Celebrating the 2023 HIMSS Changemaker in Health Award Recipients

HIMSS members whose courage, curiosity and determination are helping transform the global health ecosystem have been recognized as 2023 HIMSS Changemaker in Health Award Recipients.

The Changemaker in Health Awards celebrate inspirational and innovative healthcare leaders for their relentless pursuit to improve care by harnessing the power of information and technology. 

Changemaker Award categories:

• HIMSS-ACCE Excellence in Clinical Engineering and Information Technology Award
• HIMSS-AMDIS Physician Executive Leader Award
• HIMSS-ANI Nursing Informatics Award
• HIMSS Chapter Advocate Award
• HIMSS Chapter Leader Award
• HIMSS Global Patient Award
• HIMSS Health Equity Awards
• HIMSS John A. Page Distinguished Fellows Service Award
• HIMSS Most Influential Women in Health IT Awards
• HIMSS Policy Influencer Awards
• HIMSS Senior Executive Awards

HIMSS Changemakers are inspiring leaders who rigorously challenge the status quo in their journey to build a brighter health future. Congratulations to all Changemaker Award recipients.
 

HIMSS-ACCE Excellence in Clinical Engineering and Information Technology Changemaker Award

Paul Sherman, CCE, FACCE

President, Sherman Engineering LLC
Hammond, Oregon, United States

For more than 30 years, Paul Sherman has been an active member of the healthcare technology and clinical engineering community. During this time, he served in various biomedical engineering roles at the Department of Veterans. In 2012, he founded Sherman Engineering LLC, where he helped create a support program teaching returning veterans and displaced workers about electronic medical records and managed Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise’s Patient Care Device Domain.

Sherman is an advocate of the clinical engineering discipline, which helps to define clinical workflows so clinicians can use ever-increasing medical device data. Through his active engagement at HIMSS, he has resolved several challenges surrounding interoperability and improving user requirements for its adoption.
 

HIMSS-AMDIS Physician Executive Leader Changemaker Award

Margaret Lozovatsky, MD, FAMIA

Senior Vice President | Chief Health Informatics Officer, Novant Health
Charlotte, North Carolina, United States

As senior vice president and chief health informatics officer for Novant Health, Margaret Lozovatsky leads a clinical informatics team across a large integrated health system. She is passionate about optimizing the use of technology to improve patient outcomes, lower the cost of healthcare, enhance clinician wellness and advance patient experience. Lozovatsky is also a pediatric hospitalist and continues to practice medicine.
 

HIMSS-ANI Nursing Informatics Changemaker Award

Anna Schoenbaum, DNP, MS, RN-BC, FHIMSS

Vice President of Applications and Digital Health, Penn Medicine
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Anna Schoenbaum leverages her advanced nursing and informatics background to improve healthcare delivery and outcomes across the healthcare industry. Her role in academic medicine has led to the transformative integration of healthcare information technology and created practice and policy standards at a local and national level. Schoenbaum’s efforts work to ensure new technologies accelerate research and improve patient care outcomes. Her latest achievements focused on the digital transformation of Penn Medicine’s newest state-of-the-art hospital and integrating genomic results into its electronic health record.
 

HIMSS Chapter Advocate Changemaker Award

A. Lee Lavergne, CPHIMS, FHIMSS

Vice President, Advocacy HIMSS-DFW Chapter
Dallas, Texas, United States

A. Lee Lavergne has worked in healthcare IT for more than 35 years and held various HIMSS Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter board positions. A change leader in healthcare transformation, he has led numerous EHR implementations and process improvement efforts for several organizations. As vice president of advocacy for the HIMSS Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter, Lavergne is currently leading efforts in HIT advocacy for telehealth, maternal health and health equity at the Texas state legislature. He also serves as co-vice chair for the National Chapter Advocacy Task Force. In addition to his advocacy work, Lavergne assists with policies on the Texas Interoperability Committee.
 

