CHIME Launches Two New Organizations

The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) recently announced the launch of two new organizations to serve the education and professional development needs of health care executives in senior technology and application roles.
 
 The Association for Executives in Healthcare Information Technology (AEHIT) and the Association for Executives in Healthcare Information Applications (AEHIA) are the first professional organizations representing chief technology officers (CTOs) and chief application officers (CAOs) in the health care setting. Formed to address an unmet need in the industry, AEHIT and AEHIA will provide educational resources on important health care technology and IT application-focused issues, as well as an environment where CTOs and CAOs can communicate with, inform, and educate one another. These follow the recent creation and launch of the Association for Executives in Healthcare Information Security to serve health care chief security officers (CSOs).

"With the establishment of these two new organizations, CHIME has taken an active role in providing these health care leaders an opportunity to pool their collective knowledge and advance their skills," says CHIME Board Chair Randy McCleese, FCHIME, LCHIME, CHCIO. "CIOs are increasingly relying on leaders like CTOs, CAOs, and CSOs in order to deliver and manage a complex technology environment, so collaboration among these highly accomplished individuals is essential to furthering industry solutions and opportunities."  

"Both of these new organizations will help strengthen the CTO and CAO roles in order to meet the challenges created by the rapid and unprecedented changes in health care technology," says CHIME Executive Vice President of Membership and Professional Development George W. McCulloch, FCHIME, CHCIO. "Our goal is to provide the education and collaboration necessary for these leaders so they can solve issues, share best-practices, and form meaningful, supportive relationships with their peers."  

AEHIT and AEHIA will operate as separate membership associations under the umbrella of CHIME, a professional organization dedicated to serving health care chief information officers (CIOs) and other senior IT leaders. AEHIT and AEHIA members will benefit from CHIME's twenty-two year history in delivering valuable, high-quality leadership education and networking opportunities.  

"CHIME is committed to not only supporting health care CIOs, but also those on the CIO's executive team," says CHIME President and CEO Russell P. Branzell, FCHIME, CHCIO. "The CHIME Board recognized our industry's need for the professional development and peer-to-peer needs of CTOs and CAOs, where professional development educational resources for these individuals were lacking."

Interested CTOs and CAOs that apply and are accepted before December 31, 2014, will be recognized as founding members and will receive a one-year complimentary membership. For more information, visit www.aehit.org and www.aehia.org.

Source: The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives