Schooler Named CIO of the Year

Rick Schooler, senior vice president and CIO at Orlando Health, has been named the 2011 John E. Gall Jr. CIO of the Year. Schooler is in his 12th year as CIO at Orlando Health and has been in the health IT industry for more than two decades. He is a Fellow of CHIME and was a member of the CHIME Board of Trustees from 2006 to 2008, also serving as Chair.

“It is truly a great honor to receive this year’s John E. Gall award, which I personally regard as the ultimate industry recognition for healthcare CIOs,” Schooler said. “Since leaving the telecommunications industry in 1991 to begin my healthcare career, I have had the great privilege of knowing and working with many of the former Gall award recipients. I can say with great admiration and gratitude that my joining this roster of professionals places me in very good company.”

Schooler has been active in CHIME’s advocacy initiatives, serving on the Advocacy Leadership Team and as an Advocacy State Coordinator. As a senior member of HIMSS, he has served on the HIMSS Public Policy/Advocacy Committee and has been an active member of the Indiana and North Florida HIMSS chapters. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, and serves on a number of advisory boards, including KLAS and healthsystemCIO.com.

The award recognizes health IT executives who have made significant contributions to their organization and demonstrated innovative leadership through effective use of technology. The award is named in honor of the late John E. Gall Jr., who pioneered implementation of the first fully integrated medical information system in the world at California’s El Camino Hospital in the 1960s.

Schooler will receive the award at the upcoming HIMSS Conference and Exhibition in Las Vegas on Feb. 23, 2012.