Workforce Development

Bob Dichter, founder and career coach at Phoenix Rising Career Services, recommends that newcomers to the industry determine how their knowledge and experience can apply to healthcare IT and articulate their value clearly.

Debra Beauregard of Rady Children's Health says aligning new technology with a hospital's strategic priorities and ensuring that clinicians understand the digital road map are essential to making hospitals smarter.

Tjasa Zajc, special advisor for HIMSS, says HIMSS25 Europe will bring in government staff to talk about implementing the European Health Data Space and health system leaders to share use cases for AI and digital technology.

According to Julia Zarb, Blue x Blue CEO and founder, embracing complexity, developing strong analytical skills and understanding common sensibilities and values can help newcomers succeed in the health IT field.

David Gibbs, associate professor and chair at Texas State University, says attending his first HIMSS conference led him to volunteer with his local chapter and, eventually, to move from consulting into higher education.

Monae Haskins, senior application analyst at Atlantic Health System is the recipient of the Changemaker Award for health equity. She says it impacted her on a personal level because she grew up in a low-income urban community.

Osama El Hassan, 2025 HIMSS Changemaker Award recipient and cofounder and chair of ZIMAM, recommends that aspiring healthcare IT leaders prioritize education and building relationships with leaders who can offer mentorship.

According to Scott Mattila, COO at Intraprise Health, healthcare leaders seeking to build a strong cybersecurity framework may want to incorporate AI-powered real-time scanning and evaluation.

Tom Leary, HIMSS SVP and head of government relations, details four key areas HIMSS is focused on this year: AI, cybersecurity, digital health transformation and workforce development.  

Angie Cox, CEO and founder of Nautilus Solutions, talks about how AI technology can mask loud alert sounds in hospitals to relieve nurses' alarm fatigue and may soon be able to help with medication management and reconciliation.