ms. Lenane has been responsible for all software and infrastructure supporting Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s clinical and business operations. She is recognized for her business-oriented approach to leading technology initiatives from inception through execution. Over more than two decades at Dana-Farber, she has played an integral role in major operational milestones, including serving as the information systems leader for the opening of regional campuses and the Yawkey Center for Cancer Care, implementing a new EHR, and guiding the transition to hybrid work during the Covid-19 pandemic. In the past year, her teams replaced both Dana-Farber’s laboratory information system and enterprise resource planning system. She also led the implementation of a customer relationship management solution that transformed the patient contact experience. Ms. Lenane is a key contributor to several ongoing initiatives, including technology planning efforts for the proposed future cancer hospital. She is an active member of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives and holds its “Certified Healthcare CIO” designation. She also co-chairs SIM Boston Women, supporting women leaders in technology.
Raymond Lowe. Senior Vice President and CIO of AltaMed Health Services (Los Angeles). Mr. Lowe has a background in IT executive leadership, EHR deployment, strategy and financial management. He joined AltaMed Health Services in January 2018 as senior vice president and CIO after spending five years as senior director of IT enterprise technology and infrastructure at Dignity Health in San Francisco. He also has experience as an IT leader with Renton, Wash.-based Providence Health and Services and Kaiser Permanente based in Oakland, Calif.
Roger Lutz. CIO of Independence Health (Butler, Pa.). Mr. Lutz steers IT strategy at Independence Health, bringing nearly three decades of IT and cybersecurity experience to the role. Following the merger of Butler Health and Excela Health, Mr. Lutz has led the integration of systems and resources, tackling fragmentation and building a cohesive, future-focused digital environment. He champions automation and AI to alleviate staffing shortages and streamline operations, improving responsiveness in clinical and administrative workflows. One of his core focuses is interoperability, as he advances application programming interfaces integration to open the EHR for greater patient and provider insight and accessibility. Mr. Lutz is also an adjunct professor, a College of Healthcare Information Management Executives-certified digital health leader, and an FBI InfraGard sector chief. Independence Health’s facilities have earned extensive national recognition in cardiac care, stroke treatment and surgical excellence under his IT leadership.
Scott MacLean. Senior Vice President and CIO at MedStar Health (Columbia, Md.). At MedStar Health, Mr. MacLean oversees informatics, applications, infrastructure, cybersecurity, clinical engineering and unified communications across the $9 billion provider and insurance network affiliated with Georgetown University. As senior vice president and CIO, he leads an 850-person team, including outsourced partners, and is accountable for $300 million in operating and capital budgets while supporting more than 300 care locations, nearly 4,000 physicians and over 9,000 nurses. His teams are implementing Epic while continuing to operate Oracle Health EHR and revenue cycle platforms, stewarding analytic databases that enable proactive clinical and business decision-making. He has negotiated major infrastructure outsourcing agreements to stabilize platforms and prepare the organization for advanced analytics, AI and digital interventions, partnering with innovation and digital transformation leaders to improve care and patient experience. With 29 years in health IT leadership, he previously spent 21 years at Boston-based Mass General Brigham, where he helped develop specialized oncology systems, integrated quality and safety tools across care settings, and strengthened infrastructure to support a unified EHR strategy, including technology planning for a greenfield hospital in Bangkok. Mr. MacLean has chaired national boards including College of Healthcare Information Management Executives and Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, led CRISP Shared Services, and has testified before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee on cybersecurity. He continues to share expertise through national forums and serves on the board of the Alliance for Smart Healthcare Excellence while helping advance MedStar’s “Level 9 CHIME Digital Health Most Wired” achievement in both acute and ambulatory care.
Michael Mainiero. Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Information Officer at Catholic Health (Rockville Centre, N.Y.). As senior vice president and CIDO at Catholic Health, Mr. Mainiero is leading a systemwide digital transformation across six hospitals and dozens of practice locations on Long Island. His scope spans digital strategy and technology solutions, cybersecurity, telehealth, digital engagement, clinical digital experience and infrastructure, positioning technology as a driver of patient safety, quality and operational performance. A centerpiece of his work is spearheading implementation of the Epic EHR, with a focus on optimizing clinical workflows and efficiency while strengthening reliability at the point of care. With more than 25 years at the intersection of technology, design and healthcare delivery, he brings a multidisciplinary approach grounded in user-centered design, agile execution and product management. Prior to joining Catholic Health, he spent more than two decades at NEw York City-based NYU Langone Health, most recently as senior director for digital strategy and innovation. Earlier in his career, he led multiple start-ups and built an EHR from the ground up that was adopted by physician practices across New York City.
TJ Malseed. Chief Digital and Information Officer for Keck Medicine of USC (Los Angeles). Mr. Malseed oversees digital health, IT and cybersecurity across Keck Medicine of USC’s hospitals and clinics, supporting over 20,000 users with a team of nearly 500 IT professionals. Under his leadership, the system has implemented transformative technologies that personalize care beyond traditional settings, including AI scribes for physicians, automated waitlist systems, and expanded remote patient monitoring. He optimized the transfer center with AI to summarize extensive patient records in minutes, dramatically improving patient intake decisions. Mr. Malseed has also championed data democratization by launching a self-service analytics platform that empowers clinical and business users to generate insights independently. He has also led successful IT integrations during complex mergers and acquisitions, extending enterprise systems to thousands of new users. With initiatives like Keck Medicine’s longstanding IT internship program, Mr. Malseed combines innovation with mentorship to shape the next generation of healthcare IT leaders.
Michael Marques. Vice President and CIO at Halifax Health (Daytona Beach, Fla.). As Halifax Health’s vice president and CIO, Mr. Marques leads integrated technology operations spanning infrastructure, cybersecurity, clinical and business applications, data and analytics, digital patient engagement and enterprise support services. He manages a $30 million annual budget and a 220-person team while directing capital planning, governance and enterprise modernization aligned to organizational strategy. A major priority under his leadership is a multi-year transformation that includes an enterprise resource planning migration in 2025 and an EHR vendor migration in 2026, consolidating eight different EHRs to strengthen interoperability across the community. He was instrumental in securing $92 million in total project funding, including $10 million from the State of Florida, to support Halifax Health’s Workday and Epic enterprise initiatives. Beyond large-scale transformations, Mr. Marques has expanded the IT department’s footprint and operating model, housing the full team in a dedicated 36,000-square-foot facility and eliminating shadow IT by bringing clinical engineering into the IT organization. He also led Halifax Health’s first real-time locating systems implementation, an enterprisewide Microsoft 365 rollout, and the creation of a CMIO role to strengthen clinician partnership and governance. He was a 2025 ORBIE finalist for “Florida Healthcare CIO of the Year” and continues to build talent pipelines through university co-ops, apprenticeships and internships.
Novlet Mattis. Senior Vice President and Chief Digital and Information Officer for Orlando (Fla.) Health. With oversight of a multimillion dollar budget and thousands of team members, Ms. Mattis leads Orlando Health’s expansive IT, digital innovation, supply chain, analytics and facility security operations. Her leadership has supported rapid system growth and technology modernization, including Epic consolidation, enterprise resource planning unification and cloud platform implementation. Ms. Mattis also spearheaded a sweeping AI-driven digital platform that supports virtual care, remote monitoring and ambient documentation, resulting in drastically improved safety, satisfaction and operational efficiency. She has built a high-performing IT organization with extremely high retention, and champions employee engagement through development initiatives. Her leadership has earned Orlando Health multiple national awards for health IT, including honors from the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives, Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society and Epic.
