HIMSS Names Harold "Hal" Wolf III as New President/CEO

HIMSS has announced the appointment of Harold "Hal" Wolf III as its new president and CEO. He will succeed H. Stephen Lieber, who in December 2016 announced his plans to retire as HIMSS president and CEO after more than 17 years of recognized success and exemplary service to HIMSS.

Wolf has served in significant roles that have advanced the impact of technology on health care. As an advisor, thought leader, and consultant, he continues to lead internationally in the realm of health policy and technology adoption to increase access and improve care outcomes. A key architect in the development of content, research and user interfaces for video on demand and broadband, Wolf is a pioneer in consumer engagement. He has contributed his unique approach and insights to the birth of the digital health era, combining traditional enterprise strategies with an end-to-end organizational view, while keeping the patient as the central focus. Among his many areas of expertise are integrated care models, mhealth, product development, marketing, distribution, information technology and innovation implementation. 

"Hal Wolf brings to his new role as president and CEO of HIMSS the powerful combination of broad, deep and relevant knowledge, expertise, experience, energy and accomplishments, along with a deep love of and longstanding commitment to HIMSS. His track record of innovation and success spans premier health care delivery organizations, digital strategy groups, media companies, global endeavors and more," says Michael Zaroukian, MD, PhD, HIMSS board chair. 

"He sees and creates opportunities, brings people together, and facilitates their success in creating new and better products and services. We are excited that he will be focusing his full energy and efforts to lead HIMSS, as it advances its vision of improving health through information technology and its mission to globally lead endeavors optimizing health engagements and care outcomes through information technology," states Sebastian Krolop, MD, former HIMSS board chair. 

For several years, Wolf has been part of The Chartis Group, a comprehensive advisory and analytics services firm, where he is currently director, practice leader information and digital health strategy,leading the firm in supporting providers and health care organizations in the development of integrated information, operations, digital health and precision medicine strategies. 

Before joining The Chartis Group, Wolf was senior vice president and chief operating officer of Kaiser Permanente's Permanente Federation, representing more than 16,000 physicians. He was responsible for the development and implementation of critical care delivery strategies, data management and governance, population care management environments and the implementation of unique innovations and large-scale programs that impacted end-to-end operations. Prior to Kaiser Permanente, Wolf worked as CIO for the e-business, corporate systems and wholesale division of Quest Communications/USWest. Previous endeavors include working internationally in the deployment of interactive television services in operations, content and business development; senior business management positions with Time Warner and MTV Networks; and as senior advisor to McKinsey and Company and ADVI, LLC. 

Wolf has served HIMSS for four years: two as an advisor to the board and two additional years as a member of the board of directors, recently as vice chair. He serves as a board member and officer of the International Care Delivery Alliance. 

His knowledge sharing and partnering are experienced through guest lectures in the United States, Asia, and Europe, and most recently, as a visiting professor at the Maersk Mc-Kinney Institute, University of Southern Denmark, at the Center for Innovative Medical Technology, Odense University Hospital, and at Windsor University Odette School of Business, Canada.

Wolf holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from Wake Forest University, and a Bachelor of Science in Textile Management from North Carolina State University.

As an advisor, thought leader and consultant, he continues to lead internationally in the realm of health policy and technology adoption to increase access and improve care outcomes. His role and accomplishments on the HIMSS board have shown him to be a powerful voice and advocate for the organization and its mission. 

"It is a great privilege and honor to be chosen to lead HIMSS, an organization whose purpose is to improve health care and care outcomes. Across the globe, health care is challenged to harness the power of information and technology, to solve for the unique environments of each health system and to support the personalization of care to the individual. In alliance with the growing membership of HIMSS and the expansive capabilities of our organization, our collective task is to enable innovation across the full healthcare ecosystem," Wolf says.

Source: HIMSS