career planning

The University of Chicago's Julie Johnson shares an example of a recent collaboration on an AMIA presentation to illustrate how patient data can help identify health disparities and suggest how to resolve them.

Krystal Schramm of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services advises those starting out in health IT to build diverse connections, share their ideas and create their own paths to success.

Based on learnings from a HIMSS CIO Connect session, Lateefah Agunbiade of Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center was able to collaborate with her organization's CFO to gain support for a digital modernization initiative.

Surya Shenoy, regional clinical informatics consultant at Kaiser Permanente and Changemaker Award recipient, recommends that newcomers to the field follow their passion and be willing to pivot when necessary.

Ilir Kullolli from Stanford Medicine Children's Health says his 20 years of HIMSS membership and his attendance at HIMSS conferences have connected him with visionary leaders who inspired his career journey.

IT executives who want to become Chief AI Officers should appreciate both the business needs and the technology solutions required to solve problems, says Sameer Sethi, SVP and chief AI and insights officer at Hackensack Meridian Health.

Dr. Tamara Sunbul, digital health transformation and innovation strategic adviser in Saudi Arabia, advises digital health newcomers to gain both healthcare and technology education and to seek out mentors to help grow their careers.

Nelita Iuppa, Cleveland Clinic's executive director of informatics and a 2025 HIMSS Changemaker Award recipient, advises aspiring health IT leaders build relationships, document their journeys to learn from the changes they've made and embrace flexibility as new tools emerge.