Women are leading the charge in transforming the future of healthcare through innovation in health IT. These trailblazing leaders are streamlining administrative processes, eliminating inefficiencies, standardizing workflows, and driving meaningful change across the industry.
Meet 100 women in health IT who are making a powerful impact.
Note: This list was compiled using nominations and editorial research. This list is not exhaustive, nor is it an endorsement of included leaders or associated healthcare providers. Leaders cannot pay for inclusion on this list. Leaders are presented in alphabetical order.
Contact Anna Falvey at afalvey@beckershealthcare.com with questions or comments.
Sponsored by:
DIRECTV for BUSINESS is the ultimate entertainment solution for healthcare facilities nationwide, offering customizable, scalable solutions for any size property.
Meredith Adams, MD. Associate Professor and Health IT Innovator at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Advocate Health (Charlotte, N.C.). Dr. Adams is a professor and innovator at the intersection of clinical care, data science and health IT. Leading over $26 million in National Institutes of Health HEAL-funded research through her role as principal investigator on various initiatives, she developed groundbreaking tools to advance opioid research and pain care interoperability. Her “Gen3 Data Commons” initiative transformed secure, compliant data sharing for clinical trials, while her “ADAPT” program fosters a diverse workforce in addiction data science. As a practicing physician and AI researcher, she turns policy into practice and theory into action. Her leadership roles across national boards and recognitions like the 2023 “NIH HEAL Trailblazer” award reflect her far-reaching influence.
Sarah Ahmad. CEO at CAQH (Washington, D.C.). Ms. Ahmad assumed the role of CEO at CAQH in 2023. With the most comprehensive provider and member data in the US, the company focuses on aligning the healthcare ecosystem around essential solutions, creating a more connected and less costly experience for all. Ms. Ahmad joined CAQH after holding leadership positions at Humana, Highmark Health, Magellan Health and, most recently, Shoppers Drug Mart, Canada’s largest pharmacy, health and wellness retailer. In addition to her background and expertise, Ms. Ahmad has a deep and personal commitment to removing barriers to the delivery of care. At every step of her career, she has worked to enable a better experience for providers and patients. Over the past 25-plus years, Ms. Ahmad has led teams responsible for key enterprisewide functions, including provider network development, product innovation, digital health solutions, strategic partnerships and acquisitions, advanced data analytics and patient care delivery.
Jodi Amendola. Founder and CEO at Amendola Communications (Scottsdale, Ariz.). Ms. Amendola founded one of the most respected health tech public relations agencies in the U.S., guiding hundreds of companies through initial public offerings, exits and rapid growth. In 2024, she successfully sold Amendola to marketing agency platform Supreme Group, while maintaining its leadership, brand and client continuity. She refined the agency’s approach with enhanced campaign reporting, a new emphasis on executive thought leadership and flexible tradeshow strategies, resulting in award-winning campaigns. A philanthropist and mentor, Ms. Amendola has donated over $100,000 in marketing services to nonprofits and serves on multiple healthcare and community boards. Her book of business spans startups to Fortune 500 clients in digital health, and her agency has won top public relations and creative awards in 2024.
Lisa Avellino. CIO for Gaylord Hospital (Wallingford, Conn.). Ms. Avellino brings a clinician’s empathy and a technologist’s precision to her role as CIO of Gaylord Specialty Healthcare. Her dual expertise enables her to partner meaningfully with clinical leaders while advancing cybersecurity, informatics and biomedical technology strategies. Her prior experience as CIO at Community Health Center in Middletown, Conn. informs her approach to scalable, patient-centered IT solutions. She leads with the understanding that technology must elevate care rather than complicate it. Known for her collaboration-first mindset, she is a bridge between complex systems and real-world clinical needs.
Kathryn Ayers Wickenhauser. Chief Strategy Officer for DirectTrust (Washington, D.C.). Ms. Ayers Wickenhauser is a health IT strategist whose leadership at DirectTrust has redefined industry engagement, trust frameworks and interoperability initiatives. As chief strategy officer, she led the organization’s expansion beyond Direct secure messaging into broader trust-in-technology standards, resulting in tripled organizational growth and major integrations with SAFE Identity and Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission. Ms. Ayers Wickenhauser helped establish DirectTrust’s American National Standards Institute standards development body and spearheaded initiatives like the “Interop Hero” campaign. She brings a blend of regulatory insight, marketing innovation and community-building to everything from conference planning to cross-sector partnerships. Her outreach efforts include inclusive roundtables and free virtual summits, helping to democratize health IT access. She is also shaping national interoperability policy and collaboration efforts through board and committee roles across organizations like Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, The Sequoia Project and PatientID Now.
Courtney Baker. Marketing Manager for CommonWell Health Alliance (Boston). Ms. Baker serves as the marketing manager at CommonWell Health Alliance, where she leads strategic marketing efforts that promote interoperability and nationwide clinical data exchange. With over a decade of experience at the intersection of healthcare, technology and communications, she plays a pivotal role in amplifying CommonWell’s mission through branding, campaign strategy and stakeholder engagement. Her leadership is especially critical as the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement framework takes hold, making her a key communicator and educator in the national push for seamless data sharing. Ms. Baker previously held senior marketing roles at the Michigan Health Information Network Shared Services and Physicians Health Plan, where she led large-scale initiatives, rebranding efforts and national public relations campaigns. She is also the founding host of Interoperability Unlocked, a bi-weekly digital show dedicated to health IT education and industry dialogue.
Julie Barnett. Associate Vice President of Enterprise Business Solutions at OU Health (Oklahoma City, Okla.). Ms. Barnett has more than 25 years of experience in healthcare technology leadership, with a background spanning operations, information systems, accounting and organizational management. She currently oversees a portfolio of non-clinical enterprise applications and enterprise resource planning systems at OU Health. She led the $11 million implementation of “Workday” ERP at OU Health, coordinating a team of analysts and serving as the primary liaison with Workday support and IT security teams. She chairs the monthly Workday steering committee and helped establish a partnership with Optimum Healthcare IT to address staffing gaps, a collaboration that was featured in a 2025 case study. Her team supports enterprise applications that align with OU Health’s operational and compliance needs. Before her current role, she directed ERP and ancillary applications, managing core systems that support system-level operations. She also held leadership roles at SSM Health in St. Louis and Catholic Health Initiatives in Englewood, Colo., where she developed data integrity protocols and process methodologies.
Heather Bassett, MD. Chief Medical Officer of Xsolis (Franklin, Tenn.). Dr. Bassett serves as chief medical officer at Xsolis, where she uniquely leads both clinical services and the data science teams, driving AI innovations that improve healthcare operations and patient outcomes. She developed the care level score, a proprietary AI-driven metric integral to Xsolis’ “Dragonfly” platform, which enhances utilization management and aligns payers and providers during concurrent authorization. Dr. Bassett oversees the strategic direction and operational growth of Xsolis’ revenue cycle services, including denials management and physician advisor services that were ranked No. 1 “Best in KLAS” for multiple years. Her extensive clinical and technological expertise fuels the company’s rapid growth and its partnerships with over 500 hospitals and numerous health plans nationwide. Dr. Bassett is a recognized thought leader and advocate for responsible AI in healthcare, with numerous publications and speaking engagements.
Gala Batsishcha, MD. Senior Business Analyst and Healthcare Consultant for ScienceSoft (McKinney, Texas). Dr. Batsishcha brings a rare blend of clinical, pharmaceutical and IT expertise to her work at ScienceSoft, where she drives regulatory-compliant digital transformation for healthcare clients. A trained endocrinologist and seasoned pharma executive, she worked with global leaders like Pfizer and Roche before turning to health IT consulting. At ScienceSoft, she applies her deep domain knowledge to craft tailored, interoperable and standards-based software solutions that meet compliance requirements. To do so, she conducts customer needs analyses, supports business analysis phases and helps optimize deal strategies. Additionally, she designs and delivers healthcare training programs. She has authored influential articles and leads companywide healthcare education initiatives that strengthen industry knowledge and customer outcomes.
Lisa Belisle, MD, PhD. Medical Director for Ovatient (Cleveland). Dr. Belisle is a pioneering leader in virtual-first care delivery, integrating primary care, behavioral health and urgent care into seamless, system-connected models. As medical director at Ovatient, she drives the development of AI-enhanced clinical workflows and Epic-integrated solutions that improve provider efficiency and continuity of care. With over 20 years of experience in family medicine, she blends clinical expertise with advanced leadership skills to champion culturally competent, patient-centered virtual care. A lifelong learner and educator, she has co-created leadership programs focused on physician wellness and women’s advancement in medicine. Her work extends beyond clinical settings through her “Radio Maine” podcast, where she explores wellness, creativity and community engagement.
Lesley Berkeyheiser. Senior Director of Accreditation Strategy and Development, DirectTrust (Washington, D.C.). Ms. Berkeyheiser is a trailblazer in health IT privacy, security and accreditation, with over three decades of service helping organizations build and scale trust frameworks. At DirectTrust, she leads the development and evolution of accreditation programs that address the real-world cybersecurity and compliance needs of health systems of all sizes. A certified HITRUST practitioner and longtime assessor, she has guided hundreds of organizations through complex regulatory landscapes. Her mantra is “Establish trust. Secure trust. Scale trust”, a phrase that is now a guiding principle within DirectTrust and the broader data exchange community. A national leader on privacy policy, she co-chairs Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange’s privacy and security workgroup and contributed to national standards and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society’s certified professional in healthcare information and management systems review guide.
Andreea Bodnari, PhD. CEO and Founder of Alignmt.AI (New York City). Dr. Bodnari leads Alignmt.AI, specializing in AI governance and risk mitigation for healthcare organizations. She brings an educational background in machine learning and senior product leadership experience from Google and UnitedHealth Group. Under her guidance, Alignmt.AI helps healthcare enterprises implement AI solutions that are compliant, transparent and ethically sound. Dr. Bodnari has partnered with the Healthcare Financial Management Association to launch a national AI governance training program. She is actively engaged in key industry groups, including the Coalition for Health AI and the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s AI safety consortium. She also holds numerous advisory roles focused on AI ethics, governance and innovation in healthcare.
Jennifer F. Bollinger. Senior Vice President, Chief Brand and Consumer Officer for Sutter Health (Sacramento, Calif.). Since joining Sutter Health in 2023, Ms. Bollinger has driven record-setting growth in digital scheduling, reduced no-show rates to industry-leading levels, and introduced tools that connect patients to care nearly three weeks sooner. Her work has empowered 1.8 million digitally engaged patients with innovations like multi-language text reminders, chatbot tools and “FastPass” scheduling. Patient satisfaction and loyalty have significantly improved across the system, with experience scores rising by 8% and specialty satisfaction climbing notably in areas like women’s health. Beyond her operational achievements, she is championing a healthcare model that treats patients as informed consumers, removing friction, improving equity, and helping Sutter become the most connected system for getting and staying well. She is a nationally recognized thought leader and the Reuters “Trailblazing Woman in Healthcare” for 2024.