HIMSS Chapter Leader of the Year Changemaker Award

Deepak Chaudhry, MSIS, CPHIMS, FHIMSS

Digital Health Advisory Leader, Huron Consulting
Houston, Texas, United States

Deepak Chaudhry has been an active member of the HIMSS Houston Chapter board for almost 10 years and spent the last six years serving as president. He has steered several local and regional initiatives to help educate and advocate for health IT, collaborate on events with regional HIMSS chapters and the Texas Medical Center. He led the HIMSS Houston Chapter in 2019 to be the recipient of the HIMSS Chapter of the Year Award. 
 

HIMSS Global Patient Innovator Changemaker Award

Lea Raak

Founder, Blickwinkel Diabetes; Insulea.de
Kiel, Germany

Lea Raak is a patient expert and advocate for people with chronic conditions and disabilities. Diagnosed at a young age with Diabetes Type 1, asthma and endometriosis, she has been involved in a variety of international projects focusing on psychological aspects, peer support and raising awareness to fight stigma surrounding chronic conditions and disabilities. Insulea.de was one of the first German blogs about living with Type 1 Diabetes. In June 2021, Lea initiated Blickwinkel Diabetes, a German volunteer organization for people living with diabetes that strengthens peer support and educational work through online and offline events.
 

HIMSS Health Equity Changemaker Award

Fran Ayalasomayajula, MPH, MSMIS, PMP, HMCT, CD (DONA)

President, REACH; CEO, RTL Innovation
San Diego, California, United States

Fran Ayalasomayajula serves populations around the world, improving quality of care, increasing access to healthcare and raising health literacy and patient engagement. From the Tiwi Islands to Dakar, migratory farming communities, to vulnerable populations and beyond, she advocates universal parity, inclusion, and representation. Her mission is to enable communities and healthcare professionals to live healthy and thrive. Ayalasomayajula focuses on leading significant and meaningful large-scale initiatives that have a far-reaching, sustainable and positive impact.

Grady Burrows, MBA

Executive Director, HIT in the CLE
Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Grady Burrows is passionate about the growth and diversification of the health IT talent pipeline in northeast Ohio and beyond. Since 2015, Burrows has served as executive director of HIT in the CLE, a grassroots organization created with the mission of organically growing and diversifying the talent pipeline of health IT software developers and data scientists for Cleveland and the surrounding region. His work is dramatically changing the trajectory for Black and brown residents of the city of Cleveland by creating better access and awareness of health IT training and opportunities. 

John Casillas

Executive Director, GlobalRise
Franklin, Tennessee, United States

John Casillas is the executive director of GlobalRise, the mission of which is a world of healthy kids. Casillas has the vision to deploy drones to connect mountain farmers with formal markets to create a thriving mountain economy that lifts families out of disease and poverty. A HIMSS nonprofit member, GlobalRise, hosted HIMSS members in Uganda for two weeks, where they connected with community leaders, farmers and villagers, orphanages, hospitals and universities to learn what is required to scale digital health solutions in the poorest regions of the world.

Michael "Chris" Gibbons, MD, MPH

Founder & CEO, The Greystone Group
Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Michael Gibbons is a digital health innovator, entrepreneur, physician and scientist. His career has been dedicated to solving some of life’s most challenging health problems including improving health among racial and ethnic minorities and using digital technologies to improve health beyond the walls of the hospital. His vision is to enable any city, community, home or other environment, including those in underserved communities, to become spaces that enable healthcare delivery and promote health, wellbeing, education and economic development, through new digital ecosystems.
 

HIMSS John A. Page Distinguished Fellows Service Changemaker Award

Donna Roach, MS, CHCIO, CDH-E, FCHIME, LFHIMSS

CIO, University of Utah Health
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

With more than 35 years’ experience in the healthcare industry, Donna Roach has focused on healthcare information technology for the past 30 years. Previously, she was the president of the HIMSS Michigan Chapter and chair of the Michigan Hospital Association Technology Board. She has taught at the University of Illinois – Circle Campus, Rush University Medical College, Department of Health Systems Management; and UCONN, Health Administration. She has served in numerous volunteer roles and currently serves on the HIMSS Executive Summit Advisory Work Group providing valuable insights and feedback.
 

