Remembering John Wade

John Wade, former CIO/VP at Saint Luke’s Health System in Kansas City, and former HIMSS Board Chair, passed away last week. His friends and colleagues have offered the following remembrances.

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Thanks John. You will be missed my friend. Thanks for all the years that you gave to the healthcare industry. Your examples of how to lead will live on. Thanks for all you helped me with over the years and the guidance you provided. You were one of the folks that provided me with an outstanding example of what a healthcare CIO should be. Thanks John, I will miss you.

May the road rise to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face. May the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, May the Lord hold you in the palm of His hand.

My fondest memory of John Wade was as the trip we took to a Chinese health information technology conference in Beijing in 2002 as a part of a contingency of HIMSS Board members and other industry leaders who spoke at the conference. John, as one would expect, took the leadership role to guide a group of us through Beijing on our own unauthorized tours. Like children trailing the Pied Piper we followed John, with his trusty English/Chinese translation book in hand, through the hutangs and markets that only locals usually visit. Fearless, John struck up conversations with locals and attempted to understand their challenges in life. The most vibrant memory of this trip is that John did all of this with an American Flag pin proudly displayed on his lapel at all times. John was a great American and great HIT leader who always proudly gave back to others.

I will miss John. He was a terrific professional who cared about health care IT because of the positive differences it could make for patients, their families and communities. He helped many people in a variety of ways and would make any Irishman proud. May he rest in peace.

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When John became Board Chair in June of 2007, he brought his engaging smile, his unique sense of humor, and his strong commitment to the HIMSS cause and its growth. John called his role as chair both the “challenge and opportunity” of HIMSS becoming an international organization while continuing to provide leadership for the use of health IT. All of these challenges came during a crucial time in the United States and John provided the leadership. He was an involved and active leader of HIMSS since 1993.

John’s friends and associates at HIMSS offer our condolences to Cheri and the family. Our thoughts are with you as we remember and thank John for his continuous commitment to HIMSS. He understood its important role to improve healthcare delivery with the best use of information technology.

John – It was an honor knowing you, serving with you on the HIMSS Board, and being your friend. I cherish all the talks we had; your wisdom continues on in the successes of my life!  I lift my hand to my brow to pay you a final military salute to honor you and what you stood for.  Goodbye my friend.

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John Wade was a gentleman of the first order and a real tribute to the field. It is with great sorrow to hear that he is no longer with us. He will always be remembered for his thoughtful contributions to the HIMSS board and for his courtesy and kindness to his colleagues. His family should know he will always live on in our memories and I hope his wife and family know how much he cared for them in every way.

John is a loss to all of us.

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The first time I met John Wade I was just about to join the HIMSS Board and he was the Chair. I stuck out my hand to introduce myself and he took my hand . . . he said, “I know who you are” and rattled off my resume. Clearly, John had done his homework. John always did his homework. This was not homework, this was a demonstration of how he felt about people – – even ones he didn’t know.

In this day and age, just getting a timely response to an email can be a thrilling event.  John cared about people, he took note of them, and he respected them – even if they were not Red Sox fans.  I’ll remember John for his thought leadership, his vision, his ability to get things done, but I’ll miss John because he cared about me – – about everyone.  And it is impossible not to reciprocate that feeling.

John was a wonderful example to us all of creativity, hardwork, going the extra mile, loving our business, mentor, advisor and friend.  John was an great example of “one man can make a difference.”