VA HIMSS is lucky to have some great and talented people that are willing to volunteer their time. We thought you might want to know more about these people, so we've included short biographies on each.
President : Shane Danaher Shane Danaher is Client Services Vice President for DIVURGENT. In this role, he is responsible for developing strategic service offerings, helping healthcare providers understand and follow industry trends, and compete in an increasingly intensive economic environment. Shane brings over eight years of experience to the healthcare technology field and has a proven history of establishing successful relationships with providers and healthcare organizations. Shane's strong technology background combined with a deep understanding of the healthcare market have helped him create solutions for clients that maximize their project successes.
Shane has an Economics degree from Haverford College and an MBA from Virginia Tech. In addition to HIMSS, Shane has been invited to speak regarding industry relevant topics, such as Meaningful Use, to other professional organizations including MGMA, AAHAM, Workshop on Health IT and Economics (WHITE), and regional physician groups.
President - Elect / Organizational Liaison: Kyle Fredette, MBA Kyle Fredette has over eleven years of information technology experience. He is the regional General Manager for Winthrop Resources Corporation, a technology financing specialist with expertise in healthcare. Prior to Winthrop, Kyle served on the board of directors for North Carolina's HIMSS Chapter and managed the Mid-Atlantic territory for Ascom U.S., Inc. He cut his teeth in the information technology arena providing IT Services as a government contractor, with experience in Project Management, Logistics, and Engineering. Kyle received his BBA and BS from James Madison University and MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Treasurer: Christopher Reilly, MHA, CPHIMS Chris is currently the Practice Manager for the Children’s National Specialists of Virginia, LLC. He was recruited to open, operationalize and manage this 20+ physician multi-specialty surgical practice. Formerly, Chris was a business consultant and healthcare operations subject matter expert with Cognizant Technology Solutions, Inc. Cognizant Technology Solutions, Inc. is a global IT company providing outsourcing support and consulting services to various provider organizations. His background includes assisting start ups, payer, provider and physician practice organizations. His information technology expertise includes ICD-10 HIPAA 5010, EHR development, software implementation, business requirements definition and large program management. Prior to joining Cognizant, Chris managed his own consulting firm with offices in Massachusetts and Northern Virginia. His background includes a term at the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, Bon Secours Richmond Health System, and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. Chris received his Master of Health Administration from the Virginia Commonwealth University in 1999.
Secretary: Elizabeth Ikenberry Elizabeth Ikenberry is Medication Process Lead and Senior Pharmacy Solution Architect for Cerner Corporation based in Kansas City, MO. In her role as Pharmacy Solution Architect Elizabeth is currently working with Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA, on their Outpatient Pharmacy implementation as the technical lead for the project. Her responsibilities include design, build, training and conversion for five pharmacies. Elizabeth also serves as the Medication Process Community Lead and in this role she coordinates subject matter experts to present on topics for monthly conference calls with the members of the Medication Process Community worldwide. The calls are designed to share the latest information around corporate updates, code upgrades, future functionality, and other topics that associates bring up for discussion. In this role, Elizabeth also manages a group of ten associates, hires new associates, and ensures the appropriate resources are on site for each client.
Elizabeth has 8 years of experience in healthcare information technology. She graduated from Radford University with a Bachelors of Business Administration in Marketing.
Past President / Board Member: Scott Bateman, PMP®, CPHIMS Scott has worked in Information Systems for over 20 years, with the last 4 years being in the Healthcare IT Industry. He is currently working with Bon Secours Hampton Roads Health System as IS Director of Project Management, where Scott manages a team of project managers with the ultimate responsibility for successful outcomes for their many IS related projects. Scott has earned the PMP® certification from the Project Management Institute, Inc. and is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems and a Six Sigma Black Belt. Scott is an active member of the local Hampton Roads Virginia Chapter of PMI and has held several board positions with the Local Virginia Chapter of HIMSS including President-Elect, Sponsorship Chair and Secretary. Scott holds a BS in Management Information Systems from Old Dominion University and Masters Certificate in IT Project Management from George Washington University.
Board Member: Tom Carr Tom Carr is Senior Vice President of Sales and Emerging Markets at SyCom Technologies. He is focused on solution development and sales for vertical markets, data center solutions, managed services, and customer briefings. Tom has also invested in SyCom and serves as a partner and member of the executive team.
