CHIME Awards $100,000 in Scholarships for Women and Minority HIT Executives

The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) awarded more than $100,000 in scholarship funding to women and minority HIT executives to attend CHIME’s in-person and digital educational and career development programs in August. Under the new scholarship initiative, CHIME will distribute $200,000 in scholarships through 2021.

The CHIME Education Foundation in collaboration with the CHIME Diversity and Inclusion Committee and Women of CHIME has dedicated up to $100,000 annually for two years to support women and minority members of CHIME as well as their HIT team members in their professional development. Recipients will be able to use the funding to attend online and in-person CHIME boot camps and education offerings, including programs delivered through CHIME’s new platform, Ignite Digital Health Learning.

“There is no doubt that we’ve made progress in the 15 years that I have been a CIO but there is still room for improvement,” says Sheree McFarland, CIO of West Florida at HCA and a member of CHIME’s Board of Trustees and Women of CHIME. “Women and minorities offer valuable knowledge and perspective that can help the C-suite think broadly about health care, but only if their voices are heard. The scholarships will give recipients a chance to learn, build networks, and advance to leadership positions.”

“Our patient populations are becoming increasingly diverse, racially, ethnically, and in so many other ways,” says Cletis Earle, senior vice president and CIO at Penn State Health and chair of the CHIME Diversity and Inclusion Committee. “To best serve them, we need digital health care executives who reflect that rich diversity. Our goal is to fill the pipeline with talented minority and women professionals and help position them to succeed as leaders in their hospitals and health care organizations.”

The CHIME Education Foundation has awarded 29 scholarships through the fund to date. In addition, the Education Foundation plans to award additional scholarships for women and minority digital health care executives to attend CHIME20 Digital on Nov. 10-12. Details about eligibility and the application process will be announced in the near future.

“The unprecedented challenges we face with the pandemic make professional development even more critical,” says CHIME President and CEO Russell P. Branzell. “Working with the Diversity and Inclusion Committee and Women of CHIME, we are supporting the next generation of exceptional leaders transforming health and care. CHIME is honored to be part of their journey.” 

Source: College of Healthcare Information Management Executives