Annual Conference Speakers
Bonnie Arze, MD
VP Physician Quality & Performance Excellence/CMIO, Adventist HealthCare
LinkedIn
Dr. Bonnie Arze is vice president of physician quality and performance excellence services and chief medical information officer at Adventist HealthCare. She joined the organization in 2010 and has played a key role in its digital transformation.
With 23 years of experience in electronic health records, Arze is a recognized leader in clinical informatics and healthcare quality improvement.
She earned her medical degree from the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland, and completed her family practice residency at Malcolm Grow Medical Center at Andrews Air Force Base. She is board-certified in both family medicine and clinical informatics.
Arze is passionate about using health IT to improve clinical quality and patient safety.
Session: Clinical Workflow Innovation In Your Electronic Health Record
Craig Behm
President & CEO, CRISP
LinkedIn
Craig, president and CEO, is the lead executive responsible for developing and executing the strategic plan, ensuring strong financial controls, and delivering high-quality services. He focuses on driving interoperability and innovation by expanding health data utilities through CRISP and member health information exchanges across the country. He manages the senior team with an emphasis on fostering collaboration while advocating for the mission, vision, and values of both CRISP and CRISP Shared Services.
Craig is also an instructor in the University of Maryland, Baltimore County master’s program in health information technology. Before supporting health IT efforts, he led the startup and operations of three physician-led, Advance Payment Medicare Shared Savings Program accountable care organizations. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Loyola University.
Sessions: Shaping the Future of Healthcare Interoperability AND Exploring Maryland's Top Cyber Unknowns
Carl Behnke
Cybersecurity Specialist, Calvert Health
LinkedIn
Carl Behnke is an experienced IT professional with 20 years in the field, including three and a half years in health care. He currently serves as the cybersecurity specialist at CalvertHealth, focusing on critical infrastructure security—a specialty he has maintained for the past 13 years.
Before joining CalvertHealth, Behnke worked in the electrical utility sector, where he protected grid devices and applied core cybersecurity principles—skills he now brings to the health care environment.
A U.S. Air Force veteran, he holds a Master of Science in cyber operations from the University of Maryland Global Campus.
Session: Exploring Maryland's Top Cyber Unknowns
Delegate Bonnie Cullison
Vice Chair, Health and Government Operations Committee
Maryland General Assembly
KEYNOTE
Chris DeRienzo, MD
Chief Physician Executive, American Hospital Association
LinkedIn
Dr. Chris DeRienzo is a nationally recognized physician leader, health advocate, and fitness enthusiast dedicated to transforming healthcare and inspiring wellness. As Chief Physician Executive of the American Hospital Association (AHA) and President of its Health Research & Educational Trust, he drives national initiatives to improve healthcare delivery, strengthen hospitals, and foster innovation.
Author of "Tiny Medicine", Dr. DeRienzo has led advancements in healthcare quality and AI-driven innovation at WakeMed, Mission Health, and Cardinal Analytx. Board-certified in pediatrics and neonatology, he also serves as an Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics and serves on the board of Mednition and is an advisor to Concord Health Partners.
Session: Opening Keynote: Navigating Healthcare's Digital Frontier
Charity Dorazio
VP & CIO, Adventist HealthCare
LinkedIn
Charity Dorazio, chief information officer of Adventist HealthCare, has over 25 years of experience in health information technology across two continents. She leads efforts to maintain the organization’s IT infrastructure, support patient care, streamline operations, and enhance data security.
Dorazio began her health IT career in 2006 at the Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County, where she led electronic medical record (EMR) transitions and deployed analytics tools to improve outcomes. She joined Adventist HealthCare in 2015 as director of ambulatory systems, where she implemented an EMR for ambulatory practices and advanced the health system’s interoperability strategy. She was promoted to assistant vice president of applications, integrations, and data, later serving as deputy CIO before assuming her current role.
Dorazio is co-chair of Mercy Health Clinic in Montgomery County, Maryland. She previously worked in Ireland as a solutions architect for Ericsson Systems. She lives in Montgomery County with her husband and two sons.
Sessions: Disruptive Technologies and Innovation Driving Patient and Provider Value AND Closing CIO Panel
Nicole D'Uva
Assoc. VP, Human Resources & Employee Health, Adventist HealthCare
LinkedIn
Nicole D’Uva is the associate vice president of human resources and employee health at Adventist HealthCare. She leads a comprehensive portfolio that includes a robust suite of benefits, occupational health, workers’ compensation, and a nationally recognized well-being and employee assistance program.
Widely respected for her ability to lead with both vision and execution, D’Uva has successfully aligned multiple employee health functions to create a continuum of care that enhances workforce safety and engagement.
She holds an MBA from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Science in exercise science from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. She is also certified in labor relations through Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations and is a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.
Passionate about continuous learning and purpose-driven leadership, D’Uva is committed to building workplace cultures where people thrive.
