Please join us on January 19th for our first HIMSS NCA Monthly Program of 2023. Hiring and retaining the right people to provide professional approaches to the development, operation, and improvement of healthcare information management systems is always a challenge. With the added challenges of greater expectations for work-life balance, low unemployment, and high inflation, how are the best in the federal government engaging and growing their workforce? Join us for a discussion focused on the challenges, opportunities, and best practices for engaging and developing your health information and health informatics employees and organizations in today's environment.

5:30 - 6:15pm - Networking

6:15 - 6:30pm - Welcome & Announcements

6:30 - 7:30pm - Program

7:30 - 9:30pm - Networking

Location: LMI Building, 7940 Jones Branch Dr. Tysons, VA 22102

Proof of vaccination will be required before admittance into the event.

Speakers:

Colonel (Dr.) Thomas Cantilina, Military Health System (MHS), Chief Health Informatics Officer (CHIO), and the Deputy MHS EHR Functional Champion, Defense Health Agency (DHA)

Col. (Dr.) Thomas J. Cantilina currently serves as the Military Health Systems (MHS) Chief Health Informatics Officer (CHIO) and the Deputy MHS EHR Functional Champion at the Defense Health Agency (DHA). In these roles, he works to integrate the needs of clinicians, healthcare operators, and technologists to increase digital health solution adoption, create a data driven enterprise, and transform care across the MHS, beginning with the implementation of MHS GENESIS.

Previously, Col. Cantilina was the Special Assistant to the AF Surgeon General for Defense Health Management Systems. In this position his duties encompassed a broad set of activities around the implementation of MHS GENESIS to include consultation on system design & configuration, training, data integration, change management and everything else that is needed to help succesfully deploy the new system. His expertise in medical informatics is also frequently utilized such as representing the AF Surgeon General at the National Library of Medicine Board of Regents.

Mr. James Perkins Chief of Staff, Federal Electronic Health Record Management Office

As Chief of Staff, Mr. James Perkins directs all administrative, financial and operational activities for the FEHRM's Director and Deputy Director. He prioritizes critical issues and required information, facilitating efficient decision-making to support the implementation a single, common federal EHR with DOD, VA and USCG. Previously, Mr. Perkins served as the Acting Deputy Program Manager for the DoD Healthcare Management System Modernization (DHMSM) program office. He also served as the U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery's Director of IT Policy and Resource Management and in other Military Health System positions. Mr. Perkins is a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran.

Dr. Susan Coller Monarez, Ph.D., Deputy Director, Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health 

Dr. Susan Coller Monarez is a globally recognized leader with over twenty years of experience in health innovation. She currently serves as the Deputy Director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). ARPA-H supports the development of high-impact research to drive biomedical and health breakthroughs to deliver transformative, sustainable, and equitable health solutions for everyone. 
Prior to this position, Dr. Monarez founded the Center for Innovation at the Health Resources and Services Administration, the largest funder of safety-net health programs in the Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Monarez has also served at the White House as the Assistant Director for National Health Security and International Affairs in the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and as the Director of Medical Preparedness Policy on the National Security Council (NSC). In both White House roles, she led multiple efforts to enhance the nation’s biomedical innovation capabilities. Dr. Monarez has led the development of several Presidential-level national strategies, action plans, and policy directives related to domestic and global health. 
Prior to the White House, Dr. Monarez served in leadership positions at the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA) within the Department of Homeland Security and the Biomedical Advanced Research Projects Agency (BARDA) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In addition to leadership roles within the Federal government, Dr. Monarez has been called upon to serve on numerous advisory panels to include at the National Academies of Science, the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity, and the Federal Experts Science Advisory Panel. Dr. Monarez has also served as the U.S. representative on several international cooperative initiatives including with the European Union, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom in bilateral and multilateral engagements. 
Dr. Monarez was an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy fellow and a research scientist in microbiology and immunology at the University of Wisconsin and at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
 

Moderator:

COL Bobby Saxon, USA (Ret) Former Deputy CIO, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) Office of Information Technology

Colonel Bobby Saxon, USA retired, is the Former Deputy CIO for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) Office of Information Technology. Previously, he served as the CMS Acting Director for Enterprise Preparedness & Response Operations and as the Chief Technology Officer for Healthcare.gov
Colonel Saxon's education includes a MS in Government Information Leadership, with CIO concentration; and a BBA in Management. Additionally, Bobby was the AFCEA Distinguished Graduate from the National Defense University CIO Leadership Development Program.
Colonel Saxon is the recipient of the 2019 FCW Fed 100 award, FedScoop 50 Federal Leadership Award, and the CIO Magazine "Ones to Watch" Award. His military recognition includes the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Combat Action Badge, and Airborne and Air Assault wings.