Kerry Bommarito, PhD. Vice President of Enterprise AI and Decision Intelligence at Mercy (Chesterfield, Mo.). Dr. Bommarito leads strategy for the development of AI, machine learning, generative AI and decision intelligence solutions that are improving care delivery, optimizing operations and enhancing patient experience. She has driven the deployment of over a dozen real-time machine learning models, many embedded directly into Mercy’s EHR to support timely, evidence-based decision-making at the point of care. She led the development of Mercy’s first generative AI product at scale, an innovative clinical tool used by nurses during emergency department-to-inpatient transitions that has produced over 100,000 patient summaries, streamlined communication, reduced documentation burden and supported safer handoffs. In addition, she championed the use of large language models and agentic AI, always grounded in ethical, human-centered design principles that prioritize equity, safety and clinician trust. Dr. Bommarito has been a key contributor to Mercy’s responsible AI governance efforts by helping to design and implement responsible AI frameworks as part of Mercy’s participation in the Coalition for Health AI. In addition, she has led internal initiatives to ensure that AI development at Mercy is clinically appropriate, legally compliant and ethically aligned.
Joy Brown. Senior Vice President and CDIO for Boston Medical Center Health System (Boston). Ms. Brown leads Boston Medical Center Health System’s digital, technology, cybersecurity and information strategy, driving innovation to improve healthcare access, efficiency and outcomes. She oversees the integration of advanced digital tools, including AI and analytics, to create a patient-centered digital experience across the health system. Ms. Brown has led key initiatives such as the digital integration of two system hospitals and the implementation of patient welcome kiosks that streamline outpatient registration and reduce clinical data entry time. Before joining the system, she served as chief data officer at Verizon Media, where she led a large team to transform digital capabilities for over a billion customers. Ms. Brown is also an active board member for Huron Consulting, ESO Solutions and ValidiFi.
Lauren Bruckner, MD, PhD. CMIO at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (Buffalo, N.Y.). In her role as CMIO, Dr. Bruckner leads initiatives that enhance patient engagement and digital health, while continuing her practice as a pediatric hematologist-oncologist. She also serves as a professor of oncology and pediatrics. Board-certified in clinical informatics, she is at the forefront of a pilot program exploring the use of AI to assist physicians in compiling case notes. Dr. Bruckner serves on the board of HEALTHeLINK, the health information exchange for Western New York, promoting interoperability with community providers. With a wealth of experience gained from nearly 20 years in clinical care and medical informatics roles, she joined Roswell in 2021 and has developed a robust clinical governance structure to prioritize projects and enhance communication across specialty clinics.
Amy Bucher, PhD. Chief Behavioral Officer of Lirio (Knoxville, Tenn.). Dr. Bucher, an internationally recognized expert in motivation science and behavioral product design, leads Lirio’s behavioral science team, where she develops AI-powered Precision Nudging solutions that enhance health outcomes through behavior design. She co-directs Lirio’s behavioral reinforcement learning lab and supports a $7.3 million Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health initiative with Vanderbilt to improve healthcare chatbot reliability. She also authored Engaged: Designing for Behavior Change, and holds two patents in digital health personalization. Dr. Bucher has transformed behavioral science into machine-readable content for AI systems, helping Lirio blend research, empathy and cutting-edge tech to empower patients at scale. Her influence extends past the company to include keynote speeches, academic leadership and pioneering real-world applications of behavioral AI in healthcare.
Leigh C. Burchell. Vice President of Policy and Public Affairs for Altera Digital Health (Niagara Falls, N.Y.). Ms. Burchell has spent over 15 years shaping the national dialogue around healthcare IT regulation, earning her distinction as a policy architect and coalition builder. As the founder of Altera’s government affairs division in 2008, she has directly influenced landmark legislation including the HITECH Act and the 21st Century Cures Act. Her leadership ensures that software developers have a seat at the policymaking table, while always centering the impact on providers and patients. Ms. Burchell’s work spans the White House, CMS, the office of the national coordinator for health IT, and industry coalitions, enabling consensus in a complex regulatory environment. Recognized as one of Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society’s “Most Influential Women in Health IT” for 2021, she brings unmatched insight and integrity to the field.
Betsy Castillo, RN. Director of Clinical Data Abstraction for Carta Healthcare (San Francisco). As director of clinical data abstraction at Carta Healthcare, Ms. Castillo leads a nationwide team of over 200 abstractors, managers and leads, while simultaneously directing hiring, credentialing, training and performance management. With more than 35 years as a nurse and over 15 in abstraction, she has designed national workflows and a data quality framework that strengthened AI-integrated systems while preserving clinical trust. She built Carta Healthcare’s abstraction function from the ground up, transforming it from a support role into a strategic asset for client outcomes and decision-making. Her influence spans sales, product and customer success, making her a key voice in shaping scalable abstraction solutions. Ms. Castillo’s leadership has allowed the company to expand into custom reporting and enhanced registry services, winning multiple awards for healthcare innovation and AI.
Susan Clark. Senior Director of Community and Advocacy for DirectTrust (Washington, D.C.). Ms. Clark is a connector, strategist and advocate who bridges public health, Medicaid policy and health IT to drive real-world change in healthcare interoperability. As senior director of community and advocacy at DirectTrust, she draws on over 20 years of clinical, operational and policy experience to engage stakeholders across agencies, provider systems and technology firms. She has worked on securing Medicaid IT funding, leading statewide health information exchange and EHR rollouts, tangibly improving data exchange, care coordination and health outcomes. She also holds volunteer roles with the American Health Information Management Association and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, helping to shape equity-centered policy and governance strategies. She is a sought-after speaker and facilitator, known for her ability to translate complex technical and policy initiatives into shared goals across communities.
Rhonda Collins, DNP, RN. Chief Nursing Officer for Cytovale (San Francisco). Dr. Collins is pioneering nurse-led implementation of IntelliSep, Cytovale’s rapid sepsis detection tool, enabling early intervention and saving lives. At Baton Rouge, La.-based Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center, IntelliSep helped the hospital reduce sepsis mortality by 30%, cut inpatient stays by two days and saved $1,400 per patient, all while reducing emergency department wait times. With three decades of nursing experience, Dr. Collins is also known for championing cognitive burden reduction and nurse-centered technology design. Previous roles include CNO at Kontakt.io and Vocera Communications. A national voice on sepsis care and tech equity, she is a frequent contributor to leading healthcare publications and global health IT conferences.
Beth Cooper. Vice President of Marketing and Sales for KNB Communications (Stamford, Conn.). Ms. Cooper leads marketing and business development at KNB Communications, guiding award-winning campaigns for top health IT and life sciences clients like LexisNexis, HL7 and WoltersKluwer. With a background in marketing, law and business, she brings a rare combination of strategic insight and healthcare expertise to the role. Her work has been featured in over 45 major outlets, and she’s widely recognized for translating complex science into accessible, high-impact storytelling. Ms. Cooper’s leadership helped earn KNB more than a dozen major industry awards in the past three years. She is a sought-after speaker, mentor and changemaker in health tech marketing.
Laura Copeland, MD. CMIO for Healthtech Consultants (Toronto, Canada). Dr. Copeland provides strategic leadership in clinical standardization, change management and IT governance across complex hospital systems in Canada and the U.S. As an emergency physician, medical psychotherapist and certified medical informatics specialist, she helps healthcare organizations optimize the adoption of shared EHRs and digital platforms. Dr. Copeland advocates for clinician involvement in digital transformation and strong data governance, especially as AI and virtual care become integral to healthcare delivery. Her leadership ensures that technology advances translate into improved patient outcomes and clinician satisfaction. She also champions gender equity in healthcare leadership, co-founding Ontario, Canada’s female CMIOs group to support women in health IT.
Amy Deaton. President and COO of EvidenceCare (Nashville, Tenn.). Ms. Deaton leads companywide strategy, execution and operations as president and COO of EvidenceCare, overseeing product development, engineering, implementation, client success and analytics. Since joining in 2020, she has driven rapid growth, including three consecutive years of 100% revenue increases and led the strategic acquisition of Agathos to expand the company’s physician performance analytics capabilities. Ms. Deaton partners closely with the CEO and board to scale processes, align on long-term goals, and ensure client outcomes remain central. She is committed to inclusivity, growing female representation to 40% and fostering a strong, award-winning workplace culture. Ms. Deaton mentors women and nonbinary leaders, and is active in organizations such as Women’s Business Leaders and Women in Healthcare Nashville.
Tamra Durfee. Senior Virtual CISO of Fortified Health Security (Brentwood, Tenn.). With more than 27 years of relevant experience, Ms. Durfee helps hospitals translate risk into practical safeguards that protect patients, not just systems. As a senior virtual CISO, her expertise in medical device security, ransomware response and vendor risk has informed national conversations at Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, ViVE and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives. Ms. Durfee’s mentorship and leadership in Women in CyberSecurity and Bluebird Leaders also help shape a more inclusive future for cybersecurity. Knowing that cybersecurity is patient safety, she delivers resilient frameworks that healthcare teams can implement immediately.
Kathy English. Chief Marketing Officer for Vital (Claymont, Del.). Ms. English brings clinical authenticity and marketing acumen to her role at Vital, where she’s redefining patient experience through AI-driven storytelling. Her unique career transition from critical care nurse to strategic executive has allowed her to align technology with real-world clinical needs. At Cisco and Vocera Communications, she launched industry-shifting campaigns and was instrumental in building the CEO Coalition for healthcare safety and equity. Now, at Vital, she has amplified customer success narratives, driven top-tier KLAS recognitions and helped make the brand a standout in patient engagement. She’s also been honored by MM+M in their “Halle of Femme” for 2021 and by Silicon Valley Business Journal as one of their “Women of Influence” in 2018.
Nicole Elvidge. Associate Vice President of Site Relations and Digital Product Management for Baptist Health South Florida (Coral Gables). At Baptist Health South Florida, Ms. Elvidge has revolutionized digital engagement by consolidating three patient-facing apps into one, resulting in a 4.8-star rating and a 77% user engagement rate. Her digital product management leadership fueled a 200% increase in app-based appointment bookings year-over-year. Ms. Elvidge also pioneered the adoption of business relationship management at the health system, creating a strong strategic bond between clinical and technology teams that has improved efficiency and outcomes. She is also known within the system for expertly building high-impact teams from the ground up and cultivating a supportive work environment that values family, flexibility and inclusion. Thanks in part to her guidance, Baptist Health rose to become Florida’s top-ranking system on Fortune’s list of “America’s Most Innovative Companies” for 2025.
Amy Feaster. CDIO for Children’s Hospital Colorado (Aurora). As a health IT executive, Ms. Feaster is transforming one of the country’s top pediatric health systems into a digital leader. With over 37 years in healthcare IT, she has spearheaded Children’s Colorado’s multi-year digital health strategy, driving innovation through Epic optimization, charge automation, clinical communication modernization and disaster recovery readiness. Her initiatives have yielded more than $4 million in value annually, including improved clinical efficiency, optimized charge capture and IT operations overhaul. Under her leadership, the system has earned multiple Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society “Davies” and College of Healthcare Information Management Executives’ “Most Wired” awards, five consecutive Epic “honor roll” recognitions, and sustained user satisfaction in the top 10% of the Epic community.
Selma Ferhatbegovic-Fede. Senior Vice President and CIO for Point32Health (Canton, Mass.). Ms. Ferhatbegovic-Fede’s career has spanned software engineering, consulting and executive leadership, anchored by an enthusiasm for technology-driven outcomes. In her current role as senior vice president and CIO at Point32Health, she successfully led the integration of Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care’s IT systems during a pandemic, executed a major data center migration and supported the sale of corporate real estate. She simultaneously managed a team of more than 400, as well as the vendor ecosystem. Her strategic initiatives have delivered over $25 million in savings through modernization and automation, while elevating operational resilience, cybersecurity posture and stakeholder experience. With over two decades of experience, including nearly 13 years at Deloitte Consulting, she is known for aligning technology strategy with business transformation in the healthcare space. She is also a champion of culture and inclusivity, serving as executive sponsor of a multicultural resource group and incoming chairwoman of the MassHealth Data Consortium.
