• Cegedim makes move into EHRs with acquisition of Pulse Systems

• Cerner reports strong Q2 results

• UPMC takes its 'smart room' to market

President
Rob Aaron, MA
Microsoft Corporation
Healthcare Industry Manager

Rob Aaron is currently a Healthcare Industry Strategist for Microsoft. He covers the Southeast USA for Microsoft and focuses on the provider business. Rob works with Microsoft field teams, internal product teams and Microsoft's partner ecosystem to help providers implement and adopt innovative technology solutions that will improve the quality of care, save lives, and optimize the utilization of financial resources. Before his tenure at Microsoft, Rob held various positions at McKesson including Client Executive – managing 165 Quorum hospitals nationwide. Rob Aaron is a Georgia native and received a BBA from The University of Georgia. Rob also attended The University of Munich (Ludwig-Maximillians Universitaet) in Munich, Germany where he received an MA in Political Economy. He resides in Dunwoody, GA with his wife and 2 children. For more information on Rob's bio please visit him on www.linkedin.com or facebook.com/Robaaron

Dr. Denise W. Hines possesses 20 years extensive healthcare experience. She launched Georgia's first health information exchange and transparency website (georgiahealthinfo.gov). She as the Executive Director for the HITT Advisory Board and created Georgia's two, five & 10-yr strategic plans for health information technology. She created the Georgia Health Information Exchange Grants Program that awarded $1,800,000 in grants. Denise currently serves as the Vice-President for Government Solutions for HealthNovation. Her focus is on identifying and analyzing emerging regulatory issues and designing and executing strategies for recommended actions. She currently serves as the co-chair, Governance Committee for the State of Georgia's Health Information Exchange efforts. Denise holds her Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate in Healthcare Administration. Denise will be serving her second term as a GA HIMSS Director. She will serve as President Elect and as assistant chair of the advocacy committee.

Don graduated from Georgia Tech with a mechanical engineering degree and later earned a MBA degree from Georgia State. He founded EDI, Ltd. in 1986 and is a registered professional engineer in a number of states. Don is an active participant in the HIMSS and the ASHE. He has also held many leadership positions in the American Council of Engineering Companies of Georgia including President and National Director. He is an avid learner and teacher and his research on new healthcare technologies and market developments helps EDI remain a leader among their peers in the healthcare industry.

Healthcare IT and the realization of better medical outcomes and improved healthcare delivery through IT adoption are Don's passion. Don works with healthcare clients to help them articulate and realize their technology vision and strategy.

Treasurer
Bob Shapiro
IBM Information Protection Services
Services Sales Leader

Bob is a Services Sales Leader with IBM's Information Protection Services. He has served on the board of Newark-Wayne Community Hospital and the IT Steering Committee for ViaHealth in Rochester, NY. He has over 25 years of experience focused on healthcare industry IT solutions.

Liz is an industry consultant, with over 25 years of experience in Information Technology within the ambulatory and acute Healthcare settings, specializing in Electronic Health Records, revenue cycle management, IAM and Healthcare marketing strategy. Beginning her career in teaching technology at the University of South Carolina, Liz worked at Lanier/Harris for ten years, holding positions as Southeast Regional Healthcare Manager, Healthcare Product and Marketing Manager and Director of Software Operations. As a health information technology consultant, she has provided direction in market strategy and penetration, as well as fulfilling roles in software development, implementation, project management, channel partner management and business development.

In addition to her consulting engagements, Liz has served on the boards of several educational and community organizations, and taught seminars to physicians and practice managers on EHR and PMS selection, as well as medical practice marketing and Social Media. She has served on several GAHIMSS committees, to include Communications, Town Hall and Golf Tournament.

Director at Large
Tom Addington, CPHIMS
Executive Director - Technology Services
WellStar Health System

Tom Addington has twenty-nine years of experience in the strategic development and implementation of cost effective information technology solutions leading to measureable process improvements. He is a Senior Manager with demonstrated leadership in technology/strategic planning in implementing Healthcare Information Systems. He has demonstrated skills in managing change, infusing new ideas, motivating new ideas and working within environments requiring significant interpersonal skills.

Tom has demonstrated expertise in strategic project planning, team building skills and proven record in organization development and growth. Tom has successfully implemented a system-wide Hospital Information System, Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) and an Ambulatory Electronic Medical Records Systems to highlight a few of his accomplishment.

Director at Large
Rick Allen
AVP of IT
Gwinnett Health System

Rick is currently the Assistant VP of Information Services for Gwinnett Medical Center. His responsibilities include all IS Operational Units: Data Center Operations, PBX Operations, Help Desk, PC Support, Technical Services, Network Support, Telecom, Development, and Information Security as well as Biomedical Engineering. Prior to joining Gwinnett Medical Rick held various Management positions in Promina Health System, Wellstar Health System, McKesson, Keyeon, and SunTrust Banks. Rick holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Georgia State University.

Director at Large
Dee Cantrell, R.N.
Chief Information Officer
Emory Healthcare

Dee Cantrell is the Chief Information Office of Emory Healthcare, Inc. in Atlanta, GA. Ms. Cantrell earned her master's degree in organizational management from Capella University and her Bachelor's degree in nursing from Brenau University. She worked as a registered nurse in multiple capacities before becoming involved in healthcare information technology.

She came to Emory in 1994 as director of Patient Services Information Systems for the Emory University Hospital and then moved the following year in 1995 to become a Senior Business Analyst in the Emory Healthcare Information Services Division. Ms Cantrell was promoted to Director of Client Service in 1996 followed by the promotion to the Director of Client and Application Services in 1997. She was promoted to the Executive Director of Emory Healthcare Information Services in 1998, and was again promoted to the Chief Information Officer in 2000.