HIMSS Most Influential Women in Health IT Changemaker Award

Janis Curtis, MSPH, MA

Associate Director, Clinical Data Research Networks, Duke Health
School of Medicine, Clinical Translational Science Institute
Durham, North Carolina, United States

In her current role as chair of the HIMSS Global Health Conference Education Committee and previous role as chair of the Davies Committee, Janis Curtis consistently champions the effective use of technology and health data to aid administrative, clinical and policy decisions. In her current position managing the Duke Clinical Data Research Networks Program, Janis exemplifies her commitment to collaborate with and provide health data that enables clinicians to conduct multisite clinical research.

Anca del Rio, MSPH

President EIT Alumni, European Institute of Innovation and Technology
Zurich, Switzerland

Anca del Rio is a purpose-driven health economist and thought leader in global health, innovation governance and digital public health strategy. Throughout her global career across Europe, the U.S., the Middle East and Australia, her bold contributions to repurpose information and technology for public good and social impact represent the highest standards of healthcare leadership. Currently, she is on a mission to make a difference at scale and globally innovate the future of health by building the largest multistakeholder community for healthcare innovation from the heart of the life sciences ecosystem, Basel, Switzerland, where it all began centuries ago.

Joy Rios, MBA

Founder | CEO | Host, HIT Like a Girl Podcast
Baja California, Mexico

During the past 10 years, Joy Rios has been a passionate ambassador for value-based care and serves as a mentor to many women in the field of health information. She is the founder, CEO and host of the popular podcast HIT Like a Girl. Rios encourages women in health IT to share their ideas and express commitment to improving patient care by tapping into the power of information to connect the dots of a fragmented health ecosystem. Rios is not only a champion for women, but for all. She takes bold actions and inspires the health IT community to positively transform.

Victoria Tiase, PhD, RN-BC, FAMIA, FNAP, FAAN

Strategic Director Digital Health, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Informatics
University of Utah, School of Medicine
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Victoria Tiase is an active HIMSS member for over 15 years, including as chair of the Nursing Informatics Committee, member of SDOH Task Force and member of mHealth App Guidelines workgroup. Her expertise ranges from leveraging patient-generated health data to mentoring digital health startups. Most recently, she was the informatics lead on the National Academy of Medicine’s Future of Nursing 2030 Committee to envision the nurse’s role in using technology to promote health equity and create healthier communities.

Gabriela Mustata Wilson, PhD, MSc, FHIMSS, SNAI, FIAHSI

Professor and Founding Co-Director, Multi-Interprofessional Center for Health Informatics (MICHI), University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
Arlington, Texas, United States

Gabriela Wilson is a health informatics wizard with bold ideas to improve people’s lives. She is a firm believer in the power of many, nurtured independence and mission-first focus, with a strong desire to serve and inspire others. She is passionate about using health informatics tools to bridge the knowledge-to-action gap related to integrating public and ecological health to foster resilience. An expert in multidisciplinary research collaborations, her current focus is on addressing racial injustice and health inequity.
 

HIMSS Policy Influencer Changemaker Award

Zahid Butt, MD, FACG

CEO, Medisolv
Columbia, Maryland, United States

Zahid Butt is an industry leader and pioneer in digital quality measurement. He founded Medisolv, a Best in KLAS software company, recognized for implementation and testing of digital measures in national quality reporting programs. He served on many technical expert panels with CMS, NCQA and TJC. As a HIMSS member for over 20 years, he has served on committees and taskforces, and he currently chairs the HIMSS Quality and Safety Taskforce that provides input to the HIMSS Public Affairs Committee.

Daniel Jernigan, MD, MPH

Deputy Director for Public Health Science and Surveillance
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Daniel Jernigan is responsible for strengthening CDC’s scientific foundation by working across the Office of Science, the Office of Laboratory Science and Safety, the Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, and the National Center for Health Statistics. His focus has been on identifying innovative ways to support the state, tribal, local and territorial public health departments in their digital health transformation, while leading the CDC's internal data modernization efforts. He has been outspoken in his work on standards-based interoperability, and the need to incorporate public health infrastructure modernization into the overall health IT plans for the country.