Helen Figge, PharmD. Chief Strategy Officer at Medicasoft (Arlington, Va.). MedicaSoft named Dr. Figge chief strategy officer in 2018. She also serves in senior advisory roles to organizations across the U.S. and sits on committees and boards for Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, National Association of Health Data Organizations and other organizations. She also is the executive in residence for Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences University and first woman elected president of the HIMSS New York State Chapter in its 32 year history. Prior to joining MedicaSoft, Dr. Figge worked for AmerisourceBergen, Allscripts and Alere; she also supported and guided several health IT start-up companies. Dr. Figge is well published, including several book chapters on various healthcare and IT-related topics.
Alexandria Foley, MSN, RN. Vice President of Nursing and Care Delivery for Brook Health (Seattle). Ms. Foley is at the forefront of AI-powered nursing, integrating clinical insight with cutting-edge technology to enhance care at scale. As vice president of nursing and care delivery at Brook Health, she leads teams that deliver continuous, personalized support through remote platforms, improving chronic disease outcomes and early intervention strategies. With a background in neuroscience service line leadership and stroke systems coordination, she blends operational excellence with patient advocacy. Her leadership has helped Brook Health earn national recognition for innovation in remote care management. She also plays a pivotal role in regional health initiatives like the “State of Diabetes: Buffalo (N.Y.)” for 2024, underscoring her influence beyond the digital space.
Vicki Foreman. Enterprise Solutions Integration Division Director for the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (Denver). Ms. Foreman is a leader in public sector health IT, driving the modernization of Colorado’s Medicaid enterprise system for over 17 years. As division director, she spearheaded the evolution of the state’s core Medicaid infrastructure from four monolithic platforms to a modular ecosystem of 16 integrated solutions that introduced a new governance framework to support alignment, oversight and strategic delivery. Her work ensures that complex systems supporting eligibility, claims, provider data and health information exchange meet state and federal standards while remaining scalable and future-ready. Her leadership in establishing the Medicaid integration data and alignment division has elevated data integration and governance as central pillars of Colorado’s Medicaid operations, enhancing efficiency and improving health outcomes for 1.7 million residents. She also serves as a critical liaison to CMS and the governor’s office of IT.
Angie Franks. CEO of Kalderos (Chicago). Through her role as CEO of Kalderos, Ms. Franks aims to bring transparency and accountability to the U.S. drug discount ecosystem. Since joining Kalderos in 2023, she led the development and launch of “Truzo”, the industry’s first end-to-end drug pricing and discount management platform, streamlining the compliance process for manufacturers and providers alike. Under her leadership, Kalderos experienced a remarkable 121% year-over-year growth in recurring revenue per employee and uncovered over $1 billion in noncompliance. Her legacy spans decades of leadership in healthcare innovation, with a clear, consistent focus on improving patient access through scalable, ethical technology. She fosters a culture of trust, operational excellence and mission-driven collaboration, ensuring the company delivers real-world value for vulnerable populations.
Priscilla A. Frase, MD. CMIO and Interim Director of IT at Ozarks Healthcare (West Plains, Mo.). Dr. Frase leads clinical and IT transformation at Ozarks Healthcare, aligning technology with care delivery to improve outcomes and reduce provider burnout in a rural setting. As CMIO and now interim IT director, she has overseen the integration of all specialties, including behavioral health, into a unified EHR, achieving measurable gains in physician satisfaction and clinical efficiency. Under her leadership, the system earned the 2024 KLAS “Arch Collaborative EHR Breakthrough Award”, with top-tier scores in EHR support and training. Nationally recognized with the 2024 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society “Changemaker” and College of Healthcare Information Management Executives “Innovator of the Year” awards, she is a sought-after speaker and contributor across leading industry platforms. Her work has helped the system become a certified community behavioral health clinic and has expanded services through a crisis stabilization center.
Tejal Gandhi, MD. Chief Safety and Transformation Officer for Press Ganey (South Bend, Ind.). Dr. Gandhi is a nationally renowned leader in patient safety and digital transformation, driving AI-enabled innovation that helps healthcare systems proactively identify and mitigate harm. As chief safety and transformation officer at Press Ganey, she is reshaping how safety data is synthesized and applied by developing integrated analytics dashboards that merge workforce, incident and patient perception data to support zero-harm environments. Her early research revolutionized hospital medication safety through barcode technology, a now-standard practice that significantly reduced medication errors nationwide. Dr. Gandhi also helped shape national safety policy as president and CEO of the National Patient Safety Foundation and was on the technical expert panel for the CMS-adopted Patient Safety Structural Measure in 2024. She also has over 100 peer-reviewed publications.
Linda Genen, MD. Chief Medical Officer for ProgenyHealth (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.). Dr. Genen is a national expert in neonatal abstinence syndrome and social determinants of health, leading ProgenyHealth’s integrated care model for maternal and infant outcomes. Her clinical oversight has driven cost savings for payers and improved quality across the first year of life. A former practicing neonatologist at New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health and professor at Hofstra University, she combines frontline experience with population health strategy. Prior roles include serving as chief medical officer for women’s health at Optum and as a senior research fellow at UnitedHealth Group. Dr. Genen’s leadership bridges rigorous clinical practice with tech-enabled models that elevate equity and evidence-based care.
Layo George. Founder and CEO of Wolomi (Orlando, Fla.). Ms. George leads Wolomi’s mission to improve maternal health outcomes for women of color by delivering culturally competent digital health tools, education and community support throughout the perinatal journey. As a registered nurse and mother of color, she draws on her clinical expertise and lived experience to design programs that address both clinical and emotional needs, with proven results such as 98% of users delivering at full term and 100% receiving mental health screenings. Ms. George oversees strategic partnerships with healthcare providers, payers and technology companies to expand Wolomi’s impact. She is also a recognized advocate for maternal health equity, serving on boards like Unity Healthcare and the DC Board of Nursing. Before founding Wolomi, Ms. George led major healthcare initiatives including a $14.9 million Medicaid care coordination program and value-based care transformations at 15 healthcare centers. Her leadership earned her recognition as an AfroTech “Future 50 Visionary Founder” for 2024.
Julie Gervais. Vice President of Product and Solutions Management for Lumeris (St. Louis). Ms. Gervais drives the development of Tom, Lumeris’ AI-powered platform that enhances primary care through agentic services for patients and clinical decision support for providers. She has overseen its evolution into a tool that increases both access to and quality of care while uniting engineering, clinical, user experience and go-to-market teams. Her strategic acumen and hands-on leadership have shaped scalable, user-centered digital solutions in AI, software as a service, and EHR-integrated technologies. Previously, she held senior roles in the product space at Definitive Healthcare, Linus Health and Wolters Kluwer Health. A known mentor and team builder, Ms. Gervais fosters high-performing teams that maintain sharp alignment with business goals.
Nicole Gitney, RN-BC. Vice President, Nursing Informatics, BayCare Health System (Clearwater, Fla.). Ms. Gitney leads nursing informatics at BayCare Health System, overseeing clinical informatics, applications and at-the-elbow support teams to advance clinical technology and improve patient care. She directs the design, implementation and optimization of EHRs while integrating diverse clinical programs like rounding software, patient engagement tools, and mobile platforms for communication and documentation. Ms. Gitney partners closely with nurse leaders and operational teams to promote data-driven decisions, evidence-based practice, and standardized workflows across BayCare’s 16 hospitals and numerous outpatient facilities. Her recent work includes piloting AI-assisted voice technology to streamline nurse documentation and enhance bedside care. She has been with the health system for over 21 years.
Katherine “Kem” Graham. Vice President of Growth & Strategy for CliniComp (San Diego). Ms. Graham is leading CliniComp’s expansion into the commercial healthcare sector, redefining how health systems engage with modern EHR solutions. With over 25 years of experience, she brings expertise in strategic growth, fundraising and technology transformation. Her efforts have quickly generated market momentum, positioning CliniComp’s system as a service model and Intrinsic AI as next-generation solutions for a fragmented EHR landscape. Her leadership unifies stakeholders and forges high-value partnerships across healthcare ecosystems. Thanks to her forward-thinking approach, she is also a recognized voice in the industry, featured in MedCity News and Chief Healthcare Executive and the Healthcare IT podcast.
Lisa Grisim. Vice President and Associate CIO of Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford and Stanford Medicine Children’s Health (Palo Alto, Calif.). Ms. Grisim has more than 30 years of experience in healthcare technology. She joined Lucile Packard Children’s in 2002 with a background in nursing as well as information systems. She focuses on EHR optimization and helped lead the hospital to develop an adopt Lean tools and techniques. Ms. Grisim’s team of more than 100 employees and consultants helped the system earn HIMSS Analytics EMR Adoption Level 7 and the HIMSS Davies Award for the use of EMR data to improve patient outcomes and decrease costs.
Kelly Gwynn. COO for DirectTrust (Washington, D.C.). Ms. Gwynn’s operational leadership has shaped DirectTrust’s growth, culture and national footprint. As COO, she orchestrated the complex merger with Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission, as well as the integration of SAFE Identity, modernizing systems and aligning teams across cybersecurity, accreditation and trust frameworks. Her attention to detail and people-first leadership style has transformed internal workflows, customer relationship management systems and stakeholder relationships. She is the architect behind DirectTrust’s acclaimed annual conference, earning national recognition for its role in advancing interoperability, identity and trust.
Mandy Grubb Halford, MD. Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer and CMIO for Covenant Health (Knoxville, Tenn.). Dr. Halford has served as Covenant Health’s first CMIO since 2016 and became chief medical officer in 2023, overseeing clinical operations and informatics across the health system. She co-leads IT and clinical informatics departments, driving technology strategies to enhance patient care, safety and quality. Dr. Halford played a key role in implementing Covenant Health’s integrated EHR system and tele-ICU services across its hospitals. She helped launch the pioneering advanced care at home program delivering hospital-level care to patients in their homes. Dr. Halford also champions medical education initiatives and physician development via continuing medical education programs and residency clinics.
Amanda Hammel. Senior Vice President and CIO for Memorial Hermann Health System (Houston). Ms. Hammel oversees 600-plus applications and leads a 700-person IT team serving over 57,000 users at Memorial Hermann, one of Houston’s largest health systems. She successfully directed the $700 million Epic EHR rollout across 15 hospitals and 250 sites, reducing variation and enhancing clinician workflows. In addition, she is the architect of the system’s National Institute of Standards and Technology-based cybersecurity resilience strategy, disaster recovery plans and AI governance frameworks. Under her leadership, the health system has earned Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society stage 7 status and back-to-back “Davies Awards”. An active voice for women in digital health, she also serves on the IGNITE steering committee, providing funding and mentorship to women leading digital health and medical device startups.
Leanne Harvey. CIO of Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston). Ms. Harvey is the driving force behind Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians’ digital transformation, uniting over 2,400 Harvard-affiliated faculty and staff through cutting-edge IT systems and strategic innovation. She was instrumental in building the technology backbone for the physician group’s 60-year partnership with Boston-based Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, creating the digital framework for a world-class inpatient cancer hospital. During the nationwide Change Healthcare cyberattack, Ms. Harvey led a swift recovery that safeguarded both clinical operations and financial continuity. Her leadership in the physician group’s Epic EHR implementation introduced physician-friendly billing tools that preserved over $700,000 in revenue on launch day alone. Beyond systems, she empowers clinicians through peer-led support networks and leads workforce initiatives that ensure compliance, adaptability and engagement across hybrid teams.
