Mid-Year 2015-16Join Us as a HIMSS SoCal Chapter Volunteer
by John Risk, Past HIMSS SoCal Board Member
Southern California is one of largest chapters of HIMSS in. Our purpose is to bring health care professionals together to promote the exchange of experiences and knowledge among colleagues and to assist members in their professional growth.
Our chapter’s leaders come from diverse backgrounds, all involved in some aspect of health care information systems and management consisting of professionals from hospitals, clinic organizations, third-party payers, administrators, information technology vendors, nurses, consultants, physicians, and essentially anyone interested in the trends of health care information and management systems.
The Chapter’s eleven member voluntary board relies upon the volunteerism of a number of members serving in various capacities on the Chapter’s many committees (programs, academic alliance, marketing & communications, membership, finance/audit, etc.). Committees meet periodically throughout the year. Additionally, between mid-May and mid-June team leaders assemble as a group to plan events, budgets, topics, and activities for the next fiscal year. The annual leadership meeting builds organizational memory and taps the abundance of experience and new ideas from a wide cross section of the membership.
Good governance takes good people. If you would like to step up your participation in the chapter’s many committees in the coming year, please write to any one of the board members listed at SoCal Chapter Board of Directors. Give your name and contact information, mention the number of year’s you’ve been a Chapter member, and state your interest in Chapter service (board position, committee position, etc.).
As a former Board Member and VP of Finance and Chapter Treasurer, I can attest that service on the Chapter’s leadership committee is fulfilling, inspirational, and educational. Not only does Chapter service strengthen my participation in the organization, it strengthens my character. By giving freely with other hard working professionals, I have become more confident and have enjoyed building many friendships and professional relationships which will last for years to come.
We urge you to make a difference! Step up your participation in the Chapter process and volunteer to make the Chapter more efficient, more responsive, and better able to serve the needs of the membership.
Editor’s note: Besides his Board Officer Position, John has served the Chapter Programs Committee as Budget Coordinator and served the Communications & Marketing Committee to help launch the Chapter’s You-Tube channel by producing many hours of video programming and live webcasts of Chapter events. John has recently moved to Sonoma County (Petaluma) and is owner of a telecommunications consulting company. Many of us on the Board also recognize John as a devoted caregiver for his lovely wife of twenty years who has undergone multiple treatments for breast and skin cancer during the past four years. Recently, doctors are giving the Risk family a thumbs-up for a successful recovery and for a long and happy life ahead!