During his 20-year career, Tom's primary focus has been on vertical markets, including healthcare, assisted living, legal, retail, and public sector. Prior to joining SyCom, Tom held a number of sales and sales management positions at Gambro Healthcare and then spent nine years at Cisco Systems where he was a major account manager of the year and Northeast United States Business Development Manager for the Healthcare Vertical Sector. In 1998, as Cisco's second healthcare sales manager, he worked solely with hospitals and his efforts have led to several healthcare best practices being published by Cisco.
In 2007, Tom joined Packet360 as Director of Sales and developed the sales consulting group specializing in vertical markets and advanced technologies. Packet360 was recognized as the 164th fastest growing company in the United States by Inc. magazine during his tenure.
Tom was named James Madison University's Alumni of the Year in 2003.
Program Chair: Ashley G. Clary, MHA Ms. Clary is the Director of Neuroscience at Sentara Healthcare. Her primary responsibilities include the development and management to the strategic plan for Sentara Healthcare Neurosciences Institute which includes neurology, neurosurgical and sleep services. Operationally, she is directly responsible for managing a budget of $20 million across 12 cost centers in 4 hospitals and associated ambulatory care centers. She has been with Sentara Healthcare for 5 years, beginning her career as an administrative fellow. During her fellowship she was involved with several post-acute, health plan and system-wide projects including the development and delivery of home care services to new markets, business analysis of tele-health monitoring, HME bar-coding implementation, and research studies involving RHIO initiatives, board governance, and information system construction cost projections. In May 2007, she accepted a position as an eCare Business Development Analyst in which she worked with several teams throughout the organization in the development of electronic medical record solutions for community providers throughout Hampton Roads. Ms. Clary serves as Past President of HCAT (Healthcare Administrators of Tidewater), a local chapter of American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). Ashley Clary holds undergraduate degrees in Accounting and Finance from Tulane University in New Orleans, LA and a Master's degree in Health Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA.
Sponsorship Chair: Matt Curtin Matt Curtin recently took on the role of a Client Services Vice-President for DIVURGENT. Over the past 5 years, he has been steeped in both payer- and provider-side roles. In his current role, Matt works closely with Healthcare systems to craft unique and creative solutions for initiatives involving systems implementation, Revenue Cycle Management, Clinical Transformation and a variety of strategic, consultative Advisory Services. Prior to DIVURGENT, Matt worked as an Account Manager within TEKsystems’ Healthcare Services division, as an Analyst with Mercer Health & Benefits in their Washington, D.C. office and as a Data Analyst in The University of Virginia Medical Center’s Perioperative Division. He currently lives in Richmond, VA and supports clients on a national basis. Matt is a graduate of James Madison University’s both Health Systems Administration and Business Management programs.
Communication Chair: Kim Hardesty, MBA, CPHIMS, PMP® Kim Hardesty has over 20 years in the healthcare industry including positions within physician practices, hospital and healthcare system environments. The last 15 years have been primarily in the Healthcare IT Industry involving system implementation and management. She earned her PMP certification from the Project Management Institute in 2006. Projects that she is currently managing or completed include the implementation of a consolidation & standardized laboratory information system for fourteen hospital laboratories, implementation of a computerized change management system, implementation of an electronic employee personnel file management system and numerous application upgrade projects. She received her MBA with a concentration in Project Management in 2010 and recently received her CPHIMS certification in January 2011. Kim joined the VA-HIMSS Board in 2009 as their Web/Communication Chair.
Board Member: Blair Hedgepeth Blair Hedgepeth is Manager of Congressional Affairs for HIMSS National and supports all congressional activities. She represents HIMSS at the Congressional Luncheon Seminar Series and the Friday Collaborative Group consisting of representation from many health IT associations. Blair is charged with hosting the HIMSS National Advocacy Day, Advocacy Breakfast at HIMSS Annual Conference, in charge of all Capitol Hill outreach. She is responsible for hosting congressional staff trips to local practices showcasing HIT applications as well as an annual staff trip to the U.S. Conference and Exhibition. Prior to working with HIMSS, Blair worked with the Virginia General Assembly for two years. She is a graduate of Virginia Tech, the University of Connecticut Healthcare Information Technolgoy Certificate Program and is working on her Masters in Public Administration.
Past President/ Membership Chair: Colin Konschak, RPh, MBA, CPHIMS, FHIMSS Colin B. Konschak is the founding Partner of DIVURGENT, and was previously an Associate Partner / Client Services Leader with IBM Global Business Services. He has 18 years of healthcare technology, business operations, organizational leadership and clinical experience. He is a Registered Pharmacist graduating from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and possesses an MBA in Health Services Management from Old Dominion University. Colin is a Six Sigma Black Belt and has worked on numerous process improvement projects during his career, throughout the continuum of care.