Tammy Hawes. Founder and CEO of Virsys12 (Brentwood, Tenn.). Ms. Hawes founded Virsys12 in 2011 and has led its growth into a leading healthcare software company specializing in provider data management solutions. Under her leadership, Virsys12’s flagship product, “V12 Enterprise”, streamlines provider lifecycle workflows including onboarding, credentialing, contracting and claims activation, all while ensuring compliance and reducing costs. Ms. Hawes has guided the company through rapid expansion, earning consecutive spots on the Inc. “Inc. 5000” list for fastest-growing companies in 2023 and 2024. She prioritizes innovation and culture, fostering an inclusive and creative environment that keeps Virsys12 ahead in a complex healthcare regulatory landscape. Ms. Hawes also serves on the East Tennessee State University alumni board and the Nashville Health Care Council board.
Patty Hayward. General Manager of Healthcare and Life Sciences for Talkdesk (San Francisco). As general manager of healthcare and life sciences at Talkdesk, Ms. Hayward leads the company’s healthcare and life sciences strategy, guiding product development, go-to-market efforts, and customer engagement across provider and payer segments. A longtime healthcare leader and patient advocate, she has been a driving force behind integrating contact center technology into the broader digital front door experience. Her vision led Talkdesk to pioneer EHR-integrated, AI-powered customer support tools that improve patient access, engagement and satisfaction. Ms. Hayward also helped establish key partnerships with Epic and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives, positioning Talkdesk as a category leader in next-generation contact center solutions. Under her leadership, Talkdesk has received top awards from Gartner, Frost & Sullivan and Newsweek for innovation, service and workplace excellence.
Teal Heath. Principal of Equinox Healthcare IT (Larkspur, Colo.). Ms. Heath is revolutionizing healthcare construction by embedding IT strategy into every phase of facility development. Her clinician-to-technologist journey led her to pioneer integration frameworks used in major healthcare construction projects like Loma Linda (Calif.) University Health Dennis and Carol Troesh Medical Campus, helping guarantee that over 400 hospital beds across 16 stories were successfully connected to critical systems. She ensures that EHRs, IoT systems and networking infrastructure are foundational components of care-ready buildings. Ms. Heath’s insight bridges the often-siloed worlds of clinical workflows, construction logistics and IT planning. As a national thought leader and frequent speaker, she has been engaged as a Colorado Association of Healthcare Engineers & Directors winter conference panelist, a podcast guest on The Digital Executive and more.
Maninder “Mini” Kahlon, PhD. CEO and Co-founder of Beheld (Austin, Texas). Dr. Kahlon is a behavioral neuroscientist and pioneering health tech leader transforming how human connection and AI can be harnessed to improve member health outcomes at scale. As CEO of Beheld, she leads the development of a novel, virtual-first model that blends regular, empathetic phone-based conversations with members and AI-driven insights, thus unlocking critical behavioral and social data traditional systems often miss. Her model, grounded in National Institutes of Health-funded research and published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, has demonstrated clinically significant health improvements and redefined how trust-based data can drive early intervention and care personalization. Previously, she served as founding vice dean of University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School and executive director of San Francisco-based UCSF’s Clinical & Translational Science Institute, where she led award-winning innovations in collaborative data systems and researcher networks.
Molly Kalinowski. Vice President of Healthcare Managed Services for Highspring (Nashville, Tenn.). Ms. Kalinowski is transforming managed services from tactical support into strategic enablers of innovation, efficiency and care quality. As vice president of healthcare managed services at Highspring, she leads award-winning teams that have achieved three consecutive No. 1 “Best in KLAS” recognitions for managed IT services from 2023–25. Under her leadership, Highspring scaled support operations by 15% while maintaining an over 95% service level agreement and achieving client satisfaction scores over 4.75 out of 5. Her gender equity initiatives led to a 40% rise in women advancing to senior roles, creating a culture of excellence rooted in equity and accountability. Clinicians and CIOs alike credit her with streamlining complex Epic support and freeing up internal teams to focus on transformative initiatives.
Vatsala Kapur. Senior Vice President of External Affairs and Channel Partnerships for Bamboo Health (Louisville, Ky.). Ms. Kapur leads Bamboo Health’s partnerships and policy advocacy efforts, focusing on behavioral healthcare and controlled substance prescribing at the federal and state levels. She collaborates closely with internal teams across growth, strategy, engineering and operations to align the company’s technology with evolving healthcare needs. With over 25 years of experience, she is a passionate advocate for integrated care models that bridge physical and behavioral health, particularly for underserved communities. She played a key role in supporting the “988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline” program, driving awareness and sustainable funding. Her background includes senior advisory roles at CMS Innovation and leadership of Colorado’s state innovation model.
Aarti Karamchandani. Chief Growth Officer for MacroHealth (Kirkland, Wash.). Ms. Karamchandani drives strategic growth and market expansion at MacroHealth, a leading health technology platform focused on interoperability and data analytics. Under her leadership, the company has achieved 70% year-over-year growth and earned recognition from Gartner as a top player in provider network optimization and price transparency. She leverages over 30 years of experience in healthcare business development and analytics, with deep expertise across payers, providers and self-insured employers. Previously, she was an early key leader at Cedar Gate Technologies, where she contributed to the company’s growth from startup to over $100 million in revenue and over 400 clients. She has held senior roles at Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Health Care Service Corporation and IBM, focusing on value-based care, retail health and Affordable Care Act implementation. She also serves on advisory boards for private equity and professional services firms, advising on health IT and scaling high-growth companies.
Laika Kayani. Vice President of Payment Integrity for Optum (Eden Prairie, Minn.). Ms. Kayani is leading product strategy for Optum’s payment integrity services, reimagining how health plans, providers and patients interact with payment systems. She oversees a portfolio of technology-enabled products, spanning claim analytics, data mining and provider engagement tools. All of these reduce waste, improve payment accuracy and drive a more seamless patient experience. Known for her platform-first, application programming interfaces-driven mindset, Ms. Kayani helped launch the “Optum AI Marketplace” and has played a key role in enabling over 5,000 developers through the enterprise developer platform. Her entrepreneurial background includes founding Hygrid Health, a venture-backed startup designed to give patients unified access to their health data. She’s currently on track to launch four new products in 2025 and also advises health tech startups, including Rivia Health, while mentoring women across the industry.
Gail Keyser, BSN, RN. Senior Vice President, Associate CIO and Chief Application Officer for Hackensack Meridian Health (Edison, N.J.). Ms. Keyser leads the strategic management and optimization of all clinical, revenue cycle and business applications across Hackensack Meridian Health’s extensive network of 18 hospitals and over 500 care locations. Wielding her nursing background, she oversees application planning, design, integration and lifecycle management to ensure technology aligns with organizational goals and patient needs. She played a pivotal role in the successful Epic “Refuel” program and the implementation of the hospital at home initiative, expanding care beyond traditional settings. Additionally, she led the selection of a new enterprise resource planning system to modernize the network’s core business functions.
Luann K. Kimker, MSN, RN. Senior Vice President of Clinical Innovation for Azara Healthcare (Boston). Ms. Kimker drives change at scale through data intelligence and clinical transformation at Azara Healthcare. As senior vice president of clinical innovation, she spearheads the adoption of tools and strategies used by over 30% of federally qualified health centers and the majority of primary care associations nationwide. Her work has led to measurable outcomes, including a 50% increase in pregnancy risk assessments for Medicaid in Ohio and dramatically reduced hospitalizations at a community health center in Oahu, Hawaii through chronic disease tracking and real-time alerts. With more than 35 years of experience, Ms. Kimker is known for her ability to unify cross-functional teams and optimize EHR systems to improve care quality, equity and cost-efficiency. She is a sought-after speaker and podcast guest on topics such as behavioral health integration, hypertension management and value-based care transformation.
Judy Kirby. CEO of Kirby Partners (Lake Mary, Fla.). As CEO of one of the country’s largest healthcare executive search firms, Ms. Kirby has led hundreds of high-impact placements for CIO, CISO, CMIO and other digital leadership roles. Under her guidance, Kirby Partners boasts a 99% C-suite fill rate and 8-year average executive tenure. Beyond recruitment, she advises organizations on inclusive hiring practices and coaches leaders through career transitions. She also co-authored a major research report on AI adoption and hosts “C-suite Conversations”, a series spotlighting digital transformation in healthcare. Her firm is a Forbes-recognized executive search leader, and Ms. Kirby herself received the “Foundation Industry Leader” award from the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives in 2020.
Leslie Kirk. CEO and Managing Partner for Innsena (Atlanta). Ms. Kirk is a transformative leader in health IT, shaping the future of healthcare access and equity through strategic consulting and impact-driven innovation. As CEO of Innsena, she has guided the firm to over 50% year-over-year growth since 2018, while maintaining a mission-first model that donated 16% of its 2024 profit to healthcare nonprofits and contributed 671 hours in pro bono work. She has positioned Innsena as a force for social good, leading campaigns that influence public health dialogue, and supporting impactful programs in maternal health and pediatric care across underserved communities. She is also an advocate for financial toxicity reform and has formed partnerships with CancerX and Oncology Ventures. Ms. Kirk also serves as a co-founder of Pelium Group and a mentor to women entrepreneurs.
Amy Kocks. Information Systems Director of Clinical Solutions at Parkview Health (Fort Wayne, Ind.). Ms. Kocks oversees the implementation and management of Parkview Health’s Epic EHR for multiple non-procedural clinical service lines across 14 hospitals and nearly 300 physician offices. She leads a team that ensures seamless integration and communication within Epic and with external Community Connect partners. Ms. Kocks played a key role in expanding Epic to several new Parkview facilities, including recent additions in 2023 and 2024. Her team is currently developing a precision health genomics program in partnership with the Helix Research Network and managing a major lab system transition to Beaker. She also led the rollout of Epic’s massive transfusion protocol and the implementation of on-call scheduling using Epic’s “Teamwork” module.
Lauren Koniaris, MD. Vice President and CMIO for Hackensack Meridian Health (Edison, N.J.). Dr. Koniaris leads clinical informatics efforts at Hackensack Meridian Health, focusing on enhancing clinician efficiency and patient care through optimized EHR systems and advanced technologies like AI and predictive analytics. She played a key role in the successful rollout of Epic across multiple hospitals and ambulatory sites, standardizing workflows and fostering strong physician engagement. Dr. Koniaris co-led the “Thrive at the Bedside” initiative to streamline clinician workflows, empowering providers to focus more on patient care. She also oversees predictive modeling projects addressing sepsis surveillance, readmissions and serious illness management. Dr. Koniaris is also a course co-director at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.
Shruti Kothari. Director of Industry Initiatives, Health Care Reform for Blue Shield of California (Oakland, Calif.). Ms. Kothari leads collaborative industry efforts at Blue Shield of California to modernize health data sharing and improve care delivery statewide. As director of industry initiatives, health care reform, she drives systemic change by aligning diverse stakeholders to address healthcare’s most persistent challenges. Her work focuses on advancing data interoperability, building sustainable primary care through payment innovation and integrating behavioral health into primary care. With a background spanning community health, quality improvement and startup leadership, she uniquely bridges clinical, policy and technology domains. Ms. Kothari is also the founder of Women of Community, a platform uplifting women of color in healthcare, and serves in multiple advisory roles with mission-driven organizations. Prior to her current role, she was a leader at Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente Ventures.
