College of Healthcare Information Management Executives

College of Healthcare Information Management Executives
Formation	1992
Type	Healthcare Association
Headquarters	Ann Arbor, Michigan
Membership	more than 1,400
President and CEO:	Richard A. Correll
Website	http://www.cio-chime.org

The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is the professional organization for chief information officers and other senior healthcare IT leaders. CHIME enables its members and business partners to collaborate; exchange ideas and technology information; develop professionally; and advocate the effective use of information management to improve the health and healthcare in the communities they serve.

CHIME is directed by an elected 12-member board composed of leading CIOs and CHIME Foundation representatives.

CHIME History

CHIME was founded in 1992 with the dual objective of serving the professional development needs of healthcare CIOs and advocating the more effective use of information management within healthcare.

CIO Membership

Currently, CHIME has more than 1,400 members across the globe.

Members of CHIME are the highest ranking IT executives within their healthcare organization or facility. While the majority hold the CIO job title, having that title is not a requirement for membership as long as they have equivalent job responsibilities.

A typical CHIME member oversees the information services department and chairs the information technology steering committee within their organization. Additional responsibilities often include telecommunications, medical records, and health informatics.

CHIME members represent a variety of provider organizations, including large hospital systems, community hospitals and for-profit hospitals. In addition to CIOs from hospitals, CHIME welcomes all CIOs who are employed by organizations with responsibility for direct patient care, including physician practice groups, clinics, and others.

Healthcare CIOs play a central role in implementing IT systems that digitize patient records to achieve meaningful use of electronic medical records, enabling their organizations to qualify for incentive funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Certification and Education

In July 2009, CHIME launched the Certified Healthcare CIO (CHCIO) Program, the first certification program designed specifically for CIOs and IT executives in the healthcare industry.

The CHCIO Program is a member-led initiative. CHIME members oversee the strategic direction of the program as well as write and review all questions on the CHCIO Examination.

To become certified, candidates must hold a baccalaureate degree, pass the CHCIO Examination, have three years of experience as a CIO or equivalent, and earn a minimum number of Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

Advocacy Leadership and StateNet

CHIME serves as a voice of the healthcare IT executive within the US, informing and influencing public policy leaders and other officials on the role of information technology in transforming the delivery of healthcare, while providing members with the latest information regarding new healthcare IT legislation, regulations and policies, including the recent HITECH legislation, which includes funding for the implementation and meaningful use of electronic health records. Ten CHIME members who belong to a Policy Steering Committee help review proposed federal regulations and rules, and provide direction and comments on regulations impacting the use of IT in healthcare^[1].

In 2009, a network of CIOs across 50 states and the District of Columbia volunteered to form CHIME StateNet. The goal of StateNet is to foster statewide coalitions charged with advancing and standardizing the adoption of health information technology and health information exchange. CHIME StateNet has released, and has presented to the ONC, foundational operating guidelines for RECs and HIEs.^[2]

CHIME Foundation

The CHIME Foundation is a non-profit organization composed of select healthcare IT vendors and professional services firms. CHIME Foundation members benefit from the unique opportunity to partner and collaborate with more than 1,400 CHIME member CIOs.

For more information about the CHIME Foundation, visit: www.cio-chime.org/Foundation

CHIME Publications

CHIME regularly releases opinions, guidance and information on matters of importance to the healthcare IT community. In August of 2010, CHIME issued the CIO's Guide to Implementing EHRs in the HITECH Era, which included best practices and steps health care organizations should take to successfully implement EHRs, from the initial planning stages through the final documentation of results.^[3] Nearly 170 of hospital CIOs were involved in compiling the information included in the guidebook. The complete guide in PDF format is available at the CHIME Web site.

External links

• College of Healthcare Information Management Executives - Official Site

References

1. ^ "Guerra On Healthcare: CHIME Says What It Thinks". Information Week. Feb. 21, 2011. http://www.informationweek.com/news/healthcare/policy/229218997. 
2. ^ "CHIME Releases REC & HIE Operating Principles". HealthSystemCIO.com. Feb. 22, 2011. http://healthsystemcio.com/2011/02/22/chime-releases-rec-hie-operating-principles/. 
3. ^ "IT execs release guidebook on e-health records implementation". Computerworld. August 20, 2010. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9181221/IT_execs_release_guidebook_on_e_health_records_implementation.