Board Member: Jay Napier Jay Napier has 25 years experience in the sales and marketing of electronic communications and life safety systems. He is charged with business development for Communications Specialists’ Health Care division. Communications Specialists has over 20 years of experience in communications and life safety systems and in satisfying the special needs of Hospitals and Assisted Living facilities. Jay also serves on the VONE board. Jay received his early electronics training in the US Navy and holds a BSBA degree from Old Dominion University.
Past President / Chapter Advocacy Roundtable (CAR): Terri Ripley, BS, MIT, CPHIMS Terri Ripley is the Director Systems/Programming and ARRA Coordinator for Centra in Lynchburg, Virginia. Terri has over 24 years of Health IT experience implementing and integrating hospital systems and electronic health records. Ms. Ripley holds a Master of Information Technology from Virginia Tech. Terri also serves as a member of the Virginia Health Reform Initiative Technology Task Force and Virginia’s Health Information Technology Advisory Commission. The Health IT Advisory Commission will support the Commonwealth’s response to federal grant opportunities, and ensure coordination across multiple related areas, including broadband and telemedicine, to maximize the benefits of the funding available to the state.
Past President/ Student Programs Chair: Mike Sanders, MBA Mike has been in the health care industry for over 25 years, starting in the Admissions department at the age of 17. His healthcare background included director and executive positions in hospitals and ambulatory care settings. During that tenure, Mike participated in 8 major information system implementations, including two new start-up hospitals, both of which were hi-lighted in Modern Healthcare as progressive new hospital approaches. Mike is currently the CFO / Director of Professional Services for HealthTek Solutions, Inc, a mid-size healthcare IT consulting firm based in Norfolk. His responsibilities include strategic planning, financial operations, and management of team leads and consultant staff, which brings him in touch with healthcare professionals and IT staff at healthcare institutions all over the country. Prior to joining HealthTek, Mike managed his own small consulting firm, Healthcare Process Management Group, and held positions at the Methodist Heath Care System in Houston, Texas. In addition to his participation in HIMSS, Mike is a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration and a Masters in Business Administration.
Immediate Past President : Reuben Southall, CPHIMS Reuben Southall Jr. MS, CPHIMS is a 20-year veteran of the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System (VCUHS) who had a desire to become involved with HIMSS out of a passion to enhance his professional knowledge and foster a “win – win” situation between VCUHS and HIMSS. In his current roles, Director - Clinical Information System and IT Program Manager, EMR, Reuben has a staff of approximately 30 Application Analysts focused on the support of a suite of Cerner technology solutions. Reuben is a leader within his organization that is often tasked with leading interdisciplinary problem solving teams that include clinicians, healthcare information technology professionals, revenue cycle staff and health system executives.
HIE Chair: David E. Stewart David is a Client Partner at CSC Global Healthcare Services Group offering services to leading provider organizations to improve the health of their communities by further leveraging and integrating technology, data, and resources to produce improved clinical outcomes, increased patient satisfaction, and improved financial results. He has 19 years of healthcare technology, business operations, organizational leadership and clinical experience. David held leadership positions at IBM, Accenture, Capgemini, GE & WebMD where he was responsible for large scale business development, project management, consulting services including EHR/ERP implementation, HIE, legacy support services, ICD-10 remediation, meaningful use attainment, clinical informatics and clinical analytic surveillance systems, Security Services, ACO strategy and planning, and supply chain and revenue cycle optimization engagements to strategic clients within the commercial and federal healthcare industry. David is Six Sigma and Change Acceleration Process (CAP) certified and has worked on numerous strategy and process improvement projects during his career, throughout the continuum of care. Email: David.Stewart@vahimss.org
Past President / Board Member: Laishy Williams-Carlson, CPHIMS Laishy Williams-Carlson serves on the CIO Council for Bon Secours Health System as the Chief Information Officer for Hampton Roads, which is comprised of three acute care hospitals, nursing care centers, and ambulatory sites. In addition to her Hampton Roads CIO role, she heads up the BSHSI Enterprise Application Services Division. Laishy will lead the system-wide implementation of BSHSI’s EHR, launching this summer. She has worked in healthcare finance and I.S. for 22 years in various roles, including: Controller, Director of I.S. and Local System CIO. Laishy has attained CPHIMS certification and is a Six Sigma Black Belt. She has held various Virginia HIMSS Chapter leadership roles, including President, President-Elect, Program Chair, and Communications Chair.