Beth Lachance. CEO and Founder of Global Medical Virtual Assistants (West Hartford, Conn.). Ms. Lachance is revolutionizing healthcare operations through her leadership of Global Medical Virtual Assistants, scaling the company from $46,000 in revenue in 2019 to over $16 million in 2024. She has created a fully HIPAA-compliant global workforce that solves critical staffing gaps for practices across specialties. Her leadership has delivered 67% year-over-year growth and hundreds of career opportunities for women in the Philippines, pairing innovation with equity. In 2024, she earned the “CEO Impact Award” from Vistage Worldwide and led the company through major national conferences, establishing virtual staffing as a long-term solution. Ms. Lachance was also named one of Hartford Business Journal‘s top 25 women in business for 2025.
Stephanie Lahr, MD. Chief Experience Officer for Artisight (Chicago). Dr. Lahr leads strategic initiatives at Artisight, a healthcare technology company harnessing AI, computer vision and ambient intelligence to improve clinical workflows and care delivery. As chief experience officer, she drives customer partnerships focused on delivering measurable value to patients, clinicians and health systems. Previously, as president of Artisight, she scaled commercial operations by restructuring go-to-market strategies and by growing the sales and marketing teams. With a diverse background as a hospitalist, CMIO and CIO, Dr. Lahr excels at bridging clinical care and technology. Previously, at Rapid City, S.D.-based Monument Health, she led a major Epic implementation and digital transformation, realigning IT to better support clinical and operational goals. A recognized industry thought leader, she has received the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society “Changemaker” award.
Shelly Lanning. President and Co-founder of Visana Health (Minneapolis). Ms. Lanning leverages two decades in healthcare investment experience and operational leadership to transform how women receive care across their lifespan. As president of Visana Health, she leads business development, financing and growth strategy for the virtual women’s health platform, while also guiding its long-term vision alongside her work at SWL Healthcare Ventures. She has served on more than a dozen healthcare boards and helped steer multiple startups to acquisition by companies like Boston Scientific, Hologic and WebMD. Ms. Lanning also supports early-stage innovation as a board member at companies Marani Health and Intellihealth, focusing on maternal health and obesity care, respectively. In building Visana, she guides scalable, outcomes-focused care for women.
Kristen Lawton, MSN, RN. CNO of Equum Medical (New York City). Ms. Lawton is a leader in virtual nursing, scaling Equum Medical’s remote care services to over 2 million patient hours annually and leading more than 45 active programs across the country. As CNO, she spearheads the process of designing clinical workflows for virtual nursing, thus optimizing outcomes and reducing burnout. Internally, she is one of Equum’s most respected leaders, known for her team-building, strategic foresight and ability to execute at scale. Her pioneering research addresses the intersection of digital care delivery and nurse wellbeing to establish a model for sustainable, high-performing remote care teams. She leads virtual nursing, sitter and telemetry initiatives across the nation. Ms. Lawton is also a nationally recognized thought leader, regularly speaking on how telehealth can humanize care while enhancing hospital efficiency.
Kristine Lee, MD. Associate Executive Director of The Permanente Medical Group (Pleasanton, Calif.). Dr. Lee leads virtual and desktop medicine across all specialties for one of the nation’s largest medical groups, integrating AI, digital tools and operational redesign to improve care delivery and physician workflow. She played a central role in launching an ambient AI scribe program for over 10,000 clinicians, reducing clerical burden and enhancing patient engagement. The program has since scaled nationally across Kaiser Permanente. She also led the deployment of natural language processing to triage over 20 million secure messages annually and expanded technology-based pharmacy support for 4 million patients. With oversight of the medical group’s innovation, research and consumer experience efforts, Dr. Lee is transforming virtual care into a scalable, patient-centered complement to in-person medicine while combatting physician burnout.
Tzielan Lee, MD. Associate CMO of Ambulatory Practice at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health (Palo Alto, Calif.). Dr. Lee supports clinical informatics and information systems for Stanford’s ambulatory services. Since 2021, Dr. Lee has worked with the ambulatory care team to deliver high-quality, coordinated and efficient care across departments. She strikes a balance between information system innovation and connecting with patients to improve outcomes. She understands how to use technology systems and emerging technology capabilities like telemedicine to develop effective care models that support both patient and workforce experiences.
Barbara Levy, MD. Chief Medical Officer at Visana Health (Minneapolis). A pioneer in women’s health, Dr. Levy brings over 40 years of clinical and policy leadership to her role, where she designs evidence-based, whole-person care models tailored to women’s needs across life stages. At Visana, she leads the creation of clinical protocols and training rooted in her “Hear Her Story” approach, which emphasizes active listening, validation and shared decision-making. Her career includes historic firsts, such as being the first female president of the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists and the first full-time woman physician leader at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, where she championed initiatives in health equity, safety and global women’s health. Dr. Levy also serves as vice chair of the American Medical Association CPT editorial panel and has helped reshape payment structures through her leadership on the American Medical Association Relative Value Scale Update Committee is a committee of physicians and other healthcare professionals who provide recommendations to CMS on how to value physician services for Medicare payments. Her contributions earned her a place among Rock Health’s 2025 “Top 50 in Digital Health” for her frontline advocacy.
Jennifer Lewis. Vice President of Enterprise Applications and Products for Hartford (Conn.) HealthCare. Ms. Lewis leads enterprise applications across clinical care, revenue cycle and business systems for Hartford HealthCare, serving over 40,000 employees across eight hospitals and 500 clinical sites. Promoted to her current role in 2024, she brings a career-long record of delivering complex IT initiatives, including a major operational partnership with Google. With deep experience in Epic EHR systems and performance improvement, Ms. Lewis has directed critical transformations across access, training and system optimization. She’s known for fostering cross-functional collaboration and mentoring professionals to grow both technical and strategic capabilities. Committed to both technological excellence and workforce support, she also leads the IT wellbeing committee.
Liz Lewis. Director of Product at CommonWell Health Alliance (Boston). Ms. Lewis leads product strategy at CommonWell Health Alliance, one of the nation’s most established health information networks. She manages a complex portfolio of services that enable seamless, nationwide clinical data exchange and supports members navigating interoperability standards. She also elevates member voices, drives national collaboration and advances policy alignment through roles on key advisory councils. Additionally, she chairs the Qualified Health Information Networks Caucus and co-hosts a digital show called Interoperability Unlocked, helping demystify health data exchange. A former interoperability leader at Greenway Health and DirectTrust, she brings deep technical knowledge and firsthand experience in patient care settings.
Linda Li. Partner at Cleveland Clinic Innovations. Ms. Li brings over two decades of investment and healthcare expertise to her role as partner at Cleveland Clinic Innovations, where she helps translate clinical research into commercial ventures. Her leadership has fueled high-growth ventures, supported public listings, and facilitated transformative technologies that improve access and equity in healthcare. In 2024, her efforts contributed to Cleveland Clinic being named by Fierce Healthcare as a Fierce 50 innovation honoree. Ms. Li also currently sits on or observes the boards of several health tech startups. Known for her global perspective, she previously co-founded Vickers Venture Partners and led healthcare investments across Asia and the U.S.
Irene Louh, MD. Vice President of Data Intelligence and Decision Science for Baptist Health (Jacksonville, Fla.). Dr. Louh leads data intelligence and decision science initiatives at Baptist Health, driving transformation in patient care and business operations through precision health data. Reporting to the CDIO, she oversees large-scale analytics projects, collaborating with clinicians, researchers and frontline staff to optimize data visualization and decision support. Dr. Louh champions AI integration to enhance risk detection while preserving clinician judgment. She played a key role in retraining nursing staff on EHR use, improving documentation efficiency. A recognized voice in health IT, she has spoken on AI adoption and workforce inclusion at various conferences. Additionally, she maintains clinical roles as a pulmonologist and intensivist.
Amy Lukowski, PsyD. Director of Integrated Behavioral Health, Ovatient (Cleveland). Dr. Lukowski is a trailblazer in integrating behavioral health into virtual-first primary care, designing innovative, evidence-based programs that address the psychological aspects of chronic medical conditions. As director of integrated behavioral health at Ovatient, she has led the development of brief therapy, skills groups and single-session interventions seamlessly embedded in Epic EHR and MyChart workflows across partner health systems. Her patient-centered, culturally competent models expand access to care, reduce stigma, and improve health outcomes by aligning mental and physical health within a single care experience. Dr. Lukowski’s initiatives have elevated behavioral health from a siloed service to a core component of primary care, reducing costs while improving patient satisfaction. With over 14 years of clinical expertise in cognitive-behavioral therapy and health psychology, she brings both clinical depth and system-level strategy to her leadership.
Jennifer Magaro. Senior Vice President of Customer and Engagement Experience Solutions for enGen (Pittsburgh). As senior vice president of customer and engagement experience solutions for enGen, Ms. Magaro is making personalized, intuitive experiences the new standard, revolutionizing how millions of healthcare members engage digitally. She oversees a $50 million portfolio and leads more than 330 employees, directing enterprisewide transformation strategies that blend digital innovation with operational precision. Ms. Magaro spearheaded the launch of meHub, an AI-powered omni-channel engagement platform that has reduced call times by 70% and migrated 88% of interactions in its first year. She also leverages her 25-plus years of business and technology experience to mentor emerging leaders and fiercely advocate for women in STEM, helping to earn top-tier employee engagement scores. A recipient of the Technology Council of Central Pennsylvania “Moxie Award” for 2023, Ms. Magaro is known for making bold ideas actionable.
Laura Marquez. Senior Director of Digital Transformation of University of Utah Health (Salt Lake City). Ms. Marquez is a driving force behind University of Utah Health’s enterprisewide digital strategy and roadmap. She leads cross-functional governance through the digital enablement committee and introduced a “Shark Tank”–style innovation process to vet new technologies for scalability and value. Under her leadership, the project management office has streamlined IT project delivery and adopted the “SAFe” framework, aligning digital initiatives with clinical and operational priorities. She also founded a women’s mastermind program to mentor and advance women in IT, promoting leadership development and career growth. Her strategic direction has helped University of Utah Health earn College of Healthcare Information Management Executives’s “Digital Health Most Wired” level 10 designation in both acute and ambulatory care, an honor achieved by just 26 systems nationwide in 2024.
Anisha Mathur, MD. Chief Medical Officer for Equum Medical (New York City). Dr. Mathur is revolutionizing access to specialty care by expanding virtual services to rural and underserved hospitals, ensuring critical expertise reaches patients regardless of location. As CMO of Equum Medical, she leads national-scale implementations of tele-critical care and multi-specialty services, including infectious disease, cardiology, nephrology and pulmonology. Her data-driven leadership has created one of the industry’s most comprehensive telehealth performance datasets, advancing evidence-based care and operational excellence. With triple board certifications in internal medicine, infectious diseases and critical care medicine, and fellowships from National Institutes of Health and Washington, D.C.-based Georgetown University Medical Center, she also mentors physicians and refines clinical workflows that prioritize outcomes and responsiveness.
Annie McBride. Chief Marketing Officer of PointClickCare (Salt Lake City). Since joining PointClickCare in 2022, Ms. McBride has led a transformative brand unification initiative, aligning the company’s identity after a period of rapid acquisitions. She oversees a team of 114 marketing professionals and has elevated the company’s brand strategy with data-driven insights, cross-functional collaboration and a strong voice-of-customer focus. Ms. McBride also spearheads the company’s flagship event, which annually convenes over 2,000 healthcare leaders to explore innovations in senior and post-acute care. Her fireside chat at the 2024 flagship event highlighted caregiving’s emotional depth and underscored the humanity behind healthcare tech. Her background in software as a service and product marketing, gleaned through her prior roles at sleep health company ResMed, informs her strategic vision.
Cara McCarty Abbott. Founder and CEO of Betterleave (Austin). Ms. McCarty Abbott transformed personal grief into the mission-driven platform Betterleave, which reimagines bereavement and caregiving support. Her leadership is grounded in empathy and innovation, creating accessible, human-centered solutions for end-of-life care. Following her co-founding of the developer training and recruitment platform Code Pilot, which has been acquired by AngelList, Ms. McCarty Abbott brought her people-first approach to the healthcare space. She now advises startups and sits on the Forbes human resources council, championing founder wellness and inclusive culture building. Under her leadership, Betterleave has earned Community Health Accreditation Partner verification and national recognition as a top resource provider.
Kat McDavitt. President and Founding Partner of Innsena (Atlanta). Ms. McDavitt is a nationally recognized leader in healthcare innovation, known for her mission-driven leadership in advancing health data exchange, maternal health equity and women’s economic empowerment in healthcare. As president and founding partner of Innsena, she has brokered landmark data-sharing agreements and led award-winning federal and Medicaid programs that improve outcomes for underserved mothers and children. Through the Zorya Foundation, which she founded, she has provided childcare grants to over 300 frontline healthcare workers, helping to retain women in a sector where they make up 70% of the workforce. She also co-founded Pelium Group, supports early-stage innovators as an investor and advisor, and hosts the Health Tech Talk Show, a weekly live broadcast reaching over 1,000 health tech professionals. Her advocacy extends from Capitol Hill to global stages, where she is a frequent speaker on interoperability, maternal health and digital equity.
Tolulope “Tolu” McKenzie, MD. Vice President and CMIO for Orlando (Fla.) Health. Dr. McKenzie is a double board-certified pediatrician and preventive medicine physician serving as Orlando Health’s CMIO. She leads clinical informatics initiatives to optimize Epic EHR use for over 3,000 providers, focusing on enhancing care delivery while supporting provider wellness. Dr. McKenzie has developed physician efficiency programs, standardized communication workflows and introduced AI-powered documentation tools, significantly improving physician productivity and satisfaction. She also directs the “Premedical Pathway” programs at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine, mentoring future healthcare professionals. Prior to Orlando Health, she contributed to vaccine policy and public health programs at the CDC and held leadership roles in infectious diseases at Janssen Pharmaceuticals. Her efforts have helped Orlando Health achieve top national digital health recognitions including Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society “stage 7” and Epic “gold stars” awards.
Amy Mendoza Leonor. Vice President of Marketing for Vyne (Dunwoody, Ga.). Ms. Mendoza brings 20 years of experience in marketing across business-to-business and business-to-consumer industries, now leading brand strategy and growth for healthcare information exchange and revenue cycle management company Vyne. Her omnichannel expertise spans branding, reputation management and conversion-focused strategy for growth-stage and enterprise organizations. She has led successful marketing campaigns during crises like the pandemic, proving her strategic adaptability. Ms. Mendoza’s leadership has contributed to Vyne’s consistent Inc. 5000 rankings, acknowledgement as a Digital Health Hub finalist for 2024, and recognition as a “Merit Award” winner for Change Communications in 2025. A passionate mentor, she is also a founding board member of Women in DSO and is a frequent speaker at professional development events.
Jen Meyer. President of Commercial and Consumer at SonderMind (Denver). Ms. Meyer has scaled SonderMind’s comprehensive mental health platform to reach over 90% of the U.S. population, enabling patients to begin therapy in less than five days. Under her leadership, the provider network has grown to over 12,500 licensed professionals and the company has expanded psychiatry services across 26 states. She drove SonderMind’s payer relationships to encompass over 100 insurers, including Medicare, Medicaid and the Veterans Health Administration, supporting financial sustainability while increasing access. She also forged partnerships with more than 300 health systems, embedding behavioral health into medical workflows and advancing whole-person care. Ms. Meyer was also responsible for launching the largest Veterans Health Administration-affiliated mental health initiative of its kind.
Bevey Miner. Executive Vice President of Healthcare Policy and Strategy for Consensus Cloud Solutions (Los Angeles). Ms. Miner, vice president of healthcare policy and strategy for Consensus Cloud Solutions, coined the term “healthcare’s digital haves and have-nots,” bringing national attention to the equity gap in digital health data exchange. Her work has driven collaborations that enhanced interoperability, data archiving and secure communications, with her leadership spanning the launch of a dozen products. She also helped drive regulatory change and expanded Consensus’ visibility in digital transformation. Ms. Miner’s work helped achieve HITRUST certifications for multiple platforms and earned recognition from Swaay Health and DirectTrust for advancing secure, accessible tech. A policy advocate and mentor, she supports STEM education for girls and healthcare for underserved populations.
Lisa Morella. Senior Vice President of Data Governance and Analytics for CodaMetrix (Boston). As senior vice president of data governance and analytics for biotech company CodaMetrix, Ms. Morella built the data strategy that fuels internal and client-facing initiatives. Additionally, she serves as a mentor to analytics teams throughout the company and champions a service-oriented approach to analytics delivery. One of her defining achievements at the company has been spearheading the launch of CMX Insights, a transformative analytics tool that empowers health systems to prioritize automation and make data-informed decisions. Previously, at Boston-based Mass General Brigham, she led initiatives that resulted in a 400% increase in Tableau adoption, scaling the analytics platform enterprisewide. Named one of the top 50 women leaders in healthcare technology by The Healthcare Technology Report in 2024, Ms. Morella has contributed greatly to AI and machine learning as they relate to healthcare revenue cycles.
Madhu Narasimhan. CIO for DaVita (Denver). Ms. Narasimhan leads DaVita’s technology innovation strategy as CIO, driving advancements in healthcare platforms that enhance patient-centered kidney care. She oversees key tools like the “Center Without Walls”, a cloud-based platform streamlining patient data access and care team workflows. Under her leadership, DaVita has advanced home dialysis technology with Connected Cyclers, enabling remote monitoring for timely clinical interventions. She also champions Medsleuth, which simplifies the transplant referral and waitlist process to improve patient access to transplantation. With nearly 20 years in digital transformation and healthcare technology, Ms. Madhu’s vision and execution have positioned DaVita as a leader in cutting-edge technology and value-based care.
Lisa Nelson. Chief Technical Officer for DirectTrust (Washington, D.C.). Ms. Nelson is an informaticist and technical strategist with more than 25 years shaping national health IT standards. As CTO of DirectTrust and a longstanding Health Level Seven leader, she has been instrumental in advancing frameworks for information exchange standards. She has championed patient-authored data inclusion and standards for app-based interoperability, helping shape a future where patients can more easily access and contribute to their health records. Her influence spans technical innovation, policy guidance and standardization leadership through her roles at HL7 and MaxMD. Her contributions earned her the 2023 HL7 “Volunteer of the Year” award for her longstanding commitment to public-good infrastructure in digital health.
Michelle O’Connor. President and CEO of Meditech (Canton, Mass.). Ms. O’Connor leads Meditech’s overall strategy, operations and product innovation. She oversees the company’s flagship Expanse EHR platform and drives the company’s transition to cloud-based and subscription models, including Meditech-as-a-service. Ms. O’Connor champions interoperability, AI-driven clinical tools, and patient engagement solutions that improve care coordination and clinician workflows. With a commitment to expanding access, she focuses on bringing advanced health IT to hospitals and health systems of all sizes. A longtime Meditech veteran, she is also a passionate advocate for diversity, workforce development and advancing women in healthcare technology leadership.
Danielle O’Rourke. CEO of Ludi (Nashville, Tenn.). Ms. O’Rourke is redefining provider compensation management through her leadership at Ludi, where she has expanded the DocTime solution to simplify and automate compliance-heavy workflows. The solution ensures compliance, reduces administrative burdens, increases financial return on investment, and enhances accuracy for healthcare providers. Ms. O’Rourke has integrated advanced analytics and machine learning into the platform, guaranteeing its continued evolution and client impact. In the workplace, she fosters a culture of innovation, attracting top talent and empowering her team to challenge traditional norms. As a frequent speaker and thought leader, she champions efficiency and transparency in provider operations. Prior to assuming her current role as CEO, she was COO for Ludi. Beforehand, she served as the founder of a private equity firm.
Natalie Pageler, MD. CMIO of Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford and Stanford Medicine Children’s Health (Palo Alto, Calif.). Dr. Pageler brings experience as a pediatric and obstetrics physician and administrator to the role of CMIO. She leads the hospital’s digital health program, which aims to transform the model of care for pediatrics and obstetrics. Dr. Pageler helped lead Stanford Medicine Children’s Health to achieve HIMSS Stage 7 recognition for inpatient and ambulatory surgery in 2015 as well as the HIMSS Davies Award in 2017. Dr. Pageler is an advocate for thoughtful and appropriate patient engagement tool development for pediatric patients and families. She is also the program director for Stanford School of Medicine’s clinical informatics fellowship.
Daphne Palakie. Assistant Vice President of HCA Healthcare Professional Services for CereCore (Nashville, Tenn.). Ms. Palakie is the driving force behind one of the most ambitious IT workforce strategies in healthcare, supporting HCA Healthcare’s massive EHR replacement across over 180 facilities. As assistant vice president at CereCore, she leads over 350 professionals across implementation, staffing and service delivery, streamlining operations while delivering measurable cost savings. Ms. Palakie’s talent for aligning workforce models with enterprise transformation goals has aligned her with C-suite leaders at the company. A mentor to military veterans and a member of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives and American College of Healthcare Executives, she pairs technical leadership with a deep commitment to community.
Kimeta Palamar. Senior Director of IT and Digital Strategy/Innovation for Englewood (N.J.) Health. Ms. Palamar leads all IT and digital innovation efforts across Englewood Health’s acute care hospital and network of more than 700 providers, driving strategic alignment between technology and clinical operations. Since 2023, she has overseen systemwide digital transformation by integrating AI tools, optimizing Epic EHR applications and launching patient-centered campaigns to close care gaps. Under her leadership, Englewood Health launched digital outreach campaigns that prompted thousands of overdue screenings and expanded initiatives for referral management, remote monitoring and AI-powered virtual assistance. In 2025, her role expanded to encompass cybersecurity, infrastructure and biomedical engineering, unifying IT under a single strategic vision.
Cherie Pardue. Vice President of Enterprise Applications, Health Technology Management and Learning Services and Associate CIO at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Ms. Pardue is an international healthcare leader with over two decades of experience driving digital transformation in clinical environments. As vice president, Ms. Pardue specializes in leveraging technology to enhance patient care and streamline healthcare operations, most recently achieving over $25 million in financial stewardship through an optimization of the system’s EHR. She is currently an executive sponsor for the vision and implementation of technology for Roberts Children’s Health at CHOP, a state-of-the-art inpatient complex that will open in 2028. Ms. Pardue has held several board positions in the industry and currently serves as a director on the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation board.