Edward McCallister. Senior Vice President and CIO at UPMC (Pittsburgh). Mr. McCallister oversees UPMC’s IT division, leading more than 2,800 IT professionals in the delivery of centralized technology services supporting clinical care, insurance services, research and international operations across more than 40 hospitals and 800 outpatient sites. With more than 35 years in IT and over 25 years at UPMC, he is responsible for enterprise technology strategy, delivery and infrastructure, with a focus on performance, reliability, security and efficiency at scale. Under his leadership, the IT division manages more than 530,000 connected devices, 3,900-plus applications, 200,000-plus medical devices and more than 29,000 databases. A major recent milestone has been leading the wave 1 go-live of the “UPMC Bridges” initiative, a multi-year effort to consolidate nine primary EHRs and numerous applications into a unified Epic-powered record to reduce fragmentation and streamline workflows. He has advanced AI adoption through ambient documentation support and additional AI-enabled capabilities tied to the unified EHR, while also driving large-scale infrastructure modernization to support go-lives and strengthen claims processing and member engagement for UPMC’s insurance businesses. Mr. McCallister has continued to mature cybersecurity incident response, risk management and identity and network security, contributing to UPMC’s fourth consecutive biennial “HITRUST r2” IT infrastructure certification. He is also the founder and executive sponsor of UPMC’s employee resource group for women in IT, and leads mentorship and engagement programs that strengthen culture and talent development.
Sheree McFarland. CIO of the West Florida Division at HCA Healthcare (Tampa and St. Petersburg, Fla.). Ms. McFarland oversees health IT for hospitals, physician practices and other facilities for HCA’s West Florida region. In this role, Ms. McFarland provides strategic planning, budgeting and project management support for the health system. In November 2025, The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives awarded her with the “Digital Health Leader of the Year Award” for her leadership and commitment to the industry. She has previous experience as director of IT for Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, and more than 35 years of total career experience.
Pamela McNutt. Senior Vice President and CIO of Methodist Health System (Dallas). Ms. McNutt has nearly 45 years of health IT. In addition to her 31 year tenure as CIO of the seven-hospital Methodist Health System, Ms. McNutt serves as a member of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives policy steering committee and has recently concluded her 12-year appointment on the Texas Health and Human Services Commission e-health advisory committee. She has also served on the boards of both Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society and College of Healthcare Information Management Executives and was awarded the “John Gall CIO of the Year” award in 2002.
Jeremy Meller. CIO for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Mr. Meller first joined Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta in 2012. He serves as CIO, a role in which he leads strategy and oversight for digital innovation, data analytics, cybersecurity, user experience, and clinical and business applications. He played a key leadership role in launching the new Arthur M. Blank Children’s Hospital, implementing advanced device integration, staff-supporting technologies and patient engagement platforms. His prior career includes CIO roles at Marshfield (Wis.) Clinic and Iowa Heart Center in West Des Moines, as well as leadership roles at Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Spectrum Health and Munson Army Health Center in Leavenworth, Kan. A U.S. Army veteran, Mr. Meller served as chief of information management and earned recognition as the Army’s “Information Management Officer of the Year”. He is a fellow of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society and a member of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives.
Nader Mherabi. Executive Vice President and Vice Dean, Chief Digital and Information Officer of NYU Langone Health (New York City). Mr. Mherabi, executive vice president and vice dean, CIDO, is responsible for all information technology activities for NYU Langone Health and for information technology’s development as a strategic organizational asset. Mr. Mherabi leads NYU Langone Health’s digital transformation initiative, driving the integration of the institution’s workflows, revolutionizing the digital patient experience and clinical environment, and empowering the institution with big data and advanced analytics to improve care delivery and efficiency. He has been at NYU Langone for more than two decades and has since made IT a strategic asset for the system. Through these advancements, the system can increase access to care, elevate clinicians with greater IT efficiency and enable research discoveries.
Aaron Miri, DHA. Executive Vice President and Chief Digital and Information Officer at Baptist Health (Jacksonville, Fla.). Dr. Miri is responsible for shaping the future of Baptist Health from an IT perspective, with an emphasis on digital strategy, innovation, cybersecurity and the enterprisewide integration of technology. With more than 20 years of healthcare and IT experience, Dr. Miri has a track record of transforming care delivery for consumers, patients and providers through collaboration with clinicians, internal stakeholders and technology partners. In the first year of his tenure at Baptist, he spearheaded the health system’s EHR transition to Epic and the launch of digital applications like “Baptist Access”, an all-in-one wayfinding platform, and “Baptist MyChart”, a secure patient portal. In 2024, Dr. Miri was named “CIO of the Year” by Florida ORBIE, the state’s premier technology executive recognition program. In 2016, The Obama Administration appointed Dr. Miri to the federal health IT policy committee, after which he was reappointed for a second term.
Jane Moran. Chief Information and Digital Officer at Mass General Brigham (Boston). Ms. Moran leads the development and operations of enterprise technology and AI enablement across the integrated academic health system, which includes founding members Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Leading a team of more than 1,800 digital experts, she is working to employ a number of digital innovations to enhance patient access and care coordination, including the implementation of ambient clinical documentation AI that supports more than 4,000 providers, reducing after-hours documentation time and improving both visit flow and clinician focus during patient encounters. These capabilities also include the implementation of conversational AI pilot programs to help individuals more easily schedule and manage appointments. Mass General Brigham is now expanding use of AI to equip and empower researchers to streamline clinical trial matching and research workflows, and is advancing a secure enterprise data platform to optimize research operations and expand data available to investigators. Through her team’s successful implementation of new enterprise AI platforms, staff have secure access to productivity tools and virtual agents that improve operational efficiency and digital fluency across the workforce. Ms. Moran was appointed to Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey’s 2024 AI Task Force to strengthen the state’s tech competitiveness.
Deb Muro. CIO of El Camino Health (Mountain View, Calif.). Ms. Muro has revolutionized patient engagement at El Camino Health by championing a seamless “digital front door” strategy that integrates mobile apps, ambient listening, online scheduling and chatbots into a frictionless care experience. Her innovations have driven El Camino’s recognition as a top-tier EHR organization, while transforming radiology workflows with AI that saves clinicians hours per shift. Ms. Muro’s consumer-focused vision includes extending the health system’s EHR to community-based physicians and deploying cloud-first infrastructure to ensure long-term reliability. Her leadership has earned her numerous honors, including the Bay Area ORBIE “CIO of the Year” award and YWCA “Tribute to Women Leadership” award. A respected national speaker, she has presented keynotes about innovative ways to reimagine healthcare at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society and Reuters Digital Health. Ms. Muro is best known for her relentless drive to remove barriers and mentor rising leaders.
Kristin Myers. Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer for Northwell Health (New Hyde Park, N.Y.). Since joining Northwell Health in January 2024, Ms. Myers has driven a sweeping digital overhaul across a $23 billion organization with over 104,000 employees. She established strategic priorities that realigned IT with enterprise goals, improved collaboration and significantly enhanced operational execution. She helped restructure the Epic EHR transition, customer relationship management, cloud migration, digital experience, and data and analytics programs. Restructuring these top five critical programs helped boost transparency and stakeholder trust within the system. Ms. Myers has also integrated AI and intelligent automation into Northwell’s digital framework, driving innovation in care delivery while easing administrative burdens. Her efforts have bolstered organizational agility, improved governance and enabled forward-looking risk management strategies, all while promoting a cultural shift rooted in resilience and inclusivity. A respected industry voice, she holds seats on numerous digital health boards, including the New York eHealth Collaborative and the Global Salesforce CIO customer advisory board.
Dan Nash. CIO at Emanate Health (Covina, Calif.). Mr. Nash has served as CIO of Emanate Health for more than a decade, setting the strategic direction for information, network and communications systems to support organizational goals and patient care decision-making. With more than 30 years in healthcare IT and a background as a certified project manager, he emphasizes governance, accountability and value-driven execution in transformational initiatives. He led the successful implementation of the Meditech Expanse EHR across the system, establishing new structures for operational ownership and engaging physicians directly to shape decisions, training and day-one support. Mr. Nash continues to guide system rollouts for new service lines, including a new cancer center and multiple ambulatory specialty clinics, while advancing initiatives such as nurse smartphone deployments and interoperability connections with referral partners. He also helped build contract tracing dashboards to identify patient and staff exposure risks during infectious disease response efforts. Drawing on personal experience as a cancer survivor, he has been a visible advocate for expanding local access to comprehensive oncology services and patient engagement. Mr. Nash is a member of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives and has shared his leadership perspective through various podcasts and industry forums.
