Women in Healthcare Information Technology Launches Mentor Program
SAN FRANCISCO – April 9, 2018 – The Women in Healthcare Information Technology (WHIT) Board, a volunteer organization dedicated to developing healthcare information technology (HIT) talent and supporting tomorrow’s female leaders in HIT, announced its new leadership team. The organization also announced it is launching a new mentor program designed to connect experienced HIT leaders with people seeking career guidance and coaching. The program is designed to foster ongoing dialogue and share the collective expertise of HIT leaders. The program launches today for professionals and will expand to students in the Fall.
The WHIT mentor program application process for both mentor and mentees is open until April 30, 2018. The mentor/mentee pairings will be introduced starting May 16. The mentor program will run for a full year, with quarterly check-ins and in-person meet-ups as possible. To participate, please visit www.whittywomen.org.
“When you become a mentor, you become part of an important movement and contribute to the momentum of change. By paving the way for tomorrow’s women leaders, you are creating a better future,” said Debbie Rieger, President of the WHIT Board. “Mentees will have a direct relationship with an established HIT leader hand-selected to help them achieve their specific career goals. All participants will become part of the strong community we are building dedicated to empowering women in their careers and beyond.”
The WHIT Board was founded by Sunny Cooper, CIO of San Francisco Health Plan in 2015. She recruited like-minded women to join her on a mission to support women in HIT. In 2016, the group launched its inaugural event, WHIT: Path to Success. This day-long summit provided access to some of the healthcare industry’s most prominent women leaders and offered attendees career guidance, networking opportunities and the chance to interact with the women leaders, ask questions and gain direct insight. The event quickly sold out and the group is currently planning a follow-on event for Spring 2019.
In January of 2018, the WHIT Board announced new executive leadership:
President, Debbie Rieger
Debbie Rieger brings extensive experience in all aspects of healthcare from health plans and physician offices to hospitals, technology, health information exchange, strategic planning and project management, including more than 30 years of management and operations experience. Debbie has served in many capacities as a consultant. She is currently working as an Interim CIO at Colorado Access and prior to this she served for eight years as VP for Information Technology with Catholic Health Initiatives. For her full bio visit https://www.whittywomen.org/members/2017/10/9/debbie-rieger.
President Elect, Michelle Barker
Michelle is an experienced healthcare IT leader with over 20 years of technology experience. Michelle’s background is in the inpatient hospital sector where she has worked for a diverse set of hospital groups including Stanford Hospital and Clinics, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and Alameda Health Systems. She is currently the IT Director of Applications at Marin General Hospital (MGH) where she specializes in strategic integration and transformation leadership. Michelle joined MGH in 2014 and is responsible for all aspects of the clinical, financial and enterprise application suites. For her full bio visit http://www.whittywomen.org/members/2018/3/23/michelle-barker.
Treasurer, Van Wong
Van has over 15 years of experience in healthcare systems development, project management and technical consultancy. She provides strategic direction for business services staff at San Francisco Health Plan as it relates to overall department goals and objectives that support the plan’s broader organizational initiatives. Leading a team of over 30 employees, Van and her team oversee HIPAA transaction sets, manage care system development and maintenance, data warehousing and analytics, and new product and program implementation. For her full bio, please visit https://www.whittywomen.org/members/2017/10/9/van-wong-mha
Mentor Program Lead, Lisa Grisim
Lisa has been at Stanford University Medical Center for over 30 years and has spent the last 20 years in the field of IT specializing in the implementation and optimization of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs). She helped lead the development and adoption of LEAN tools and techniques within her organization. Her most recent EMR implementation resulted in Stanford Children’s Health and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford attaining HIMSS Stage 7 of the EMR Adoption Model in both inpatient and ambulatory care. This past year her organization was also awarded the prestigious HIMSS Davies Award for the use of EMR data to improve quality and outcomes, enhance patient safety, and decrease costs. In her current role as Vice President and Associate Chief Information Officer, Lisa leads a team of over 140 staff and consultants managing all clinical and revenue cycle applications for the organization, imaging services, the PMO, as well as clinical technology and biomedical engineering. Lisa earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of San Francisco and her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of California, San Francisco.
About the WHIT Board
Founded in 2015, WHIT (Women in Healthcare Information Technology) is a volunteer organization comprised of women leaders in healthcare technology. The group shares the common goal to support and empower tomorrow’s women leaders through events, education, community building, mentor programs and networking opportunities. Visit https://www.whittywomen.org/ for more information.
Media Contacts:
Janet Hohmann
415-240-6904
leadership@whittywomen.com
