Ellicott City, Maryland (December 2, 2019) – The Maryland Chapter of the Health Information Management System Society (Maryland HIMSS) presented the 2019 Extraordinary Women Leaders in Health IT Award during a special ceremony and reception following the December 2^nd, 2019 Fall Educational Event held at the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City, MD. The call for nominations sought female nominees who currently serve in leadership roles in Maryland healthcare and who effectively demonstrate leadership in improving the delivery of healthcare using information and technology solutions within their organizations and beyond.

Lindsey Ferris, DrPH, MPH, Program Director HIE Projects at CRISP – Maryland’s State-Designated Health Information Exchange – and Senior Director at Audacious Inquiry Inc., was recognized for her transformational leadership in advancing the use of health information exchange to support public health initiatives and for her dedication in mentoring women in the industry.

“This year’s nominees were exactly the women leaders we were hoping to recognize. It was challenging to select just one recipient; however, our team determined that Dr. Ferris was the perfect awardee this year,” said Dr. Ross Martin, Chair of Member Engagement and Board Member at Maryland HIMSS, and President of 360 Degree Insights, LLC. “Dr. Ferris truly demonstrates the powerful impact that women who are dedicated to advancing healthcare through information technology can achieve when they assume leadership roles. I have had the privilege of working closely with Lindsey at CRISP for more than four years and have seen firsthand how she has shepherded innovations in making vital services available – like delivering the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program controlled substances prescription data into the clinical workflow for tens of thousands of Maryland prescribers and pharmacists to address the opioid epidemic. This program and many others she leads have been recognized nationally as transformational advances that others are now emulating.”

“We know that women and other minorities continue to aspire for roles in the boardroom and C-suite and we are delighted to see that trend within the technology industry as well. The HIMSS Women in Health IT is a global roundtable we are pleased to bring to Maryland through this award,” said Kathryn A. Whitmore, President of the Maryland HIMSS Chapter and CEO and Founder of STS Consulting Group. “We embrace the important role of mentoring women leaders – especially in an era where women comprise an ever-increasing proportion of the health IT workforce and continue to add value in filling more positions of leadership and authority. Dr. Ferris exemplifies the qualities of an extraordinary leader and change agent. It is a privilege to recognize her accomplishments. We look forward to continuing this Maryland HIMSS tradition for years to come.”

This is the second year Maryland HIMSS has offered recognition through the Extraordinary Women Leaders in Health IT Award. Tressa Springmann of LifeBridge Health was the inaugural recipient in 2018.

Maryland HIMSS President, Kathryn Whitmore and Chair of Member Engagement, Dr. Ross Martin present Dr. Lindsey Ferris with the 2019 Extraordinary Women Leaders in Health IT Award

Ferris (center) with Maryland HIMSS Board of Directors

Anna Schoenbaum, Jackie Rice, Marianne Berger, Stever Meier, Kathryn Whitmore

Ross Martin, Jennifer Moore, Genevieve Moore, Lindsey Ferris, Ravi Singh, Karen Wilding

About HIMSS

HIMSS is a global advisor and thought leader supporting the transformation of the health ecosystem through information and technology. As a mission-driven non-profit, HIMSS offers a unique depth and breadth of expertise in health innovation, public policy, workforce development, research and analytics to advise global leaders, stakeholders and influencers on best practices in health information and technology. Through our innovation engine, HIMSS delivers key insights, education and engaging events to healthcare providers, governments and market suppliers, ensuring they have the right information at the point of decision. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, HIMSS serves the global health information and technology communities with focused operations across North America, Europe, the United Kingdom, the Middle East and Asia Pacific. Our members include more than 80,000 individuals, 480 provider organizations, 470 non-profit partners and 650 health services organizations.

About Maryland HIMSS Chapter

The Maryland Chapter of HIMSS is the statewide, locally led group of professionals with a focus on information technology in healthcare. With over 2200 members, the chapter provides several educational events and networking forums annually, while regularly convening important industry discussions with local, state and federal agencies. For the last five years, the Maryland Chapter has received the HIMSS Presidential Level designation for Recognition of Advocacy Award.

About Audacious Inquiry
Audacious Inquiry (Ai) is an industry-shaping health information technology and policy company that provides bold solutions for connected healthcare. Nationally recognized for its work to facilitate health data interoperability, Ai is a trusted partner to CMS, ONC, state Hospital Associations and Medicaid agencies across the country. The company delivers a cloud-based software as a service platform that is the catalyst for secure and smart health information exchange among physicians, hospitals, health plans, ACOs, MCOs, and public health agencies across 12 US states. Ai is raising the bar for how health data is shared, managed, and protected.

About CRISP

CRISP is a regional health information exchange (HIE) serving Maryland and the District of Columbia. A non-profit organization advised by a wide range of stakeholders who are responsible for healthcare throughout the region, CRISP has been formally designated as Maryland's statewide health information exchange by the Maryland Health Care Commission.

Health information exchange allows clinical information to move electronically among disparate health information systems. The goal of the HIE is to deliver the right health information to the right place at the right time - providing safer, timelier, efficient, effective, equitable, patient-centered care. In doing so, CRISP offers a suite of tools aimed at improving the facilitation of care for our region's health care providers. For more information about CRISP, visit www.crisphealth.org.