Who Would You Add To This List of Healthcare IT Who’s Who?

I’m a big fan of Marianne Kolbasuk McGee. In case you’re not yet familiar with her work, she’s been a writer for Information Week since 1992 and covers a variety of issues, including IT management, careers, skills, and salary trends.   In other words, all the good stuff!  Marianne’s writing style is straightforward but engaging, so I frequently use her column as a resource when I’m trying to make meaningful use of what the heck’s going on in our industry.  So, being a lover of both lists and Healthcare IT, my interest was piqued when I discovered Marianne’s recent article, “Who’s Who In Healthcare IT?”  Here’s the intro:

“The push toward “meaningful use” of health IT in America’s hospitals and medical practices involves some of the country’s most talented healthcare and technology leaders. InformationWeek Healthcare shines a spotlight on some of those healthcare IT movers and shakers.”

Okay.  So before I give you the link and allow you to cheat look ahead, can you guess who’s on the list?  Unless you’ve just emerged from a coma, you know who the top three are, so let’s get them out of the way:

1.  David Blumenthal, National Coordinator for Health IT:  A given – he’s at the top of everybody’s list, as he should be.  I often wonder if he had any idea what he was in for…

2. John Halamka, CIO At CareGroup, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center:  Another given, he’s also CIO of Harvard Medical School, on numerous boards, heads up several high-level projects, and is an ER doctor in his spare time.  (If the man can mix a decent martini, Marianne, I’d switch him with Blumenthal.)

3.  John Glaser, CEO of the Health Services Business Unit at Siemens: Another given, he’s a founder of CHIME, and has worked alongside Blumenthal and Halamka in various roles and capacities.  (I hear he’s fun at parties – maybe he can answer the Halamka martini question.)

So there you have it, the top three.  The remaining 10 are not quite as “famous,” but their accomplishments and involvements in the transformation of the healthcare industry certainly make them deserving of this place of honor.  Actually, I’m sure it was tough to narrow the field down to “list-worthy” size – so many brilliant and passionate professionals are clearly making a difference as we forge ahead.  Next year, though, I’d like to see more women on the list, so Marianne if you’re listening . . . I may not be able to program myself out of a paper bag, but if you’re looking for movers and shakers, I can mix one hell of a good martini. . .

So what do you think?  Who would you add to the list?