About the author: Rand Ragusa is co-founder & SVP of Business Development of Better Day™ Health, a 2015 Edition Certified Electronic Health Record Technology (CEHRT) company based in the New Orleans BioInnovation Center. Follow on Twitter @randragusa.
The Health Information & Management Systems Society of Louisiana (HIMSS-LA) announced its new board of directors leadership slate for 2018-2019 at its annual awards ceremony held each year at Chef John Folse’s White Oak Plantation in Baton Rouge.
Past President Errol Labat introduced the new officers which included President Liz Hartley-Sommers, RN-BSN, MS and President Elect Mark Schroeder. Winners included: Clinician of the Year – Bryan Taylor; Member of the Year – Jeff Robbins; and Public Servant of the Year – Vindell Washington, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana.
Dr. Washington recently transitioned from the provider and health IT sectors to become CMO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana. A board-certified emergency medicine physician, Dr. Washington who served as the National Coordinator for Health IT at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service told the audience about how BCBSLA is using telehealth technology and an in-person intervention program to connect care coordinators to high-risk patients to improve care in North Louisiana.
“These awards honor health IT leaders that are shining a light down the path we all want to walk. The Louisiana Chapter of HIMSS is grateful to have members like these in our community. We plan to continue advocacy, education and community networking to build on the outstanding health information technology foundation that already exists in Louisiana.” said President Liz Hartley-Sommers RN-BSN, MS.
This has been a big year for the HIMSS-LA leadership after winning Small Chapter of the Year and past President Chad Cothern, RN winning Chapter Leader of the Year at the national HIMSS conference in March in Las Vegas.
To learn more about how to join HIMSS and future health IT events in Louisiana, visit louisiana.himsschapter.org.