We’re excited to feature Nour Alkamel, a recipient of the 2026 HIMSS Foundation Professional Certification Grant. In this spotlight, Nour shares her perspective on the value of professional certification and advice for those considering to become HIMSS certified.

Nour Alkamel is a healthcare digital transformation professional whose career has evolved from direct patient care to helping shape how technology can improve healthcare at an organizational level. She began her career as a registered nurse and later moved through clinical education, research, project management, business analysis, consulting, and digital transformation.

Her journey has been guided by one consistent question: “How can we use technology not simply to digitize healthcare, but to make it safer, more efficient, and more meaningful for patients and healthcare professionals?”

Nour holds an MPH with a specialization in Health Informatics. She is also involved with HIMSS as a Certification Ambassador and member of the Global Proposal Review Task Force.

Congratulations, Nour! We at HIMSS are proud to celebrate your achievements and look forward to your continued growth and impact in the field.

For those interested in applying for the 2027 cohort of the HIMSS Foundation Professional Certification Grant be sure to visit the HIMSS Foundation website for more details. The application period is expected to open this Fall. Don’t miss the opportunity to advance your professional journey through HIMSS certification!

HIMSS: How has receiving this grant helped you on your certification journey?

Nour Alkamel: Receiving the HIMSS Foundation Professional Certification Grant felt like recognition of a journey that began in nursing and gradually expanded into research, informatics, project management, consulting, and digital transformation.

Each step helped me connect the clinical, technical, operational, and strategic sides of healthcare. By the time I pursued the CPDHTS certification, I was looking for a framework that could bring these experiences together and strengthen how I approach transformation.

Being selected for the grant gave me added confidence, and earning the certification felt like both an achievement and a responsibility to contribute more meaningfully to healthcare transformation.

HIMSS: What do you hope to achieve in your career with your CPDHTS® certification?

Nour Alkamel: My goal is to help healthcare organizations approach digital transformation in a more mature and meaningful way, not simply to implement more technology.

Throughout my career, I have learned that transformation succeeds when clinical needs, people, processes, governance, technology, and measurable outcomes come together. The CPDHTS certification strengthened this perspective and supports my goal of taking on broader leadership responsibilities.

Looking ahead, I hope to contribute to impactful transformation initiatives in Saudi Arabia and the region, while continuing to learn from global best practices and contribute to the wider digital health community.

HIMSS: What advice would you give others from underrepresented backgrounds pursuing a similar path?

Nour Alkamel: My advice would be do not wait until you feel that your background perfectly matches the traditional profile of the field you want to enter.

My own career did not follow a straight line. I started in nursing and later moved into research, project management, health informatics, business analysis, consulting, and digital transformation.

At different stages, it would have been easy to assume that a nontraditional path was a disadvantage. Instead, I learned that it was one of my greatest strengths. My clinical experience helped me understand healthcare professionals. Research taught me to look for evidence. Project management taught me discipline and governance. Business analysis taught me how to translate needs between stakeholders.

For professionals from underrepresented backgrounds, there may also be barriers such as limited access to opportunities, fewer visible role models, or the feeling that you need to prove yourself more. My advice is to keep investing in your knowledge, seek communities that broaden your perspective, and never underestimate the value of the experience you already bring.

A certification can strengthen your credibility, but your experience, curiosity, and willingness to keep learning are just as important. Your path does not need to look like anyone else's to be valuable.

HIMSS: What excites you the most about being part of the HIMSS community?

Nour Alkamel: What excites me most about the HIMSS community is the opportunity to be part of a conversation that is larger than any single organization, technology, or country.

In digital health, it is easy to become focused on the challenges directly in front of us. HIMSS gives us the opportunity to look beyond that immediate environment and learn how healthcare professionals around the world are solving similar problems in different ways.

My relationship with HIMSS has also evolved. I initially engaged with HIMSS as a professional seeking knowledge and certification. Over time, I began to see the community differently—not only as a place to learn, but also as a place where I could contribute. My involvement as a Certification Ambassador and with the Global Proposal Review Task Force has made that especially meaningful.

I am also passionate about expanding that connection within the Arab region. There is a growing community of healthcare professionals working in digital transformation across Saudi Arabia, the Gulf, and the wider Middle East, and I believe there is real value in making global knowledge and professional-development opportunities more accessible to Arabic-speaking professionals.

Ultimately, what excites me most is that sense of connection, learning from others, contributing what I have learned, and being part of a global healthcare transformation journey.