Onyeka Nchege. Executive Vice President and Chief Digital and Information Officer for Novant Health (Winston-Salem, N.C.). At Novant Health, Mr. Nchege leads the strategic deployment of cutting-edge consumer technologies and clinical solutions that elevate patient care and drive enterprisewide digital transformation. With nearly 30 years of leadership experience, including CIO roles at Toyota, Coca-Cola and Interstate Batteries, he brings a blend of operational insight and innovation fluency. His leadership at Novant has strengthened enterprise growth by aligning digital advancements with long-term organizational purpose and sustainability. His leadership has helped Novant earn accolades such as College of Healthcare Information Management Executives’ “Most Wired” distinction and the National Committee for Quality Assurance validation for its “Community Connect” software. Thanks to his visionary approach to IT strategy and transformation, he was named “CIO of the Year” by the Carolina ORBIE Awards in 2024. Outside of the system, Mr. Nchege serves on the boards of Truveta, Apparo’s CXO tech council and Blumenthal.
Heather Nelson. Senior Vice President and CIO of Boston Children’s Hospital. Ms. Nelson leads Boston Children’s IT team, guiding innovation to support world-class pediatric care, research and education. She oversaw the hospital’s Epic EHR implementation on time and under budget, and is currently preparing for an enterprise resource planning system rollout. Ms. Nelson also spearheaded the deployment of the nation’s first private 5G hybrid network at a children’s hospital, expanding digital capabilities for remote and population health services. Her team supports over thousands of devices and end users across the main hospital, satellite locations and a statewide pediatric physician network. Her work integrates AI and strategic technologies to improve efficiency, patient experience and staff support.
Jamie Nelson. Senior Vice President and CIO of Hospital for Special Surgery (New York City). Ms. Nelson took the helm of Hospital for Special Surgery’s IT department in April 2012. Since then, she has revamped the team, growing ranks and creating new leadership positions like CMO, chief technology officer and chief information security officer. Under her leadership, the orthopedic hospital completed an EHR installation in January 2016 and earned HIMSS “Stage 7” certification in November 2017. The hospital has also earned the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society “Nicholas E. Davies Award of Excellence for IT” under her leadership. Before joining the system, Ms. Nelson held IT leadership positions at Norwalk (Conn.) Hospital, where she served as CIO, and New York City-based NewYork-Presbyterian, where she served as vice president of IT.
Chris Paravate. CIO of Northeast Georgia Health System (Gainesville, Ga.). Since October 2014, Mr. Paravate has served as CIO for Northeast Georgia Health System. He oversees the information technology, clinical informatics and telecommunications departments for the health system’s hospital campuses, ambulatory clinics and various outpatient locations. During his tenure with the system, he has helped launch the Epic EHR system and led the system’s first Community Connect project. Prior to his time with the system, he served as director of portfolio management for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Erin Parker. Senior Vice President and CIO for Arkansas Children’s (Little Rock). Ms. Parker leads digital initiatives and systems security at Arkansas Children’s, focusing on enhancing accessibility for the workforce, providers and patients. She leverages her experience in designing compliance initiatives tied to the organization’s EHR. Ms. Parker aligns IT strategies with business objectives and actively seeks innovative technologies to give the hospital a competitive edge. Her background in auditing and compliance ensures the highest ethical standards in all IT activities, as she collaborates to meet relevant laws and regulations. Throughout her tenure at Arkansas Children’s, she has held leadership roles like system compliance officer and HIPAA privacy officer. She first began her journey as a volunteer in 2001.
Keith Perry. Senior Vice President and CIO of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (Memphis, Tenn.). Mr. Perry became the CIO of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in 2015 after serving as associate vice president and deputy CIO of University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He has experience overseeing the IT budget, implementing high performance computing programs and security.
Michael Pfeffer, MD. Senior Vice President and CIO for Stanford Health Care (Palo Alto). Dr. Pfeffer serves as the CIO Stanford Health Care. In this role, he oversees technology and digital solutions, paving the way for novel research, teaching and compassionate care across hospitals and clinics. He also has a focus on bringing AI into Stanford’s healthcare operations. Prior to joining Stanford, he acted as assistant vice chancellor and CIO for UCLA Health Sciences in Los Angeles.
Charles “Chuck” Podesta. CIO at Renown Health (Reno, Nev.). With a track record spanning almost 45 years, 30 of which have been spent as a CIO, Mr. Podesta has driven digital transformation across academic healthcare organizations in the U.S. He leads efforts in cybersecurity, data and analytics, clinical technology, digital automation and AI. He also co-leads best-in-class technology to create one holistic customer experience that is digital when wanted and human when needed. Implementing a unified EHR, MyChart smartphone app and real-time information, the system allows consumers to choose a physician, have online video visits, self-schedule appointments via website, refill medications and receive text appointment reminders. As a result, 35% of new patient appointments are made online, and visits reached record highs. Partnering with the medical group, Mr. Podesta’s team utilized AI-driven analytics for physician workload management to streamline administrative tasks, alleviate provider burnout, and enhance patient and provider satisfaction. Since he joined the system in 2021, Renown Health has been recognized as a “Most Wired” health organization by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives each year.
Audrius Polikaitis, PhD. CIO of University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System (Chicago). Dr. Polikaitis oversees the IT systems for UI Health, including the EHR. During his tenure, the health system became among the first 10% of hospitals to go fully paperless in 2013. He has expertise in computing and hospital IT, supporting the system’s 451-bed hospital and 30-plus outpatient clinics.
Amy Porwoll. Senior Vice President and CIO at CentraCare (St. Cloud, Minn.). Ms. Porwoll has served as CIO since 2011, leading the health system’s digital strategy, IT, health information management, and compliance, privacy and regulatory functions. Under her leadership, CentraCare achieved Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society “Stage 7,” the highest level of EHR adoption, and has become a leading organization in operationalizing AI across clinical and administrative workflows. She oversees enterprise AI strategy, governance and policy development, and has driven the adoption of vendor based AI technologies that reduce clinician burnout and improve efficiency, including a 10% reduction in review and draft time for Epic’s In Basket messages and more than four minutes saved per note per appointment. Ms. Powell has delivered more than $2 million in annual savings through vendor alignment and application rationalization. She leads one of the nation’s strongest EHR community connect programs, partnering with 15 organizations to strengthen rural care integration. She received the 2024 Minnesota ORBIE “Enterprise CIO of the Year” award and brings her expertise to board service.
Andy Price. Vice President, Chief Information and Information Security Officer at St. Claire HealthCare (Morehead, Ky.). Mr. Price directly oversees IT, cybersecurity, privacy, informatics, analytics, and clinical engineering for St. Claire HealthCare. His direction of IT strategy and innovation efforts has led to improved patient care and clinician satisfaction. He works with all departments to optimize systems. Mr. Price volunteers with the Health Sector Coordinating Council, and is a member of the 405d Task Group and several school technology boards and advisory groups.
Steve Ready. Senior Vice President and CIO of Norton Healthcare (Louisville, Ky). Mr. Ready is responsible for information systems infrastructure, support for clinical and business applications, strategic planning and related areas for the healthcare system. Mr. Ready’s contributions during his career with Norton Healthcare have included many systemwide implementations, including the EHR system, the Workday cloud-based platform for human resources and financial management, and the robust IS service and support model in place today. Mr. Ready and his team IS professionals embrace innovative technology while ensuring that medical data remains secure.
