Indiana Health Information Exchange Names Charles E. Christian as Vice President of Technology and Engagement

Indianapolis, Indiana (April 1, 2015) — The Indiana Health Information Exchange today announced that Charles E. Christian will join the organization as Vice President of Technology and Engagement, beginning May 1, 2015.

Christian brings over 40 years of experience in healthcare, including 26 in the Chief Information Officer (CIO) role. He has served the CIO roles in free-standing medical facilities with over 200 beds in Indiana and Georgia.  As the CIO for 26 years of Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes, Indiana, Christian led the development and implementation of innovative information technology strategies and activities.  Prior to his position with Good Samaritan, Christian worked in healthcare IT for Compucare and Baxter Travenol, in both management and implementation roles.

Christian’s involvement with IHIE dates back to 2010.  It was then, under Christian’s leadership, that Good Samaritan became one of the first 20 hospitals in the state to join the IHIE network. IHIE’s hospital network has since grown to over 100.

“Chuck has a tremendous depth of experience helping healthcare organizations leverage IT to support the needs of providers and to improve patient care,” said John P. Kansky, IHIE President and CEO.  “He is highly respected within the industry and brings with him extensive knowledge of public policy processes and working relationships with government and healthcare IT leaders at the local, state and national level.”

Christian is a charter member and 2015 Board of Trustees Chair of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), the professional organization for healthcare CIOs and other senior healthcare IT leaders whose mission is to educate IT leaders, policymakers and the industry at large about the benefits of digitized healthcare for increased safety, improved care and reduced costs.  In addition, he served as Chairman of the Board of Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) in 2008.

“Indiana’s interoperable EHR system, run by IHIE via the CareWeb application, has stood the test of time with decades of use within emergency departments, inpatient, and outpatient settings,” said Christian.  “IHIE provides a sustainable model that is not found in any other part of the country.  I’m proud to join the IHIE team and eager to support a high-quality, safe and efficient healthcare environment within Indiana.”

In 2010, Christian was recognized by CHIME and HIMSS with the industry’s most prestigious honor; the John E. Gall Jr., CIO of the Year Award.  He was recently honored by the Indiana Chapter of HIMSS with an award in his name; the Charles E. Christian Leadership Award.  He has been recognized by a leading industry publication as a “Top 25 Healthcare CIO to Know”.

Christian is a published author, frequent industry speaker and has served on numerous advisory boards at the state and national level.

About the Indiana Health Information Exchange (IHIE)

IHIE operates the nation’s largest health information exchange, providing a secure, robust and interoperable health information technology network that connects over 100 hospitals, long-term care facilities, rehabilitation centers, community health clinics and other healthcare providers.  IHIE provides the nation’s largest implementation of clinical results delivery in the country (DOCS4DOCS® Service).  The organization supports the Indiana Network for Patient Care, a clinical data repository accessed via IHIE’s CareWeb application.  IHIE also provides Public Health, Transitions of Care and Population Health Management Services.

Charles E. Christian’s bio can be found here