For healthcare leaders, attending events like the CHIME Fall Forum provides a unique opportunity to network, exchange ideas, and gain perspectives from influencers across all industries. As valuable as all of that can be, however, what resonates most from attendees are stories shared by those who have been through similar experiences.
In fact, when we asked a handful of leaders about their most cherished memories, many came from CHIME Boot Camp activities. For others, it was being recognized by their peers for their accomplishments.
Below are some of the responses:
My favorite memory was being presented the 2015 John E. Gall, Jr. CIO of the Year Award by CHIME and HIMSS, followed by a festive celebration with my professional family that evening and live concert with one of my all-time favorite bands, Foreigner. It was humbling to accept it from my amazing peers and an honor on behalf of my team and my health system.
-Craig Richardville, Chief Digital & Information Officer, Intermountain Healthcare
One of my favorite memories is from CIO Bootcamp. The camp was educational and challenging at the same time. The members of our group were all a bit worried about the exam, as we had heard stories of the failure rate being high. I remember our group meeting at the pool for hours to study for the CHCIO exam, taking to heart Russ Branzell’s speech on work-life balance. This simple study exercise helped us bond as we shared experiences on how we would approach various tasks. These amazing folks have become some of my closest CIO friends and confidants.
-Kate Pierce, former CIO & CISO, North Country Hospital
For the Fall Forum 2021 Innovation summit, I was asked to present and bring a vendor with me. Given this was at 3:30 pm on the first day, in a conference room that was hard to find, I was so impressed by how many vendor/partners as well as other CHIME members showed up for support. It was a demonstration of how the CHIME family works together and provides inclusivity for all who attend.
-Ray Lowe, SVP & CIO, AltaMed Health Services
I have incredible memories from Boot Camps, policy and advocacy adventures, and being CHIME Board Chair. I have two favorite memories. First, the day I walked on the stage decked out as superwoman to not only represent our superhero theme but also to reinforce the beginning of Women of Chime (and that effort continues). The other was when Russ Branzell and John Kravitz presented me with the Distinguished Service Award. The audience stood and clapped and shouted congratulations. I have never felt so appreciated in my life. What a great moment.
-Liz Johnson, Vice Chair, CHIME Policy Steering Committee
CHIME is stories and stories make memories, so picking one is exceedingly difficult. I have two memories that grew into one. When I had just rolled onto to the CHIME Board of Trustees as a Foundation Firm representative in 2014, I got a call from Russ Branzell asking if I thought there would be any interest in setting up a group focused on cybersecurity in healthcare. Well, he got a big dose of security from me, and we set out to create the Associations that would be focused on Security, Technology and Applications/Data. I thought I was done then; today, that security group has almost 900 members. About a year and a half ago, when we thought Covid was beginning to abate, I got another call from Russ, under the heading of “no good deed goes unpunished.” He told me that the groups we had set up needed help. Covid had taken a toll on the sector and these Associations had not gotten the focus they really needed. He then said, ‘I think you need to come back and finish raising your children’ (his actual words). Once again, Russ won. Sometimes progress is more of a forward spiral, than a straight line. We move forward, then we circle back, check on what we did and how things have changed, and move forward again. Forgetting our history and lessons learned can be as dangerous as not moving at all. CHIME keeps us moving and improving.
-David Finn, VP, AEHIS, AEHIT, and AEHIA
My favorite memory is CHIME Boot Camp. Russ opened the meeting by sharing his personal experience as a leader and set the stage that this bootcamp had little to do with technology and was about growing us as compassionate leaders.
-Chris Walden, VP, IT Hospital & Tenet Physician Resources
I am so proud to be a 2010 Boot Camp Alum! It was my first major event and intro to CHIME. Not only did it help prepare me to be a future CIO, it also offered immediate enhancement of my networking skills and confidence. I also made new friends and thanks to social media, I am still connected with them so many years later. One of the greatest memories from my year was our special case study or project, which at the time centered on the introduction of FaceBook in healthcare. We had a blast setting up a scenario to respond to the press about a controversial employee post. The experience gave me real world insight and content to return to my own organization and help develop new policies around its use and purpose. CHIME Boot Camp is also where my mentor was assigned, which represents a unique and highly valuable attribute of CHIME, and distinguishes it from other professional organizations. It’s been wonderful to connect in person and via virtual means with that individual through the years. He definitely remains a special connection who continues to inspire me all these years later.
-Tracy Elmer, Chief Innovation Officer, TrueCare
While I can’t point to one particular event or memory that stands out about the others, I am always impressed with the fact that CHIME always seems to go the extra yard to host events in interesting and different places, with compelling speakers who always get you thinking.
-Rich Temple, VP & CIO, Deborah Heart & Lung Center
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