Michael Reagin. Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Banner Health (Phoenix). Mr. Reagin oversees Banner Health’s $1 billion investment in technology modernization. One of the key initiatives he led was a partnership to launch BannerWise, the internal, secure AI solution available to more than 55,000 Banner team members. Other wins include the modernization of Banner’s enterprise data platform and the expansion of digital care access that has significantly grown online scheduling, virtual visits and pre-visit registration. He is responsible for IT, data and AI strategy, tech ventures, innovation and digital transformation to ensure digital tools and systems are interconnected in ways that best meet patient needs. He joined Banner in 2024, bringing more than 27 years of experience leading innovation, IT and digital strategy. He has been at the forefront of identifying and implementing strategies that utilize advanced technology to improve healthcare quality, patient experience, efficiency and safety measures. Among the numerous accolades he has received include SoCal ORBIE “CIO in Healthcare” and Health IT and Imaging magazine’s “Top 25 Most Innovative People in Health Care IT.” He is a certified healthcare CIO through the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives. Mr. Reagin has served in several leadership roles within healthcare technology, such as CIO for Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, corporate vice president and CIO for Norfolk, Va.-based Sentara Healthcare and Optima Health Plan, and most recently as senior vice president, chief information and innovation officer for San Diego-based Sharp HealthCare.
Brad Reimer. CIO at Sanford Health (Sioux Falls, S.D.). Serving as CIO for the nation’s largest rural health system, Mr. Reimer oversees technology systems that support more than 2 million patients and 415,000-plus health plan members across the upper rural Midwest. His scope spans patient-critical applications, business solutions, infrastructure, information security and IT risk management. With deep expertise in technology innovation, data analytics and virtual care, he has advanced the system’s digital capabilities and supported large-scale technology integration efforts, including with Marshfield (Wis.) Clinic Health System and Souix Falls-based Good Samaritan. Under his leadership, Sanford Health overhauled its information security and IT risk programs, implemented IT cost transparency and scaled foundational systems to support a $350 million virtual care initiative. Mr. Reimer has championed a disciplined approach to AI, prioritizing high-value use cases backed by governance, security and trust. Since becoming CIO, his people-first leadership has driven a 74-point increase in employee Net Promoter Scores to an industry-leading +55, reinforced through initiatives such as reverse rounding and clinical immersion sessions that connect IT teams with frontline caregivers. Mr. Reimer also serves in national advisory roles with organizations including CMS, National Institutes of Health, The Joint Commission, the American Hospital Association and Amazon Web Services, helping shape technology strategies that support rural care delivery.
David Reis, PhD. Senior Vice President and Chief Information and Digital Officer at the University of Miami Health System. Dr. Reis leads enterprisewide digital and IT strategy for the $6.5 billion, multi-entity academic health system, aligning technology with clinical, research and educational priorities. He oversees the EHR ecosystem, including migration to hosting, and has led over 220 AI projects. He implemented a novel IT spans-and-layers organizational structure that has integrated 14 distributed IT organizations into a unified team of 880-plus, and drove operational efficiencies while managing more than $300 million in annual IT spend. Dr. Reis has completed more than 90 cybersecurity projects, strengthened governance and compliance frameworks, and established a culture of innovation, accountability and collaboration across the enterprise. Previous to his current position, Dr. Reis served as the organization’s vice president and CIO. He also previously served as executive vice president and CIO of Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health, where he led multi-hospital EHR implementations, cloud migration and IT governance restructuring. Among his many accolades include receiving CIO.com’s “CIO 100” award from 2021–23 for technology-enabled innovation in patient care.
Jackie Rice, BSN, RN. Vice President and CIO at Frederick (Md.) Health. Ms. Rice serves as vice president and CIO at Frederick Health, where she leads governance, cybersecurity, digital innovation, population health and IT protocols aligned with the organization’s mission to improve community wellbeing. A registered nurse with two decades of clinical experience, she brings frontline insight to technology strategy and is the dedicated IT executive for Frederick Health’s expanding precision medicine program. She has been a leading advocate for integrating genomics and genetic data into routine clinical care across specialties, including oncology, immunology, neurology, and maternal and fetal medicine. Under her leadership, Frederick Health embedded genetic testing workflows directly into the EHR to strengthen clinical decision support and streamline ordering and oncology preparation, supporting more than 7,000 genetic tests annually. She also advanced safety and education by implementing pharmacogenomic alerts for primary care and pharmacy teams to improve medication decision-making and patient safety. In late 2025, Frederick Health expanded access to advanced screening with the Galleri multi-cancer early detection test and paired technology-enabled programs with multidisciplinary care delivery. Ms. Rice also promotes precision medicine adoption beyond the organization through industry presentations, including at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. She previously served as president of the Maryland HIMSS Chapter.
Donna Roach. System Chief Digital Information Officer of University of Utah Health (Salt Lake City). Ms. Roach serves as CIDO of University of Utah Health. Prior to assuming the expanded role in January 2026, she was serving as CIO since 2020. Her expanded role means that she is now providing executive leadership and oversight of the system’s digital and IT infrastructure. Her innovative approach to healthcare has led to the implementation of transformative digital solutions, including improved interoperability, clinical automation and business innovation. In addition to her executive role at University of Utah Health, she co-chairs the system’s digital engagement committee, serves as a board member for the Utah Health Information Network and the KLAS Advisory Board, and is a lifetime fellow for the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives. Thanks to her dedication to healthcare IT, Ms. Roach received the HIMSS “John A. Page Distinguished Fellows Service Changemaker” award in 2023. She has over 35 years of healthcare industry experience and most recently served as vice president for information services at St. Louis-based BJC HealthCare and Washington University Medical School.
Jordan Ruch. CIO of AtlantiCare Health System (Egg Harbor, N.J.). Mr. Ruch spearheaded a bold digital transformation at AtlantiCare with a global-first rollout of a fully integrated Oracle Health EHR and enterprise resource planning platform. A passionate technologist with over 25 years of experience, he champions AI, clinical innovation and human-centered design, as demonstrated by a significant reduction in provider documentation time using generative AI. Mr. Ruch also leads bedside device integration to automate data capture and free up clinical time, aligning technology directly with hands-on patient care. He also heads AtlantiCare’s System AI council. With prior roles as chief technology officer and chief innovation officer at West Orange, N.J.-based RWJBarnabas Health, Mr. Ruch has a proven track record of large-scale implementations, including a historic Epic go-live that achieved 10 “gold stars”.
Maria Russo. Chief Digital Information Officer at OU Health (Oklahoma City, Okla.). Ms. Russo oversees IT strategy and operations at OU Health, the University of Oklahoma’s academic health system. In 2025, she and her team led the system to achieve the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives “Digital Health Most Wired Level 9,” reflecting measurable advancement in secure technology and patient care. Ms. Russo strengthened project intake and governance processes, reducing execution time and improving alignment with organizational priorities while maintaining financial stewardship. She and her IT team also updated end user request workflows, resulting in documented improvements in customer satisfaction scores. In 2026, Ms. Russo is guiding the IT team to deliver targeted system optimizations, sustain high project performance and continue disciplined financial management. She and her team are advancing data initiatives and updating governance across OU Health, collaborating with leaders to set standards for responsible innovation.
Sonney Sapra. CIO at UVA Health (Charlottesville, Va.). As UVA Health’s CIO, Mr. Sapra leads a complex, enterprisewide IT organization supporting a large academic health system across clinical care, education and research. He oversees more than 600 IT professionals and a broad portfolio spanning information security, infrastructure, service delivery, clinical and administrative applications, nursing and medical informatics, discovery and innovation, and telehealth programs. He develops and executes an enterprise IT roadmap focused on availability, security and performance while advancing digital transformation through AI, advanced analytics and virtual care. Known for bridging clinical, research and operational priorities, Mr. Sapra partners with executive, academic and clinical leaders to optimize Epic and ancillary systems, strengthen digital patient and referring physician experience, and enable data-driven decision-making. His leadership also ensures secure, compliant access to data for research and clinical innovation, supporting a learning-forward health system. Prior to UVA Health, he led enterprise digital transformation in integrated systems, including consolidating hundreds of applications, improving EHR usability, and building unified governance and analytics capabilities.
