CHIME Announces New Board Members

The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is pleased to announce the election of members Pamela Arora; Charles Christian, FCHIME, CHCIO; and George McCulloch, FCHIME, CHCIO, to its board of trustees.

Arora is vice president and chief information officer (CIO) at Children’s Medical Center Dallas, with 30 years of experience in IT. She joined CHIME in 2004 and served on the membership committee for two years. Arora has been a member of Children’s Hospital Association since joining Children’s in 2007 and an active participant in local health information exchanges in both Texas and Massachusetts.

“I’m deeply honored to be nominated to the CHIME Board,” said Arora. “Just as Children’s Medical Center Dallas makes a difference by delivering the highest levels of care to children and their families, my goal as a member of the board will be to make a difference in the industry by encouraging collaboration among healthcare organizations, industry vendor partners, and other healthcare consortiums so we can address the regulatory, fiscal, and technological challenges that face our industry.”

Christian is the CIO of Good Samaritan Hospital in southwest Indiana, a role he has served for over 20 years. Christian has been a committed member of CHIME since its inception in 1992. He is currently a member of both the advocacy leadership team and the policy steering committee, and is the CHIME StateNet coordinator for Indiana. He joined the CHIME Healthcare CIO Boot Camp faulty in 2012 and previously held a seat on CHIME’s board of trustees in 2003 to 2004. He is a certified healthcare CIO (CHCIO), CHIME Fellow, and the recipient of the 2010 John E. Gall Jr. CIO of the Year Award and 2010 CHIME Collaboration Award.

“I'm both humbled and honored to have the opportunity to serve CHIME in this capacity,” said Christian. “Being a long time member has allowed me to watch the organization grow and become an outstanding resource for both its members and the industry as a whole. I look forward to the work we have ahead.”

McCulloch is the deputy CIO at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, with over 25 years experience in healthcare. Since joining CHIME in 2005, he has been an active member serving on the CHIME membership and CIO forum planning committees. McCulloch is heavily involved with the CHIME CHCIO program, serving as a participant in the item writing process, and most recently, the CHCIO governing board. He is a CHCIO and CHIME fellow.

“This is an especially exciting and challenging time for our industry and our profession,” said McCulloch. “I’m eager and energized to represent the diverse CHIME membership on the CHIME board and work with other leaders to find solutions that will help us deliver the kind of healthcare that Americans deserve and can afford.”

In addition, CHIME is pleased to announce the election of Charles Anastos to its foundation board of directors.

With over 27 years of experience in HIT, Anastos is a principal at PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Industries Advisory Practice in Boston, and coleads the HIT Provider Enterprise Transformation Practice.

“I feel really privileged to be elected to the CHIME foundation board,” said Anastos. “Having been involved with CHIME for over 12 years, I have a deep appreciation for the collaboration and camaraderie of its members and the supporting foundation firms. I look forward to assisting CHIME in continuing the tradition of providing excellence in education to current and future CIOs as well as solidifying our position as the foremost authority on improving our healthcare system through IT enablement.

Anastos became a CHIME foundation member in 1997 while working for Beacon Partners as senior vice president of consulting services. He has been with PwC since 2011.

CHIME’s newly elected board members, who will replace vacant seats left by Gary Barnes, Linda Hodges, and Lynn Vogel, will start their three-year terms beginning on January 1, 2013.

Source: The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives