HIMSS Celebrates the 2026 Changemaker in Health Award Recipients



HIMSS is thrilled to celebrate and honor the exceptional individuals who are driving positive change within the global health ecosystem as 2026 awardees of the prestigious HIMSS Changemaker in Health Award.

The HIMSS Changemaker in Health Award celebrates inspirational and innovative healthcare leaders for their relentless pursuit to improve care by harnessing the power of information and technology.

  • Chapter Advocate (Volunteer) Award

    Stephanie Broderick

    SVP, Provider Solutions

    Clinical Architecture (retired)

    Larkspur, CO

    United States

  • Chapter Leader (Volunteer) Award

    Vitaly Herasevich, MD, PhD, FHIMSS

    Professor of Anesthesiology and Medicine

    Mayo Clinic

    Rochester, MN

    United States

  • CXO Senior Executive Award

    Patrick Bizeau, CPHIMS

    CIO

    Swiss Medical Network

    Genolier, Vaud

    Switzerland

    Kassaundra McKnight-Young, MBA, MSN, RN, NI-BC

    CNIO Healthcare Industry Principal North America

    Zebra Technologies Corporation

    Lincolnshire. IL

    United States

    Mubaraka Ibrahim, MS

    CIO & Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer

    Emirates Health Services

    Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  • Founder Award

    Helen Hill, FHIMSS

    Principal

    The Kiran Consortium Group LLC

    Ann Arbor, MI

    Gayle Harrell

    Florida State Senator

    Stuart, FL

    Dianne Primavera

    Colorado Lieutenant Governor

    Denver, CO

  • Global Patient Innovator Award

    John Paganini, MBA, CPHIMS

    President

    Paguar Informatics, Inc.

    Cleveland, OH

    United States

    Farhana Alarakhiya

    Chief Data Innovation Officer

    The Aga Khan University University Centre

    Nairobi, Kenya

  • Health Equity Award

    Hannah Galvin, MD, FAAP, FAMIA, CHCIO, CDH-E

    Chief Health Information Officer

    Cambridge Health Alliance

    Cambridge. MA

    United States

    Robert Coffey

    Clinic Director

    Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma - Perkins Family Clinic

    Sapulpa. OK

    United States

  • John A. Page Distinguished Fellow Award

    Cedric Truss, CPHIMS, FHIMSS

    Chair of Department of Health Sciences and Clinical Associate Professor Informatics

    Georgia State University

    Atlanta, GA

    United States

  • HIMSS Partner Award: HIMSS-ACCE Excellence in Clinical Engineering and Information Technology Synergies Award

    Samantha Jacques, PhD, AAMIF, FACCE

    Vice President, Corporate Clinical Engineering

    McLaren Health Care

    Grand Blanc, MI

    United States

  • HIMSS Partner Award: HIMSS-AMDIS Physician Executive Leader Award

    Deepti Pandita, M.D., FACP, FAMIA

    VP of Informatics and CMIO

    UCI Health

    Laguna Niguel, MN

    United States

  • HIMSS Partner Award: HIMSS-ANI Nursing Informatics Leadership

    Susie Hull, MSN, RN, NI-BC, NEA-BC, FAMIA

    Principal, Consumer Health Informatics

    MITRE Center for Transforming Health

    Windsor, CA

    United States

  • Policy Influencer Award

    Leigh Burchell, FHIMSS

    Vice President, Policy and Public Affairs

    Altera Digital Health, Inc.

    Raleigh, NC

    Brett Meeks

    Vice President of Government Affairs for AI and Health Technology

    Jeffrey J. Kimbell & Associates

    Nashville, TN

    Tapani Piha

    Special Advisor

    Ministry of Social Affairs and Health of Finland

    Dr. Mohammad Al Redha

    Director of the Department of Health Informatics and Smart Health

    Dubai Health Authority

  • Most Influential Women in Health IT Award

    Hiyam Nadel, MBA, RN

    Director, Center for Innovations in Care Delivery

    Massachusetts General Hospital

    Boston, MA

    United States

    Julie Luengas, DNP, MBA, RN, NI-BC, FHIMSS

    Chief Nursing Informatics Officer

    Stony Brook Medicine Information Technology

    Stony Brook, NY

    United States

    Ini Ekiko Thomas

    Vice President Information Technology and Innovation

    Memorial Hermann Health System

    Houston, TX

    United States

  • Veterans’ Health Award

    Sepi Browning, CPHIMS, FHIMSS, FACHE, CHCIO

    Director of Technology

    Piedmont HealthCare

    Grayson, GA

    United States

  • Join Us as We Reimagine Health Through Information and Technology

    At HIMSS, our vision is to realize the full health potential of every human, everywhere. Be part of the community that’s transforming the global health ecosystem with courage, curiosity and determination.