The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is a
professional organization
A professional association (also called a professional body, professional organization, or professional society) usually seeks to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals and organisations engaged in that profession, and th ...
for chief information officers and other senior healthcare IT leaders. CHIME enables its members and business partners to collaborate; exchange ideas and technology; 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 16-member board composed of leading
chief information officers (CIOs) and CHIME Foundation representatives.
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.
Membership
Currently, CHIME has more than 5,000 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. Many members are the senior IT executive within a division of a larger organization, such as the CIO of a hospital within a larger healthcare system. Some additional high-level executives, such as division leaders or regional leaders may be eligible, as well.
A typical CHIME member oversees the information services department and chairs the
information technology
Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of Data (computing), data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information te ...
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. Additionally, members may be accepted from other healthcare organizations such as Payers/HMOs, government agencies, state hospital associations, and RHIOs.
Healthcare CIOs play a central role in implementing IT systems that digitize patient records to achieve meaningful use of
electronic medical record
An electronic health record (EHR) is the systematized collection of patient and population electronically stored health information in a digital format. These records can be shared across different health care settings. Records are shared throu ...
s, enabling their organizations to qualify for incentive funding under the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, p ...
.
Certification and Education
In July 2009, CHIME launched th
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. One of the goals of the program is to help healthcare IT executives transition to and through CIO 2.0 to CIO 3.0,
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 unit
A continuing education unit (CEU) or continuing education credit (CEC) is a measure used in continuing education programs to assist the professional to maintain their license in their profession. Continuing education or professional development is ...
s (CEUs) to maintain certification. As of July 5, 2018, there are 408 CHCIOs and 36 CHCIO-Eligible Professionals according to CHIME.
Advocacy leadership and State Net
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.
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 1,800 CHIME member CIOs.
Publications
CHIME regularly releases opinions, guidance and information on matters of importance to the healthcare IT community. In August 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.
Nearly 170 of hospital CIOs were involved in compiling the information included in the guidebook. Th
complete guide in PDF formatis available at the CHIME Web site.
References
External links
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Health informatics and eHealth associations
Health care-related professional associations based in the United States