Hans Henri Marcel Paul Kluge, MD

European Regional Director, World Health Organization
Copenhagen, Denmark

Hans Henri Marcel Paul Kluge strives to support governments in their digital transformation journeys to produce better population health outcomes and to allow every individual to make safe, informed choices on their health and well-being. His dream is a society where no one is left behind. A world where health is incorporated in government policies to enable all people of all ages to live healthy lives, and where people-centered public health and healthcare services are universally available.

Micky Tripathi, PhD

National Coordinator for Health IT
Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT
Washington, D.C., United States

As the current National Coordinator for Health IT for the United States government, Micky Tripathi focuses ONC efforts on real world solutions to advance interoperability. Tripathi made his priority incorporating health equity into ONC’s strategies and health IT-related programs across the government. Tripathi is taking ONC in a new direction to fulfill the expectations of the 21st Century Cures Act to reap the full potential of truly digital healthcare system.
 

HIMSS Senior Executive Changemaker Award

Yanwar Hadiyanto, MD

Doctor, Pondok Indah Hospital Group
Jakarta, Indonesia

“Extraordinary patient experience.” Yanwar Hadiyanto enthusiastically believed this could be achievable since he joined Pondok Indah Hospital Group. He believes digital transformation is one way to achieve that. In 2008, Hadiyanto began his first attempt of digitizing patient data into an EMR, not a common practice at that time. Eventually, under Hadiyanto’s encouragement and leadership, all three hospitals within the hospital group became entirely connected in real time. In April 2022, the three hospitals were first in Indonesia to achieve Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM) Stage 6.

Ray Lowe, MS

Senior Vice President / CIO, AltaMed Health Services
Commerce, California, United States

With over 25 years of healthcare experience, Ray Lowe is a strong advocate of health equity and culturally competent care. Lowe delivers quality-based care and health equity initiatives for socially challenged economic areas to more than 400,000 people. He has an instrumental role in transforming and providing healthcare to the Southern California Medicaid patient population, particularly for low-income, Latino, multiethnic and underserved communities. As an innovator, he adopted a mobile-first strategy and led a holistic digital framework transformation, which included remote patient monitoring and care transitions focused on value-based care outcome.

Kathleen McGrow, DNP, MS, RN, PMP

Chief Nursing Information Officer and Industry Executive, Microsoft
Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Kathleen McGrow leverages her expertise at the intersection of clinical knowledge and information technology to drive digital transformation imperatives such as workforce engagement, provider enablement, patient engagement and operational efficiencies. Her expertise in data, analytics and artificial intelligence is used to identify areas for organizational improvements. McGrow’s current focus is on workforce crisis initiatives including the discovery of solutions that identify employees at risk for moral distress and to promote and address employee well-being.

Srinivasan Suresh, MD, MBA, FAAP

Vice-President, CIO & CMIO, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Srinivasan Suresh is a board-certified informatician, professor of pediatrics, vice president, chief information officer and chief medical information officer of a leading children’s hospital, and a practicing pediatric emergency physician. He was instrumental in his organization winning the HIMSS Davies Award of Excellence and maintaining HIMSS Stage 7 recognition on EMRAM and O-EMRAM. An informatics researcher, Suresh leads multidisciplinary teams in applying business intelligence (measurably enhance healthcare for children), and in implementing robust clinical decision support tools (improve quality outcomes and control costs).

Catherine Turner, BSN, MBA, RN-BC

Associate Vice President, MEDITECH
Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Recognizing the value that technology can bring to patients, care teams and healthcare organizations, Catherine Turner has lent her passion and expertise to the implementation, development and marketing of MEDITECH's EHR. Embracing the future vision of health information technology, Turner presents this vision at national and international conferences, as adjunct professor at Northeastern University and as a reviewer for HIT publications and chapter author for Colibri Healthcare.