During the CHIME17 Fall Forum, several awards were presented recognizing the achievements of health system leaders and vendor executives who are working to advance health IT forward and improve patient care.
Below is a list of the recipients who were honored in San Antonio:
- The 2017 CHIME-AHA Transformational Leadership Award went to William Webster (CEO) and Gary Barnes (CIO) at Medical Center Health System (MCHS) in Odessa, Texas, for successfully creating and executing a plan to implement a unified EHR that “puts the patient at the center.” According to CHIME, a key in MCHS’ success was the decision to unify its analytics team and data governance structure, which allowed the organization to “to consolidate and standardize multiple data sources.”
- The 2017 CHIME Outstanding Service Award was presented to Chuck Christian, VP of Technology and Engagement at Indiana Health Information Exchange. A CHIME Fellow and Lifetime member, Christian has served on numerous boards and “has shown extraordinary dedication to CHIME through participation in programs and volunteer service.” He was also the recipient of this year’s Federal Public Policy Award for CIO Leadership, and was the 2010 John E. Gall HIMSS/CHIME CIO of the Year (2010). CHIME Board Liz Johnson noted, “We are all better at what we do because of Chuck’s influence. He sets the example of what it means to be a thoughtful and committed leader.”
- The 2017 CHIME Foundation Industry Leader Award was given to Dana Sellers, co-founder and retired CEO of Encore Health Resources, in recognition of her dedication and contributions to the healthcare IT industry. According to CHIME, Sellers “has spent her 30-year career championing the use of healthcare IT to improve patient care and outcomes.”
- The 2017 CHIME Innovator Of The Year Award was presented to Fernando Martinez, chief digital officer at the Texas Hospital Association Foundation Center for Technology Innovation. His team developed THA Smart Ribbon, a digital tool designed to help clinicians make informed decisions based on cost and clinical data. Its initial implementation at the Parkland Health and Hospital System in Dallas has resulted in a cost savings of $430,444 over 71 days, said CHIME. Martinez has held various roles both in IT leadership and consulting.
- The 2017 CHIME Collaboration Award went to Deborah Gash, CIO at St. Luke’s Health System in Kansas City, Mo., and HCTec, which partnered on a strategy that decreased staff turnover, increased morale and productivity, and resulted in significant cost savings. It’s a model that is now being used by HCTec to serve healthcare networks across the country.
- The 2017 CHIME Foundation Partner Award was given to Connection, a Merrimack, N.H.-based company that has developed a number of processes, services, and tools to help connect healthcare customers with suitable technology solutions.
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