Arizona HIMSS Elects New Officers for 2017-18 Term

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., July 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Arizona Chapter of the Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS Arizona Chapter) announced today the election of its volunteer Board of Directors for Fiscal Year 2018 that began July 1.

They include the following members:

• President: Jason Bickford
• President-Elect: Saffron Wanger
• Treasurer: Emilie Sundie
• Secretary: Collene Bay-Andersen
• Past-President: Laura Young

Bickford is a 2015 HIMSS Founders Leadership Award recipient.  A former Department Applications Director with Banner Health, Bickford has promoted Health IT education and thought leadership for the adoption of health information technology that improves patient outcomes and lowers operating costs.  He has built a reputation as a technology savvy individual with the ability to understand an entire business, not just IT.

"I'm honored to take the helm of an organization committed to fostering the advancement and effective use of information technology in Arizona healthcare," Bickford said.  "The HIMSS Arizona Chapter has built credibility as a resource addressing the ever-changing Health IT industry.  One of our key goals in the next year is to grow the collaboration between our organization and students preparing for Health IT careers."

Supporting Bickford toward these goals are fellow HIMSS Arizona Chapter officers Wanger, CIO of Terros Health; Sundie, Director of Health IT Services for Health Services Advisory Group; Bay-Andersen, Dean of Specialized Programs, College of Health Professions at the University of Phoenix; and Young, an interoperability HIT/HIE strategist.

A multi-year recipient of the HIMSS Chapter of the Year Award, the Arizona HIMSS Chapter is also ranked on the Phoenix Business Journal's 2017 list of the top professional associations at #10, up from #13 in 2016. 

About HIMSS Arizona Chapter
The Arizona Chapter of HIMSS was formed in 1994 and encompasses the state of Arizona. Our membership includes students, faculty, clinicians, telecommunications, information systems, and management engineering professionals. Our members come from academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and for profit companies including health care delivery, managed care, consulting, and vendor businesses. Functional responsibilities of our members range from officers and directors to RNs and doctors, to analysts and sales representatives.  Since its inception, our chapter has held quarterly meetings at a variety of locations and grown in its continuous affiliation with the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.

Our chapter welcomes your participation by attending our educational programs and joining with us to network with other professionals. The Arizona chapter offers volunteer opportunities with committees, including web site, membership, advocacy, events, scholarship, and communications. With your involvement, we will continue to grow in our efforts to improve health care in Arizona.

Visit our website: http://arizona.himsschapter.org/ and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

About HIMSS North America
HIMSS North America, a business unit within HIMSS, positively transforms health and healthcare through the best use of information technology in the United States and Canada. As a cause-based non-profit, HIMSS North America provides thought leadership, community building, professional development, public policy, and events.  HIMSS North America represents 64,000 individual members, 640 corporate members, and over 450 non-profit organizations. 

Media Contact: Marcia Rhodes: 480.664.8412, ext. 15; [email protected]

SOURCE AZ HIMSS

Related Links

http://arizona.himsschapter.org