Maria Sexton. Senior Vice President and CIO at University of Tennessee Medical Center (Knoxville). Serving as University of Tennessee Medical Center’s senior vice president and CIO since January 2025, Ms. Sexton is responsible for the strategic roadmap and day-to-day performance of information systems and digital technology services for the academic medical center. Reporting to the senior vice president and CFO, she leads enterprise priorities spanning infrastructure, EHR optimization, cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, virtual health growth, data governance and analytics to strengthen outcomes and operational efficiency. She is known for a security-first approach, supported by deep risk and audit expertise and advanced certifications. Drawing on leadership experience across gaming, entertainment, government and consumer goods, Ms. Sexton brings a multi-industry lens to healthcare IT strategy and resilience planning. Her communication-first leadership style emphasizes translating complex technology into clear, actionable terms for executives and frontline teams, helping align investment decisions with patient care realities. She also contributes nationally as a frequent speaker on cybersecurity preparedness and post-incident response, including presentations on “After the Breach: The 90 Days That Matter.” Immediately prior to joining the system, Ms. Sexton served as CIO for the Las Vegas-based University Medical Center of Southern Nevada.
Shanidy Shook. Vice President and CIO at Midland (Texas) Health. Ms. Shook serves as the executive leader for enterprise technology strategy and operations at Midland Health, aligning digital priorities with clinical excellence, operational resilience and long-term system growth. She oversees infrastructure, enterprise applications, end-user computing, cybersecurity, data and analytics, and communications services, with a governance approach that balances innovation with risk management. A defining achievement of her tenure is leading the full technology strategy for a new 200-bed inpatient behavioral health hospital, including infrastructure, clinical systems integration, workflow design, go-live readiness and stabilization. She has also strengthened connectivity and standardization across 26 regional private medical facilities affiliated with Midland Health throughout the Permian Basin and Eastern New Mexico. Under her leadership, Midland Health advanced revenue cycle enablement through modernization initiatives that improved clean-claim performance and staff efficiency, including secure single sign-on across revenue cycle and enterprise resource planning platforms. She has driven infrastructure modernization and disaster recovery accountability through network transformation, cloud integration, and server and virtualization upgrades that reduced technical debt. Ms. Shook also elevated cybersecurity through identity modernization, firewall and VPN standardization, and automated patching while improving interoperability through Health Level 7 remediation and Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes standardization.
Muhammad Siddiqui. Vice President and CIO of Reid Health (Richmond, Ind.). Mr. Siddiqui uses his CIO role at Reid Health to drive innovation that directly benefits caregivers and patients. He led the successful implementation of “Arintra”, an AI-based coding platform that handles most outpatient coding, reducing delays and easing workforce constraints. Through the Epic “Refuel” initiative, he modernized outdated systems and improved workflows across clinical and revenue teams, aligning documentation, billing and leadership visibility. Mr. Siddiqui also pioneered smart hospital rooms integrated with Epic, empowering patients to manage their experience and easing nurse workload. His leadership is built on cross-functional collaboration, thoughtful AI governance and clear alignment with rural healthcare realities.
David Singer. CIO at LCMC Health (New Orleans). In his role as CIO of LCMC Health, Mr. Singer provides enterprise leadership for IT and digital strategy across a growing, integrated health system serving the Gulf South. He oversees EHRs, infrastructure, cybersecurity, data and analytics, interoperability and enterprise applications, aligning technology investments with patient safety, quality and financial performance. Mr. Singer is leading large-scale transformation initiatives focused on platform standardization, Epic optimization and system consolidation following organizational growth. His work strengthens clinician workflows, enhances data visibility and supports consistent care delivery across hospitals and ambulatory settings. Known for his change-management leadership, he emphasizes governance, communication and partnership to drive adoption and sustainability.
Edmund Siy. Chief Information and Technology Officer for Bon Secours Mercy Health (Cincinnati). Mr. Siy was appointed chief information and technology officer of Bon Secours Mercy Health in May 2025, where he leads IT strategy and operations, cybersecurity, AI deployment and clinical informatics across the health system. He is charged with modernizing and optimizing the organization’s technology ecosystem to improve the patient experience and empower clinical staff. Prior to joining the system, he served as senior vice president and chief digital and information officer at Hunterdon Health in Flemington, N.J., where he advanced integrated digital platforms for patients and providers. He brings multi-industry IT expertise, including prior roles in media, entertainment and real estate. He is active in the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.
Alan “Al” Smith. Senior Vice President and CIO of Lifepoint Health (Brentwood, Tenn.). Mr. Smith oversees IT, cybersecurity and digital innovation across the Lifepoint Health enterprise, which offers facilities from coast to coast. Under his leadership, the system has executed multiple IT infrastructure integrations and launched a unified post-acute EHR system, promoting consistency and efficiency across its growing network. He also spearheaded the launch of an enterprisewide enterprise resource planning system that is redefining organizational workflows and operational scalability. Mr. Smith has expanded digital tools such as remote patient monitoring and analytics-driven AI to enhance patient access, care quality and decision-making. His cybersecurity strategy ensures secure, compliant interoperability across diverse EHR systems. A respected voice in the industry, Mr. Smith actively contributes to national health IT boards and veteran mentorship programs.
Ryan Smith. Chief Digital and Information Officer at Intermountain Health (Salt Lake City). Through his chief digital and information officer role at Intermountain Health, Mr. Smith oversees digital technology services spanning digital services, data and analytics, clinical informatics, information security, application services and IT operations. He serves on Intermountain’s enterprise leadership team, helming a technology strategy that supports coordinated care and improved outcomes for hundreds of thousands of patients and more than 68,000 caregivers across multiple states. A centerpiece of his leadership has been directing the system’s large-scale EHR unification, transitioning from eight separate EHRs to a single Epic platform that went live on Sept. 6, 2025 across 33 hospitals and more than 400 clinics. The deployment launched on schedule with 24/7 command centers, at-the-elbow support and an Epic coaching hotline, followed by continued optimization and carefully governed AI enhancements. Mr. Smith has also advanced responsible automation, including an AI-powered triage agent that processed more than 100,000 incidents and automatically routed more than half of command-center tickets at go-live, saving at least 14,000 staff hours. He has expanded digital access and engagement through online scheduling growth and a unified MyChart-powered app that drove roughly 600,000 activations within 60 days in two regions. In parallel, he has strengthened cybersecurity and identity modernization at scale while improving enterprise reliability through infrastructure consolidation and data center migrations, all without operational disruption. Mr. Smith also contributes nationally through service on the DirectTrust board of directors and active involvement in the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.
Robin Sodano. CIO and Senior Vice President of Information Services for UMass Memorial Health (Worcester, Mass.). Ms. Sodano has driven UMass Memorial Health’s IT modernization, including leading the system to achieve “Stage 7” designation for acute care from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society for the third consecutive time, an honor only held by 16 healthcare organizations around the world. With nearly three decades of service, she has overseen the seamless integration of Milford (Mass.) Regional and Southbridge, Mass.-based Harrington Hospital into Epic and Workday, consolidating over 42 IT platforms and unifying workflows. Her team also implemented cutting-edge technologies like voice-command beds and patient-driven digital displays, enriching the clinical experience at the new North Pavilion. Ms. Sodano is deeply committed to fostering a culture of feedback, inclusion and professional growth. Her leadership philosophy centers on technology as a catalyst for patient care and caregiver support, resulting in multiple College of Healthcare Information Management Executives “Most Wired” recognitions.
Tressa Springmann. Senior Vice President and CIO at LifeBridge Health (Baltimore). Ms. Springmann has served as senior vice president and CIO at LifeBridge Health since 2012, playing a central role in shaping enterprise strategy and digital transformation. She is responsible for ensuring information systems and services enable clinicians to deliver high-quality care across the continuum, from inpatient to community settings. Over her 12-plus-year tenure, she has also held responsibility for performance improvement, Lean transformation initiatives and the system’s health information management function. Ms. Springmann is currently co-leading LifeBridge Health’s digital transformation, with a focus on security, consumer experience and digital innovation. Under her leadership, the organization has scaled telehealth and virtual care investments while intentionally aligning IT initiatives to generate revenue, improve quality and reduce costs. A nationally recognized leader, she is deeply engaged in industry governance and is a strong advocate for advancing women in healthcare IT leadership.
Glynn Stanton. CIO and CISO for Yale New Haven (Conn.) Health. Mr. Stanton serves as CIO and CISO for Yale New Haven Health System, overseeing cybersecurity, IT audit, patient privacy, disaster recovery and HIPAA compliance across a vast regional footprint. He transformed the health system’s security capabilities, expanding a team of three into over 40 professionals and consolidating identity and access management into a unified security office. He has advanced technologies like “tap and go” authentication and participates in statewide health information exchange security efforts. Nationally recognized for his expertise, he collaborates with the American Hospital Association and other organizations to advocate for improved cybersecurity standards and affordability. Mr. Stanton also enhances collaboration with Yale University and lectures there frequently to develop cybersecurity talent pipelines.
Jennifer Stemmler. Chief Digital and Information Officer at Adventist Health (Roseville, Calif.). Ms. Stemmler serves as senior vice president and CIDO at Adventist Health, where she leads the enterprise vision for technology and digital transformation in support of a consumer-centric care model. Her scope spans IT, applications, cybersecurity and digital teams, with an emphasis on pairing digital-first experiences with operational change strategies that improve engagement and efficiency. She authored Adventist Health’s first “Consumer & Innovation Playbook,” establishing a systemwide blueprint for reimagining patient journeys and aligning cross-functional investment around measurable targets. A major initiative under her leadership is an enterprise Epic implementation that transitioned 27 hospitals and 400 clinics from Cerner to Epic in a single “big-bang” go-live, including Apple mobility tools and Epic capabilities designed to elevate workflows and bedside decision-making. On the consumer payments side, she expanded Adventist Health bill pay to more than 229,000 registered users, with 71% of payments made online. Enhancements such as live chat and text reminders drove 16,000 new registrations and a 10% increase in online payment activity in 2025. Earlier in her tenure, Ms. Stemmler led large-scale ambulatory modernization, moving more than 280 clinics from disparate systems and paper processes to Cerner Ambulatory. Under her leadership, Adventist Health has earned College of Healthcare Information Management Executives “Level 8 Digital Health Most Wired” recognition.
Reid Stephan. Senior Vice President and CIO for St. Luke’s Health System (Boise, Idaho). Mr. Stephan serves as senior vice president and CIO for St. Luke’s Health System, where he leads enterprise technology, digital platforms, data and analytics with a focus on transforming technology into a strategic enabler of care, access and patient experience. With 15 years at St. Luke’s, he served nearly eight years as vice president and CIO before being promoted to senior vice president and CIO in January 2026. His leadership emphasizes modern platforms, strong cybersecurity and data-driven decision-making, paired with a commitment to building high-trust teams that deliver measurable outcomes rather than technology for technology’s sake. Mr. Stephan operates with an Epic-first strategy, citing both the strength of the platform and the cost and complexity associated with layering third-party solutions onto core clinical systems. However, he also consistently challenges vendors to deliver more modern, intuitive design with cleaner and more open integrations. A strong advocate for responsible innovation, he urges CIOs and healthcare leaders to educate themselves on AI, surround themselves with experts, and actively question how emerging technologies can meaningfully improve care delivery.
Brian Sterud. CIO of Faith Regional Health Services (Norfolk, Neb.). Mr. Sterud became CIO of Faith Regional Health Services in 2012 after working as director of information management at Brookings (S.D.) Health Systems. He has developed expertise in healthcare information management and regulatory compliance. In his role as CIO, he ensures that the system is equipped with the latest technological solutions and that healthcare data remains secure. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.
Lisa S. Stump. Chief Digital Information Officer at Mount Sinai Health System (New York City). Ms. Stump serves as CDIO for the Mount Sinai Health System and dean for information technology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she provides executive leadership over the organization’s enterprise digital and data ecosystem. In this dual role, she is responsible for core information technology and digital functions, cybersecurity and risk management, data privacy and governance, analytics, application portfolio management, digital experience, data democratization, and the advancement of artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities. A member of Mount Sinai’s executive leadership team, Mrs. Stump plays a central role in shaping and executing the health system’s five-year digital and technology strategy, ensuring technology investments drive innovation, performance and long-term growth across clinical care, research and education. She focuses on leveraging emerging technologies, modern operating models and data-driven insights to create measurable value and elevate patient, clinician and learner experiences. Prior to joining Mount Sinai, Mrs. Stump served as senior vice president and chief information and digital transformation officer at Yale New Haven (Conn.) Health and Yale Medicine, where she led large-scale digital transformation initiatives across a complex academic health system.
Joey Sudomir. Senior Vice President and CIO at Texas Health Resources (Arlington). Mr. Sudomir is senior vice president and CIO for Texas Health Resources, tasked with providing strategic and operational leadership for roughly 800 team members and overseeing all functions of the innovative technology solutions department. As liaison to the executive team, he aligns enterprise technology priorities with the needs of the largest faith-based nonprofit health system in North Texas, serving more than 1.7 million patients annually across 16 counties. Since becoming CIO in 2015, he has led major enterprise initiatives including data center migrations, implementation of Oracle/PeopleSoft enterprise resource planning, and the deployment of Epic revenue cycle capabilities across hospitals and physician group clinics. In 2025, he co-led Texas Health’s human resources technology transformation with HR and finance, streamlining workforce and human capital systems to improve automation, reduce administrative burden and elevate the employee experience. He also established the system’s AI Executive Task Force, building governance, policy and evaluation criteria to responsibly prioritize clinical and business AI use cases. In addition, Mr. Sudomir created the Connect Consumer Executive Steering Committee to drive the adoption of consumer-facing digital tools that support access and experience.
Jordan Tannenbaum, MD. Vice President, CIO and CMIO at Saint Peter’s Healthcare System (New Brunswick, N.J.). Dr. Tannenbaum serves as vice president and holds the dual roles of CIO and CMIO at Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, overseeing infrastructure, cybersecurity and enterprise applications while driving EHR optimization, upgrades and regulatory compliance. A former private-practice pediatrician, he brings a clinician’s empathy to technology leadership, focusing on tools that increase time at the bedside, strengthen safety and support the organization’s Catholic mission. His portfolio emphasizes patient engagement, telemedicine, analytics, AI and advanced communications, translating technical complexity into practical clinical and business value. Throughout, he considers usability, maintenance and cost. Under his leadership, Saint Peter’s deployed AI to identify high-risk social determinants of health needs and connect patients to community resources, contributing to more than a 7% decrease in emergency department visits among high-risk patients. He has also advanced inpatient safety and communication through AI-enabled remote monitoring integrated with a virtual nursing and TV-based platform that supports fall-risk alerts and family-provider video communication. In maternal health, he led the implementation of the state’s first robotic process automation to automatically transfer EHR data into New Jersey’s required perinatal risk assessment system, supporting early identification of prenatal risk factors. Looking ahead, Dr. Tannenbaum is spearheading Saint Peter’s Epic integration targeted for 2027.
Luis Taveras. Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Jefferson Health (Philadelphia). Mr. Taveras serves as senior vice president and CIO at Jefferson Health, where he leads enterprise technology and digital strategy during a period of significant growth and transformation, including the integration of Lehigh Valley Health Network following its 2024 acquisition. He has been intentional in positioning IT not as a cost center, but as a value engine that’s focused on making disciplined investments that deliver measurable organizational impact. Central to his approach is a strong governance model that ensures emerging technologies, particularly AI, are evaluated and scaled based on clear value, operational readiness and strategic alignment. Under his leadership, Jefferson developed a multi-year digital roadmap that moves the organization from reactive operations toward operational excellence and ultimately high performance. Dr. Taveras has prioritized workforce efficiency and experience as one of the most tangible returns on digital investment, with ambient AI already reshaping documentation and care team workflows. Initially deployed with physicians in 2025 and now expanding to nursing, these tools are helping reduce administrative burden while supporting care delivery at scale.
Shane Thielman. Corporate Senior Vice President and Chief Information and Digital Officer for Scripps Health (San Diego). Mr. Thielman leads the vision and execution of Scripps Health’s digital and technology strategy, overseeing a robust network that includes four hospitals, five campuses, four emergency rooms, three urgent care centers and nearly 17,800 employees. He has been instrumental in implementing a unified EHR and revenue cycle platform that streamlined operations and improved alignment across the system. Mr. Thielman played a key role in launching a centralized operations and command center, as well as a systemwide bed placement system powered by real-time intelligence. He also advanced Scripps Health’s AI governance, helping vet and guide the use of technologies that reduce cognitive load and improve safety and care quality. His efforts in digital innovation have expanded virtual visits, patient communication tools and telemonitoring services to boost both access and experience. A recognized leader, he has earned multiple speaking and mentorship accolades within the industry.
Tanya Townsend. Chief Information and Digital Officer for Stanford (Calif.) Medicine Children’s Health. Ms. Townsend is CIDO for Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, where she leads digital transformation and technology-driven initiatives with a focus on enterprise resource planning systems, operational excellence and strategic planning. She most recently served as senior vice president and CIO for New Orleans-based LCMC Health. Ms. Townsend has been at the cutting edge of digital healthcare throughout the entirety of her career, beginning with her early interest in medical informatics back when EHRs were still in their infancy. Now, she is devoted to applying IT industry best practices to pediatric and obstetric care, empowering a remote workforce and other game-changing initiatives. In addition to her role at the health system, she recently served on the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives board of trustees. She also served as a 2022 CHIME board chair, one of only three women to hold the position in 30 years.
Amy Trainor, RN. CIO and System Vice President for Ochsner Health (New Orleans). Ms. Trainor oversees the alignment of information services with strategic initiatives at Ochsner Health, which comprises 47 hospitals, more than 370 health and urgent care centers, and a Connected Health digital medicine program. Under her leadership, the system has implemented various innovative IT initiatives, including a new generative AI tool that helps providers respond to patient questions more efficiently. She aims to reduce inbox burden and improve documentation for providers. She is also leading the team responsible for the design, implementation and use of healthcare information services systemwide. Before becoming CIO, Ms. Trainor served as chief applications officer and vice president of clinical systems for Ochsner. She first joined Ochsner in 2011 from Cerner, where she implemented an EHR at a local community hospital and hospital clinics.
Steve Tuohy. Senior Vice President and CIO at Trinity Health (Livonia, Mich.). Mr. Tuohy leads enterprise IT strategy and execution across Trinity Health’s national network, which spans 93 hospitals, 101 continuing care facilities, and home health, hospice and Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly programs in 25 states. He partners closely with clinical, operational and administrative leaders to ensure technology investments advance patient-centered care, strengthen cybersecurity, enhance digital experiences and deliver measurable operational value. A central focus of his leadership is advancing the organization’s vision to build a simpler, faster, more accountable technology function with deeper alignment to the needs of ministries and clinicians. Under his direction, Trinity Health implemented Visage as a centralized imaging platform, consolidating fragmented capabilities into a unified, modern enterprise solution. This clinically led, cross-functional initiative is standardizing imaging practices, improving diagnostic workflows, and strengthening system performance and resilience across the organization. Beyond the enterprise, Mr. Tuohy serves as an advisory board member for the University of Michigan School of Information, Chair’s Advisory Council – Xavier University MHSA Program and the Children’s Center of Detroit, supporting healthcare IT education, research and community impact.
Alexander Veletsos. Vice President and Regional CIO at Orlando (Fla.) Health. Serving in the vice president and regional CIO role at Orlando Health, Mr. Veletsos provides executive leadership across IT, clinical engineering and digital innovation, aligning technology execution with the system’s strategic imperatives. His regional scope spans Florida and Puerto Rico, and includes 20 hospitals and more than 400 ambulatory and outpatient sites, supporting more than 38,000 team members and nearly 6,000 physicians. In addition to regional IT and biomedical engineering delivery, he leads enterprise resource planning systems and IT innovation efforts that advance priorities such as quality, safety, physician loyalty, workforce experience, innovation, growth, economic strength and customer service. Known for combining technical depth with operational discipline, he has driven retention and productivity through engagement-focused leadership, contributing to some of the lowest turnover rates across Orlando Health IT. He also established internship and apprenticeship programs that now bring in more than 30 new recruits annually through structured training and development, strengthening the system’s talent pipeline. Mr. Veletsos helped create the integration management office and a repeatable technology playbook to support Orlando Health’s regional and international growth through mergers and acquisitions. He has also expanded access initiatives in critical access and outpatient settings. He brings a strong academic footprint, serving as a graduate professor for more than 20 years and helping lead healthcare technology programming for international conferences.
Joel Vengco. Senior Vice President of Information Technology Services and Chief Information and Digital Officer at Hartford (Conn.) HealthCare. In his position at Hartford HealthCare, Mr. Vengco is responsible for leading all technology operations, enterprise applications, and data and digital transformation initiatives across 500 locations. He is currently focused on expanding access, garnering data and crafting consumer-centric digital experiences. Looking to the future, the health system will be deeply impacted by AI, agentic technologies and changes in the workforce. Mr. Vengco brings over 20 years of related experience to his role, having most recently acted as senior vice president and chief information digital officer at Springfield, Mass.-based Baystate Health. His primary professional goal is to utilize data and digital to personalize the patient experience.
Michael Waisbrot. System Vice President and Chief Information and Digital Officer at UW Health (Madison, Wis.). Mr. Waisbrot is the system vice president and CIDO for UW Health. Currently, he also holds the role of chief technology officer. He is responsible for leading enterprise strategy, governance and execution for information services and digital transformation across a large academic health system. He oversees infrastructure and cloud platforms, cybersecurity, service operations, digital platforms, and clinical and business technology enablement, while advancing emerging capabilities such as AI, automation and data-driven operations. Under his leadership, UW Health has modernized its technology operating model with a people-first focus, strengthening resiliency and availability for mission-critical clinical systems while delivering measurable operational and financial outcomes. He has led cost-optimization and margin-improvement initiatives spanning workforce efficiency, vendor and contract optimization, infrastructure rationalization and disciplined portfolio prioritization, generating sustainable financial benefit without compromising care delivery. Mr. Waisbrot has also established practical governance and use cases for AI and digital enablement, moving beyond experimentation to support clinical communication, service management and enterprise operational insight. His transparent, unifying leadership style has helped integrate previously decentralized teams into a “one team, one platform” model, strengthening accountability and positioning UW Health for continued digital maturity.
Michael Ward. CIO at Anderson Healthcare (Maryville, Ill.). In his role as CIO, Mr. Ward is responsible for identifying and implementing technology that supports Anderson Healthcare’s overarching goals. One of his accomplishments was overseeing the implementation of Meditech Expanse EHR across all of the health system’s facilities, thus enabling the organization to reduce costs and improve care. After the EHR was implemented, Mr. Ward introduced a value-based care solution that would improve patient outcomes, support data-driven care, and optimize workflows in order to improve reimbursement, efficiency, patient satisfaction and incentive opportunities. Initial outcomes included several time-saving benefits, such as a 50% reduction in both length and content of office visit documentation for primary care, medical specialties and surgical specialties. Prior to his current role, he served as director of information technology at the system’s flagship hospital.
Chad Wasserman. Senior Vice President and CIO at HCA Healthcare (Nashville, Tenn.). At HCA Healthcare, Mr. Wasserman leads enterprise technology strategy for one of the nation’s largest health systems, supporting more than 44 million annual patient encounters. In the senior vice president and CIO role, he is responsible for infrastructure, cybersecurity, identity and access management, enterprise platforms and technology operations across hospitals, ambulatory sites and corporate functions. A defining focus of his tenure has been leading the technology execution behind HCA Healthcare’s large-scale EHR modernization, ensuring readiness, stability and security throughout implementations. Mr. Wasserman has also advanced cloud optimization, automation and application rationalization to improve scalability, reduce technical debt and strengthen financial stewardship. Cybersecurity, resilience and regulatory compliance remain central priorities under his leadership, reinforcing technology reliability at scale. He is also shaping governance and foundational platforms to enable responsible adoption of emerging technologies, including AI, in partnership with clinical and operational leaders.
Scott Waters. Chief Information and Technology Officer at Overlake Medical Center and Clinics (Bellevue, Wash.). As Overlake Medical Center and Clinics’ chief information and technology officer, Mr. Waters drives the system’s strategy and technological innovation. This includes the creation of policies around the organization’s technology infrastructure, as well as ensuring systemwide data protection. He also manages the planning and oversight of financial sustainability initiatives. In addition to his work at Overlake, he serves as a board member for the Washington state chapter of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society and as an advisory board member of SeattleCIO.
Ellen Wiegand. Senior Vice President and CIO for VCU Health (Richmond, Va.). Ms. Wiegand oversees the full spectrum of IT at VCU Health, aligning technology with mission-driven goals of equity, innovation and clinical excellence. She established VCU’s technology and data council and its AI workgroup, creating systemwide governance to guide strategic investments and implement responsible AI practices. Ms. Wiegand has led various transformative projects, including the rapid opening of a new children’s hospital tower and the rollout of AI-powered ambient listening, which has improved documentation, reduced stress and boosted physician efficiency. Her leadership helped drive a successful post-Covid financial recovery by cutting costs and sunsetting legacy systems. Committed to workforce empowerment, she also launched a mentoring program and promoted internal talent, resulting in exceptional staff engagement and national recognition.
Keith Wiley. CIO for Val Verde Regional Medical Center (Del Rio, Texas). Mr. Wiley became Val Verde Regional Medical Center’s CIO in 2019 after spending 14 years as network manager at St. Johnsbury-based Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital. His initial aim upon joining the medical center was managing Meditech implementation for the main hospital and clinics organizationwide. The deployment of the EHR program was one of his major accomplishments, allowing all medical center facilities to share information. Upon becoming CIO, Mr. Wiley assumed responsibility for all IT-related activities. He led the organization in the integration of a new EHR just before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, implementing point-of-care devices, telehealth and remote patient monitoring. Mr. Wiley also procured smartphone devices that allow nurses to document vitals, administer medication and manage their time more efficiently.
Leigh Williams. Vice President and CIO at Augusta Health (Fishersville, Va.). Ms. Williams is vice president and CIO of Augusta Health, a 255-bed, community-owned health system serving the Shenandoah Valley. She was promoted to CIO in 2025 after serving as assistant CIO. She provides strategic oversight for IT governance, cybersecurity, infrastructure and enterprise applications, aligning technology strategy with Augusta Health’s mission and long-term vision. Known for a solution-oriented leadership style grounded in clinical and financial operations, she has helped guide the system’s evolution from a hospital-centric organization to a regional, community-focused system serving more than 300,000 people across seven counties. Ms. Williams led technology planning, workflow design and system integration to expand specialties including oncology, cardiology, gastroenterology, pulmonary and critical care, thoracic surgery, infectious disease, urgent care and primary care, improving local access and reducing out-of-region referrals. She also supported integrated care delivery across a multispecialty employed physician group of approximately 250 providers across 35 practice sites, strengthening coordination and collaboration. In addition, she played a central role in developing a Medicare-approved ACO spanning 410 providers and more than 8,400 patients, advancing coordinated care, cost containment and population health outcomes. She is also serving as president of the Virginia Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society chapter for 2025–2026.
Patrick A. Woodard, MD. CIO of Monument Health (Rapid City, S.D.). Dr. Woodard serves as CIO at Monument Health, a community-based healthcare system spanning five hospitals and over 40 medical clinics. He leads the organization’s IT, innovation, data and analytics, AI, informatics and portfolio management functions. With a strong focus on improving patient access and experience, Dr. Woodard also champions initiatives that enhance caregiver wellbeing and integrate emerging technologies into care delivery. Before joining Monument Health, he held executive leadership roles including chief digital officer at Memphis, Tenn.-based Methodist Le Bonheur Health System and CMIO at Reno, Nev.-based Renown Health. Board-certified in internal medicine, he brings a clinical perspective to his leadership, advocating for holistic and collaborative approaches to systemwide transformation and aligning technological advancement with the human-centered values of care and connection.
Bill Young. CIO at Berkshire Health Systems (Pittsfield, Mass.). Mr. Young has served as CIO of Berkshire Health Systems since 2009, leading technology strategy for a private, nonprofit rural health system serving Berkshire County and surrounding communities. He manages and assesses IT resources to support patient care and enterprise performance, including maintaining a long-term technology strategy that established a health information exchange across the Berkshires. Under his leadership, Berkshire has earned the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives “Digital Health Most Wired” recognition for five consecutive years, most recently achieving “Level 8” for both acute and ambulatory settings. He has advanced digital maturity across clinical quality and safety, analytics and data management, cybersecurity, infrastructure, patient engagement and innovation, helping the system rank among more than 50,000 represented facilities. Notable initiatives under his guidance include redesigned integrated care planning and patient education documentation that resulted in no care-plan citations on the most recent Joint Commission survey, and synoptic reporting embedded into surgeon workflow to support Commission on Cancer accreditation requirements. He also led the deployment of secure ambulatory patient messaging that improved no-show rates for outpatient rehab and MRI, and expanded virtual capabilities including provider virtual rounding and a virtual nursing pilot. Mr. Young serves as a board member of the Massachusetts Health Data Consortium, is a Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society fellow, and also serves on the board of Adams Community Bank.
Denise Zabawski. CIO at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (Columbus, Ohio). Ms. Zabawski has driven and supported Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s technology achievements for 25 years, leading a department of more than 600 professionals with a budget exceeding $130 million while stewarding the organization’s growth from 4,000 to 18,000 employees and to a $6 billion annual budget. She has overseen major digital transformations including EHR and enterprise resource planning implementations, enhanced patient and family digital engagement, and a modernized technology environment that improves both efficiency and safety outcomes. Ms. Zabawski designed and launched the hospital’s information systems infrastructure for social determinants of health screening, a three-year initiative that enables Nationwide Children’s to identify and act on individual factors such as housing stability, educational opportunity, and parental employment that affect each child’s wellbeing. She also improved patient access by implementing digital tools for online scheduling and automatic waitlisting, reducing first-appointment wait times by up to 30 days in some areas, and launched a “Save My Place” feature for urgent care to reduce patient wait times and ease provider stress. Ms. Zabawski implemented state-of-the-art virtual reality tools for provider safety training, earning a $1 million grant from the Ohio Bureau’s “Compensation Innovation Fund” to expand the program in response to the epidemic of violence against care providers. She additionally created the information systems infrastructure supporting Nationwide Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine, enabling the hospital to analyze children’s genomes and lead national efforts in pediatric precision medicine. She was named an enterprise finalist for the Ohio ORBIE awards in both 2023 and 2024.
Mark Zeman. CIO and CISO at SUNY Upstate Medical University (Syracuse, N.Y.). As CIO and CISO at SUNY Upstate Medical University, Mr. Zeman leads enterprise information management and technology across the Upstate Health System, research operations and the colleges of medicine, nursing, health professions and graduate studies. He partners with senior leadership on strategy, policy, budgeting and governance across clinical, financial, education, research and analytics domains, building a culture centered on innovation, delivery and cross-functional partnership. His leadership philosophy prioritizes workforce empowerment and professional development, reflected in organizational recognition on Foundry’s Computerworld “Best Places to Work in IT” 2026 list, where it ranked No. 25 among worldwide large organizations and earned a top-10 ranking globally for career development. He leads an information management technology division of more than 400 IT professionals, supporting more than 18,600 users, 23,000 devices and 400 locations. Internal survey results show 93% of employees would recommend the division as a great place to work. Under his direction, Upstate launched the nation’s first drone transport system dedicated to healthcare, completing more than 7,000 deliveries and achieving the first Federal Aviation Administration-approved healthcare production delivery across an interstate. He has also expanded automation through autonomous robots that have completed more than 60,000 on-demand deliveries, saving staff nearly 5,000 miles of travel. In parallel, he established an advanced analytics and data solutions team that has supported Upstate’s data transformation and realized $19.6 million in savings.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.