Hospital and health systems across the U.S. are increasingly rebranding the chief information officer role as organizations expand digital strategy beyond traditional IT operations.
Recent executive moves suggest a growing preference for titles such as “chief digital and information officer” and “chief information and digital officer,” reflecting broader responsibilities tied to AI, consumer experience and enterprise transformation.
Of seven recent hospital and health system IT leadership moves reported by Becker’s, five included “digital” in the executive’s title.
Fort Worth, Texas-based Cook Children’s Health Care named Teresa Tonthat chief digital and information officer. Ann Arbor-based Michigan Medicine appointed Anika Gardenhire, RN, as its first chief digital and information officer. Dover, Del.-based Bayhealth named Thomas “Mac” Marlow vice president and chief digital and information officer.
Greenville, S.C.-based Prisma Health named Steve LeBlond chief information and digital officer, while Salt Lake City-based University of Utah Health promoted Donna Roach to system chief digital and information officer.
Only one of the recent appointments retained the traditional CIO title: Topeka, Kan.-based Stormont Vail Health named Aaron Wootton vice president of IT and CIO. In January, Rich Rogers retired as senior vice president and CIO of Greenville, S.C.-based Prisma Health.
The inclusion of “digital” in CIO titles has grown significantly in recent years. According to a 2024 WittKieffer survey, 20% of health system CIOs now hold the title of chief digital and information officer, and two-thirds of those appointments occurred in the past three years.
In the same survey, 84% of CIOs serve on their organization’s executive leadership team, reflecting the strategic elevation of the role in support of digital and enterprise transformation initiatives.
While the CIO title remains widely used across the industry, the increasing adoption of hybrid titles suggests health systems are redefining the scope of the role to align with broader strategic priorities.
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