Divya Pathak. Chief Data and AI Officer for NYC Health + Hospitals (New York City). Ms. Pathak, chief data and AI officer at NYC Health + Hospitals, spearheads enterprisewide initiatives to embed data and AI across the largest public healthcare system in the U.S. With nearly 20 years of experience in healthcare technology and analytics, she has held senior roles at IBM Research and Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic, where she served as vice chair for AI and analytics. At NYC Health + Hospitals, she leads a multidisciplinary team in designing and deploying AI-driven solutions that improve patient outcomes and operational efficiency. Her contributions have been recognized with several prestigious awards, including the 2024 MachineCon “AI Innovator” award and IBM’s “Outstanding Technical Achievement” award. Ms. Pathak also sits on the NODE.Health global advisory council and VALID AI, where she helps shape national standards for responsible AI in healthcare.
Laura Paxton. Founder and CEO of Rpharmy (Austin, Texas). Ms. Paxton has made it her mission to eliminate preventable medication errors through innovative, clinician-informed technology. As CEO of Rpharmy, she leads the development of Formweb and Rhazdrugs, platforms that consolidate complex safety data into actionable insights for healthcare teams, directly impacting patient and staff safety. Her leadership resulted in the first comprehensive hazardous drug safety solution, offering guidance for over 600 medications, tripling standard references and setting a new benchmark for protecting healthcare workers. Under her direction, EHR-integrated safety views more than doubled within six months, showing measurable improvement in real-time medication decision-making. Her commitment to client feedback, hands-on implementation, and continuous education has cultivated a national reputation for Rpharmy as a trusted safety partner.
Kim Perry. Chief Growth Officer for emtelligent (Vancouver, Canada). As chief growth officer at emtelligent, Ms. Perry leads efforts to scale revenue, market presence and partnerships for the company’s medical AI platform, which was recognized as one of PM360’s most interesting innovations of 2023. Blending Fortune 500 experience with startup agility, Ms. Perry brings operational discipline from her tenure at Xerox and strategic foresight honed through leadership roles at ABOUT and West Monroe Partners. Her contributions include growing a national healthcare consulting practice from 35 to over 250 consultants and managing $600 million in healthcare payer operations. Beyond her executive roles, she champions women in healthcare leadership as president of Women’s Health Leadership TRUST and is an advisory board member at call center company BroadPath. Her contributions have been recognized with a 2020 “Women in Business” award from the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.
Aliyah Quraishi. CIO of Optum Health (Eden Prairie, Minn.). As CIO of Optum, Ms. Quraishi is guiding one of the world’s largest healthcare organizations through a new era of tech-driven, patient-centered care. She oversees technology strategy across nine states and leads over 2,000 global employees, delivering $300 million in digital initiatives that power innovation in EHR modernization, virtual care and generative AI. Under her leadership, Optum implemented automation that cut paper costs by $1.2 million and deployed ambient transcription, saving five minutes per visit per clinician and redirecting time to more personalized care. Known for her collaborative leadership style, Ms. Quraishi fosters high-performing teams while mentoring future leaders and championing inclusion across the industry. Her work directly advances the healthcare quadruple aim of enhancing the care experience, improving outcomes, lowering costs and boosting clinician satisfaction.
Heidi Raines. Founder and CEO of Performance Health Partners (New Orleans). Ms. Raines has built Performance Health Partners into a national leader in healthcare safety, achieving No. 1 “Best in KLAS” rankings for three consecutive years. Her cloud-based platform reduces harm, increases reporting and improves staff satisfaction, all while maintaining a 97% client retention rate. Under her leadership, the company’s annual growth rate has reached up to 75%, driven by innovation and a deep understanding of frontline challenges. Ms. Raines also authored Shared Voices, a bestseller advocating systemic patient and employee safety, now used as a framework across the industry. Outside of leading the majority-female company, she mentors future healthcare leaders and advocates for underrepresented youth through YouthForce NOLA internships.
Sarah Ramsey. Founder and Chief Product Officer of Kimedics (Nashville, Tenn.). As the founder and chief product officer of Kimedics, Ms. Ramsey envisioned and built an all-in-one solution that integrates scheduling, credentialing and financial operations to simplify how hospitals manage employed, contract and contingent clinicians. Thanks to her deep operational insight and entrepreneurial drive, her career trajectory brought her from financial analyst to startup founder in under six years. Her leadership has enabled Kimedics to streamline workflows across dozens of hospitals, reduce administrative burden, and provide real-time analytics that empower better decisions and stronger performance. In 2023, Kimedics was acquired by LocumTenens.com, extending its impact across the nation’s largest clinician staffing network. Now, as chief product officer, Ms. Ramsey continues to elevate the product roadmap and customer experience.
Heather Randall, PhD. Chief Compliance Officer for SphereCommerce (Chicago). Dr. Randall brings academic insights and regulatory expertise to her role as chief compliance officer at SphereCommerce, where she ensures compliance across data privacy, anti-money laundering and other fintech regulations. She has deep experience in advising leaders on strategy, risk mitigation and regulatory readiness. With a background in public policy, she’s led organizations through major audits, achieving HITRUST and PCI DSS certifications. Her board leadership with the Association of Payment Professionals and involvement in the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics and the International Association of Privacy Professionals allow her to contribute thought leadership to the field. Known for turning complex regulations into accessible, scalable strategies, Dr. Randall has helped position SphereCommerce as a secure, resilient force in the fintech-health IT intersection.
Kelsey Reed, DNP, MSN. Vice President and CNO for Phoebe Sumter Medical Center (Americus, Ga.). Dr. Reed is the vice president and CNO at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center, where she leads nursing operations and pilots innovation. Known for advancing virtual nursing and point-of-care technologies, she has improved efficiency, care quality and nurse satisfaction. Dr. Reed led the rollout of a virtual nursing program that boosted sepsis screening compliance by 20% and enhanced quality surveillance across units. She also champions nursing informatics, EHR optimization and clinical workflow redesign through direct collaboration with frontline nurses. Her leadership extends to state and national stages as well, as she was appointed to Georgia’s senate study committee on violence against healthcare workers, and is a frequent speaker on digital health and workforce resilience.
Lindsey Reilly. Vice President of Solution Consulting for CodaMetrix (Boston). Ms. Reilly leads strategic solution delivery for AI-powered coding platforms at CodaMetrix, ensuring alignment between healthcare innovation and clinical operations. Her background as a registered nurse and business school graduate uniquely positions her to bridge frontline needs with enterprise strategy. She’s been instrumental in large-scale AI platform implementations across major national health systems, driving measurable improvements in efficiency and adoption. A champion of human-centered tech, she ensures solutions empower rather than replace clinical expertise. She brings prior leadership experience from her previous roles at CodaMetrix and her time at Mass General Brigham, where she solidified her reputation for transforming revenue cycle and quality initiatives.
Jackie Rice, BSN, RN. Vice President and CIO for Frederick (Md.) Health. Ms. Rice is vice president and CIO of Frederick Health, where she leads enterprise technology strategy with a focus on innovation, cybersecurity and clinical transformation. A former nurse, she brings deep clinical expertise to her IT leadership, driving initiatives that integrate genomic data into everyday care. She spearheaded the integration of genomics into the EHR to support personalized care, resulting in more than 7,000 tests annually and significant improvements in clinical decision-making. Ms. Rice also serves on the Maryland Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society board and frequently shares her expertise at national conferences. Under her guidance, Frederick Health has become a national leader in precision medicine, embedding genetic testing into workflows across primary care, oncology, neurology and beyond. The system is also expanding efforts into areas like nutrigenomics and behavioral health.
Kristin Roberts. Vice President of Product Management for Phreesia (Wilmington, Del.). Ms. Roberts has been instrumental in shaping Phreesia’s patient engagement platform into a dynamic, outcomes-focused suite of solutions that activate patients across every phase of their healthcare journey. Over more than a decade at Phreesia, she has held leadership roles spanning product, marketing and strategy, all culminating in her current executive role, where she leads product management, user experience, operations, analytics and clinical content. Her work has delivered key innovations such as tools for medication adherence, appointment readiness and frictionless bill pay, designed to empower patients at pivotal care moments. She has successfully integrated acquisitions into Phreesia’s ecosystem, broadened product reach and helped steer the company through its initial public offering and Covid-19 response efforts. A collaborative, mission-driven leader, she also serves as executive sponsor for the company’s military exchange employee resource group and sits on the board of radiology healthcare nonprofit RAD-AID International.
Victoria Romero. CIO for SCP Health (Atlanta). Ms. Romero leads SCP Health’s digital transformation, overseeing technology innovation, cybersecurity, infrastructure and talent development to enhance care delivery for 6,500 clinicians across 31 states. She spearheaded the creation of “mySCP Care”, a proprietary clinician application that streamlines patient management and communication across facilities. She also co-developed SCP’s AI-powered dynamic scheduling tool, which forecasts patient volumes to optimize hospital staffing and improve operational efficiency. Under her leadership, the company has modernized IT systems to enable better data interoperability, stronger clinical collaboration and robust cybersecurity protections. Beyond her CIO role, Ms. Romero serves on the board of United Way of Acadiana and actively supports community and educational initiatives in Louisiana.
Katherine Sager. Chief Consulting Officer for Nordic (Madison, Wis.). Ms. Sager leads Nordic’s U.S. consulting operations, overseeing strategy, digital health and implementation services. Since becoming chief consulting officer in 2024, she has restructured the division to improve profitability by over 30% while fostering a culture of accountability, inclusion and transparency. Ms. Sager also champions gender equity, significantly increasing female representation in senior leadership. Her leadership drives measurable business results and cultivates a psychologically safe work environment. In addition, she serves as executive sponsor of Nordic’s women’s leadership circle.
Deepti Sharma. Senior Vice President of Product Management for HSBlox (Alpharetta, Ga.). Ms. Sharma is a product innovator whose work is reshaping value-based care infrastructure across the healthcare ecosystem. As senior vice president of product management at HSBlox, she leads the design and launch of platforms like CureAlign, enabling equitable, patient-centered care with embedded AI and machine learning. She previously developed the first prospective bundled payments solution, powering PatientBlox’s acquisition by Signify Health and proving her market foresight. With four patents filed, Certified Professional Coder certification, and over 20 years in revenue cycle and EHR strategy, she brings both technical acumen and clinical fluency. She also mentors women in tech, volunteers with the American Academy of Professional Coders and champions education equity through nonprofit educational program Muskan.
Sarah Jacob Singh. Chief Product Officer for Medbridge (Seattle). Ms. Singh leads product management, design and go-to-market teams at Medbridge, overseeing digital health solutions used by over 350,000 providers and supporting 15 million patients annually. She drives the company’s strategic expansion from education into a comprehensive digital care ecosystem, focusing on personalized and effective virtual patient care. Ms. Singh’s leadership propelled the highly effective “Pathways” product, with 73% of patients reporting reduced pain interference within 30 days and 68% showing improved physical function. Her team also recently introduced expanded AI capabilities, further enhancing Medbridge’s offerings. With over a decade of experience scaling product organizations and blending clinical insight with user-centered design, she is a respected startup advisor and advocate for women in technology.