Ms. Cantrell's has been instrumental expanding the role and the influence technology plays in the healthcare at every level – patient care, research and education. Among the key initiatives she has led are development and implementation of Emory Healthcare's Electronic Medical Record (EMR), development and implementation of an enterprise wide, extensible clinical data warehouse, implementation of various systems in support of research of disease processes, and implementation of film-less imaging services across Emory Healthcare. Collectively these initiatives are changing the face of healthcare to the patient, to the provider and offers new potential for research and discovery.

Due to Emory Healthcare's successful application of technologies that enable and support effective and efficient care delivery, the Emory Healthcare EMR implementation has been highlighted in multiple publications as a best practice implementation. Ms. Cantrell has been published in several areas with a recent publication being the cover article in ADVANCE for Health Information Executives on the digital journey at Emory Healthcare for emergency medicine. In addition, Ms Cantrell was featured in The Health Executive Journal speaking to the process of care transformation that is at the heart of the IT initiatives at Emory. PULSE Magazine of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution also featured a cover story on Ms. Cantrell highlighting her career and accomplishments. Ms. Cantrell was also interviewed for an article in ADVACE FOR NURSING on "Going Paperless".

In addition, Ms. Cantrell has recognized as one of the key leaders in technology by "Women in Technology", an affiliate of The Technology Association of Georgia and by the Computerworld's Search for Heroes. Moreover, Ms. Cantrell was awarded the CIO of the year by the Georgia CIO Leadership Association (GCLA) for 2009.

Director at Large
George M. Curtis
Upson Regional Medical Center
Director of Information Services

George has been employed by Upson Regional Medical Center since September 2000 where he has advanced from a network specialist to his current position as CIO. George is working toward finishing a Masters Degree in Healthcare Administration in October 2009. Prior to working for URMC he was a narcotics investigator for the Multi Jurisdictional Narcotics Task Force (1993 – 2000). As sworn deputies in 5 counties he worked narcotics from Macon to Griffin Georgia. Before that he spent 4 years in the 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg NC Bravo company, 313th Military Intelligence Battalion Combat Electronic Warfare Intelligence.

George is 41 years old and has been married for 15 years. He has two children, a 12 year old son and a 1year old daughter. He and his wife are both pilots and spend the weekends flying or water skiing.

Serving as Chief Information Officer and Security Officer to Resurgens Orthopaedics, Bradley's role involves strategic planning, budget and staff management, overseeing project implementation and managing ongoing support of the network, desktops, and business applications. With more than a decade of experience in the field of information technology he has consulted with clients in the hospitality, healthcare, telecommunications, and professional services industries. Bradley's experience in building cohesive teams enables him to take on projects and execute them at an expedited pace with a high level of positive outcomes. With an enthusiasm which has been described as intoxicating, Bradley has brought about significant change in perception of what technology means to Resurgens and has been instrumental in maintaining Resurgens' position as the premiere orthopaedic practice in Georgia.

Director at Large
Stefanie Kingsley
Emory Healthcare
EMR Implementation Team

Stefanie graduated from Georgia State University in 1991 with a BS in Nursing. Following graduation, she worked as a pediatric nurse in a variety of settings for 16 years. While working in Case Management at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, she identified an interest in information technology. She returned to school and obtained a Masters in Nursing Informatics at Vanderbilt University. Currently, she works for Emory Healthcare as the team lead for CPOE training and support.

Director at Large
Ginny Meadows
Shared Health
Director, Clinician Knowledge Services

Ginny Meadows, R.N., is the director of Clinician Knowledge Services at Shared Health, and is responsible for providing clinical expertise and assuring relevant and standardized clinical content for Shared Health applications and clinical decision support services; and guiding and coordinating clinical performance analytic. Ginny is a HITSP panel member, and serves on the HIMSS HIE Steering Committee. She has more than 20 years' experience in clinical informatics and health information technology, with an emphasis in the areas of product management and marketing, strategic planning, analysis and customer service.

Claire is currently the Business Development Manager, Intel Americas. Claire joined Intel's Digital Health Group in 2005 as a Business Development Manager in the Southeast. Prior to joining Intel, Claire worked at IBM and Lenovo working in the healthcare and retail industries. Claire also worked for 4 years as an application and training specialist for a healthcare software company. Today, Claire is part of Intel's Government, Education and Medical group responsible for developing relationships and securing strategic customers in GA, AL, and North and South Carolina.

Claire received her bachelor's degree at Appalachian State University.

Director at Large
Dan Stewart
CSC
Partner

Dan is a Partner with CSC's Global Healthcare Services Group based in Atlanta, Georgia. He has overall responsibility for directing and managing the delivery of CSC services to healthcare clients in the Southeast. Dan has over 30 years in the healthcare information technology industry in a variety of roles with several industry leading technology vendors and consulting firms. He has extensive experience in IT assessments, strategic planning, system implementation, project management and operational support. He is also an expert in developing sourcing options for healthcare providers. Dan has managed software and technology implementation projects at several large national healthcare providers and has led consulting engagements for a variety of organizations from large, complex IDNs to small community hospitals.

Dan is active in the Georgia Chapter of HIMSS and served as Sponsorship Chair in 2008-2009. He currently serves as the Sponsorship Chair and is a member of the WINI program planning subcommittee and the HIMSS National "Big Splash" planning subcommittee.

Director at Large
Sheldon Tyndall
Hunter Stokes & Associates
Founder

Sheldon has 30 years of experience in healthcare IT spanning hospitals, nursing homes, consulting and software vendors with over 23 of those years as the senior IT leader in 5 major health systems in the southeast. During that time experiences have included unique opportunities in a Children's Hospital, a merger between two competing hospitals, VHA & Premier relationships, and regional and national vendor related user group officer positions and filled the senior IT executive positions in 3 IT Outsourcing accounts.