Mary Sirois. Senior Vice President of Strategic Solutions for Nordic (Madison, Wis.). Ms. Sirois leads strategic solutions at Nordic, specializing in clinical excellence and evolving care models to improve care delivery, clinician experience and financial sustainability. She transforms data into actionable insights that help healthcare organizations optimize workflows and adopt value-based care models. Under her leadership, Nordic’s clinical optimization KLAS score rose from 90.1 to 97.4 in under two years, culminating in the 2025 “Best in KLAS” award. Ms. Sirois also serves on the Texas Health Information technology advocacy committee, promoting rural broadband expansion and maternal health equity. She is dedicated to advancing inclusive leadership and gender equity.
Anna Sproule. Executive Director of Operations for Gold Coast Health Plan (Camarillo, Calif.). Ms. Sproule is an operations leader who has transformed Gold Coast Health Plan’s efficiency, financial performance and service delivery through strategic innovation in health IT. As executive director of operations, she leads enterprisewide process improvements, change initiatives and performance optimization while cultivating a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. Under her leadership, the health plan improved claims financial accuracy to approximately 99%, reduced call center wait times by 15% and increased auto adjudication rates, supporting care delivery for Medi-Cal members. She also oversees key performance indicators, risk mitigation, compliance and budget strategy, playing a central role in sustaining the organization’s financial and operational health. Her efforts have contributed to the health plan’s continued success in quality metrics, including scoring in the 90th percentile for prenatal and postpartum care and 11 years of successful Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set audits.
Joy Somogyi. Senior Vice President of Marketing for Atropos Health (Palo Alto, Calif.). Ms. Somogyi, senior vice president of marketing at Atropos Health, drives the company’s brand strategy and go-to-market execution for its cutting-edge AI healthcare solutions. Since joining in 2023, she led the successful launch of ChatRWD, an AI co-pilot that delivers clinical real-world evidence in minutes, achieving the highest user engagement in company history. Ms. Somogyi partnered closely with product teams to publish transparent benchmarking data, ensuring responsible AI deployment and building trust with clinicians. She also spearheaded the rollout of federated nodal deidentification on the GENEVA OS platform, enabling privacy-preserving, longitudinal patient record queries without transferring source data. Her marketing leadership supported Atropos Health’s $33 million Series B funding round and a pilot with Palo Alto, Calif.-based Stanford Health Care to integrate personalized evidence at the point of care.
Christine Smith Stetler, RN. Associate Vice President of Solutions Engineering for MedeAnalytics (Richardson, Texas). Ms. Stetler leverages over 25 years of healthcare experience via her current role at MedeAnalytics, where she drives rapid cycle development to analyze gaps and implement strategic solutions for payers and providers. Drawing on her nursing background and expertise as an EHR pioneer, she weaves together clinical insight and technical innovation to create practical, prescriptive healthcare applications. Ms. Stetler was a lead clinical consultant on the first full conversion from a non-discrete to a fully discrete EHR system, positioning her as a trailblazer in healthcare IT. She has consulted on EHR and revenue cycle management optimizations nationwide, fostering collaboration and innovation with healthcare stakeholders.
Maureen Tarpinian. COO of Carelon Behavioral Health (Boston). As COO of Carelon Behavioral Health, Ms. Tarpinian has been instrumental in driving operational transformation, profitability and innovation across the national behavioral health landscape. With deep expertise in systems integration, data governance and strategic execution, she has led critical enterprise initiatives like a $75 million market turnaround, $15 million in cost reductions and launching a West Coast service center from the ground up. In her pandemic-era leadership, she executed 25 compliance changes in under six months and streamlined IT governance by reducing incoming requests by 60%. She possesses the ability to modernize operations through automation and AI, resulting in an a 10% increase in claims auto-adjudication and cleanup of 80 million provider data records. A mentor to emerging talent and a trusted leader across clinical and business domains, she is committed to advancing the organization’s vision of equitable, efficient and high-quality behavioral health care.
Tammy Taylor. CEO of Advantum Health (Louisville, Ky.). A U.S. Navy veteran and seasoned health executive, Ms. Taylor leads fiscal performance, operational oversight, departmental teams, communications, culture building, risk mitigation and stakeholder relations as CEO of Advantum Health. Ms. Taylor’s open-door policy, mentorship style and high standards create an inclusive, mission-driven environment where talent flourishes. Her efforts have led to an internal company culture recognized multiple times by Best Places to Work as one of Kentucky’s top workplaces, fostering collaboration across teams in the U.S. and India. Under her leadership, the company has grown into a RCM powerhouse with national impact. Ms. Taylor is also deeply involved in community service, earning Louisville Business First’s “Enterprising Women” award in 2025.
Cathy Turner, BSN, RN. Chief Marketing and Nursing Executive for Meditech (Canton, Mass.). Ms. Turner leads Meditech’s marketing operations and nursing informatics initiatives, championing the integration of clinical insight into healthcare technology development. She directs teams across field and marketing operations, product management and customer communications to align messaging with strategic goals. As architect of Meditech’s nurse informatics program, Ms. Turner ensures nurses’ voices shape product design and promote improved clinical workflows. A vocal advocate for health IT’s potential to enhance bedside care and patient experience, she has earned recognition as a Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society “Changemaker” for 2023. Ms. Turner also serves on several advisory boards and professional organizations dedicated to nursing informatics and patient safety.
Grace Vinton. Account Director and Media Relations Specialist at Amendola Communications (Scottsdale, Ariz.). Ms. Vinton brings expertise in healthcare communications, patient advocacy, public relations, sales, marketing coordination and implementation to her role at Amendola Communications. She is passionate about helping innovative thinkers in the healthcare field showcase their transformational ideas. She has worked with a number of clients and also serves as a guest host for HIT Like a Girl Pod via “HITea With Grace”, which highlights the contributions of women in healthcare. Ms. Vinton was named Swaay.Health “IT Promoter of the Year” for 2024.
Helen Waters. Executive Vice President and COO for Meditech (Canton, Mass.). Ms. Waters oversees Meditech’s strategic direction, operations, product development, business partnerships and customer experience. Reporting directly to the CEO, she collaborates on advancing health IT innovations, including genomics, AI and interoperability solutions. Ms. Waters led the 2024 U.S. launch of Traverse Exchange, expanding data exchange capabilities and advancing national interoperability. She also guides the integration of Expanse AI tools to improve clinical workflows and patient care. With a focus on adaptable, intelligent EHR platforms, she champions technology that evolves with healthcare needs.
Ellen Wiegand. Senior Vice President and CIO for VCU Health (Richmond, Va.). Ms. Wiegand leads VCU Health’s IT strategy with a mission-driven approach that has contributed to major post-Covid financial and operational recoveries. Since 2022, she has aligned emerging tech like AI-driven ambient listening with frontline needs, reducing clinician burnout and improving documentation quality. She established VCU’s technology and data council, as well as an AI workgroup, fostering collaboration and trust across clinical and executive teams. Under her leadership, the IT department has improved engagement scores above national benchmarks and promoted internal talent, especially women and people of color. Ms. Wiegand’s work has earned her the 2024 “CapitalCIO of the Year” award in the enterprise category. Her work has also helped VCU Health secure national rankings for both financial strength and clinical excellence.
Leigh Williams. Vice President and CIO of Augusta Health (Fishersville, Va.). Ms. Williams leads all IT strategy and operations for Augusta Health, a community-owned health system serving more than 300,000 people across seven counties in Virginia. Promoted to CIO in 2025, she has been instrumental in transforming the system into a regional hub for integrated, technology-driven care. Under her leadership, the organization expanded specialty services, launched a Medicare-approved ACO and integrated more than 250 providers across 35 sites. Ms. Williams’ work has improved care coordination, access and outcomes while supporting enterprisewide innovation and equity initiatives. Augusta Health has earned top national recognition during her tenure, including awards from CMS, American Hospital Association and Healthgrades.
Danielle Wilson. Assistant Vice President of Digital Transformation for Virtua Health (Marlton, N.J.). Ms. Wilson is orchestrating enterprisewide digital transformation at Virtua Health, aligning operations and technology to create a data-driven, insight-rich organization. She established Virtua’s digital transformation office and built a collaborative culture focused on test-learn-scale innovation to improve outcomes across the health system. A unifier across clinical, operational and IT domains, she seamlessly bridges strategy and execution. Her leadership has enhanced patient and provider engagement by embedding analytics into everyday workflows, translating broad enterprise goals into actual roadmaps, project charters, KPIs and governance structures. As a member of the Epic telehealth advisory board, she also influences digital health beyond her own organization.
Laura Wilt. Senior Vice President and CDO for Sutter Health (Sacramento, Calif.). Ms. Wilt is redefining healthcare delivery through digital transformation at Sutter Health, one of California’s most recognized health systems. In just two years, she has led systemwide digital upgrades that improved access, reduced clinician burden and empowered 3.5 million patients to engage in care through tools like real-time scheduling, video visits and digital chronic disease support. Under her leadership, Sutter “gave back” over 1 million hours to staff and physicians through automation, thanks in large part to her focus on both operational excellence and human-centered innovation. Ms. Wilt is also guiding the launch of Sutter’s fully digital care model and spearheading strategic partnerships with leading AI companies to improve diagnostics and patient communication. Her leadership extends beyond Sutter’s walls as she helps shape industry innovation at Sutter’s San Francisco Innovation Center and champions collaboration across health and tech.
Patrice Wolfe. CEO of AGS Health (Washington, D.C.). Ms. Wolfe leads AGS Health, a global health IT and revenue cycle management powerhouse with over 14,000 employees, driving the company’s growth through hybrid intelligence solutions that blend AI, automation, real-time analytics and expert services. Under her leadership, the company achieved a 22% compound annual growth rate from 2022 to 2025, fueled by strategic acquisitions and the launch of innovative technologies such as intelligent authorization and a fax automation solution handling over 9 billion pages annually. Ms. Wolfe’s approach integrates AI-powered workflow orchestration tools that optimize claims and denial management, significantly boosting operational efficiency and patient experience. She is also a passionate advocate for gender equity, embedding measurable goals into the company’s environmental, social and governance strategy and ensuring women hold 50% of C-suite roles, including CEO and other key executive positions. Ms. Wolfe’s industry influence extends beyond AGS through her active participation in leadership initiatives at Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society and Healthcare Financial Management Association. The company’s multiple recognitions under her tenure include the 2025 “AI25” award from UiPath and consistent top rankings in KLAS and Everest Group assessments.
Kathleen Zaski, RN. Vice President of IT at Renown Health (Reno, Nev). For 13 years, Ms. Zaski has been leading complex teams, conceptualizing strategic initiatives and driving results-driven outcomes. Transitioning from an ICU nurse, she drives innovation and operational excellence to increase quality, patient safety and clinician satisfaction. She is known for her collaborative leadership style, mentoring emerging talent and strategic vision in aligning IT with institutional goals. Under her leadership, Renown is recognized continually as “Most Wired” by CHIME and earned Epic 10 stars in 2024. Partnering with clinicians, operations and marketing/web teams led to measurable improvements in service levels and employee engagement, while maintaining fiscal responsibility. She helped create the “One Renown” customer experience, which is digital when you want, human when you need it. The customer experience upgrade included the implementation of a single, unified EHR system, the MyChart smartphone app, and real-time information that empowers consumers to choose a physician. The system also offers online video visits, the ability to self-schedule primary care, pediatrics and imaging appointments via website, and the ability to refill medications and receive text appointment reminders. As a result, 30% of new patient appointments are made online, and visits reached record highs. Partnering with the medical group, her team utilizes AI-driven analytics for physician workload management to streamline administrative tasks, alleviate burnout and enhance patient and provider satisfaction.