Session: Compassionate Leadership: Navigating A Safe and Healthy Workplace
David Graham, MD
VP & CMIO, LifeBridge Health
LinkedIn
Dr. Graham’s vision is to improve health through innovation in health care delivery and technology. His interests emphasize process improvement and high-quality, patient-centered care through information technology systems and support. He is an experienced clinician and informaticist with more than 25 years of experience in health IT and medical education.
Dr. Graham joined LifeBridge Health in November 2022 as the chief medical information officer, with a focus on improving electronic health record functionality and usability through innovative technologies and artificial intelligence. Since joining LifeBridge, he has restructured informatics teams across all clinical disciplines, initiated new governance processes for AI in health care, and improved user satisfaction with the EHR.
He earned his medical degree from the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in 1995. He completed a family medicine residency at Oregon Health & Science University in 1998 and a faculty development fellowship at the University of Washington in 1999. Dr. Graham practiced in rural eastern Oregon for five years before joining the faculty at the University of Colorado in 2004.
In 2008, he joined the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine’s Department of Family and Community Medicine, where he practiced and taught both ambulatory and acute care, focusing on FQHC populations, women’s health and obstetrics.
That same year, Dr. Graham also joined Memorial Health System in Springfield, Illinois, where he served as chief information officer and chief medical information officer from 2008 through 2019, and as chief quality and innovation officer from 2019 to 2020. In these roles, he led all strategic and operational facets of information technology and clinical informatics for the health system.
Session: Disruptive Technologies and Innovation Driving Patient and Provider Value
Deanna Hanisch
VP Health IT, Johns Hopkins Health System
LinkedIn
Deanna Hanisch is vice president of health information technology. In this role, she brings together the clinical and patient administrative IT teams to better coordinate and deliver software solutions and services for Johns Hopkins patients, clinicians and staff.
She previously served as senior director of the Epic project team, leading the planning and execution of new health IT projects and advancing the central data warehouse.
Before joining Johns Hopkins Medicine in 2016, Hanisch was an implementation lead at Epic for nine years and held various roles, including leading the Johns Hopkins Medicine Epic implementation across the regional enterprise.
She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northwestern University.
Session: Closing CIO Panel
Vishal Jain
Associate CIO, Univ. of Maryland Medical System
LinkedIn
Vishal Jain is the associate chief information officer for the University of Maryland Medical System, bringing more than 20 years of experience in healthcare technology leadership. He focuses on using innovation to drive operational excellence and improve patient outcomes, leading strategic initiatives in clinical information systems, digital transformation and technology interoperability. His collaborative leadership style fosters teamwork across departments to ensure seamless integration of tech solutions that support the system’s mission of delivering high-quality patient care.
In addition to overseeing a 700-plus-person IT organization, Jain has helped build the system’s first Center for Technology Innovation. The center takes a workflow-driven approach to solving complex healthcare integration challenges. By combining clinical and technical expertise, his team has developed software solutions that significantly enhance both clinician and patient experiences.
Before joining the University of Maryland Medical System, Jain held leadership roles in healthcare IT, including at LSU Health, where he supported the integration of 10 hospitals across the state following Hurricane Katrina. He was also a senior leader at Epic Systems, implementing integrated EHR systems at major academic hospital systems.
Jain’s deep understanding of the healthcare landscape and his technical expertise allow him to deliver forward-thinking solutions for a rapidly evolving industry.
Session: Disruptive Technologies and Innovation Driving Patient and Provider Value
Elizabeth Kromm
Asst. Secretary, Population Health & Strategic Initiatives, MD Dept. of Health
LinkedIn
Elizabeth Edsall Kromm, Ph.D., M.Sc., is the assistant secretary for population health and strategic initiatives at the Maryland Department of Health. In this role, she serves as the primary adviser to the secretary on population health improvement and management strategies. She also leads high-priority initiatives for the department and works to bridge gaps between upstream interventions and the clinical delivery system.
Previously, she led the department’s Prevention and Health Promotion Administration—the largest component of public health services in Maryland—with more than $600 million in funding. Her portfolio included chronic disease, maternal and child health, infectious disease prevention and outbreak response, and environmental health.
Before joining state government, she served as vice president of population health and advancement for Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center, where she led population health, community engagement, and strategic planning. She also served as vice president of development and chief operating officer for the Howard Hospital Foundation.
Dr. Edsall Kromm’s prior roles include policy director for Howard County Government, senior officer at The Pew Charitable Trusts, senior adviser and bureau director with the Howard County Health Department, and program manager at the American Cancer Society.
She holds a doctorate in health policy and management from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she is an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Health, Behavior and Society. She also holds a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
Session: Shaping the Future of Healthcare Interoperability
Tom Leary
Senior VP and Head of Government Relations, HIMSS
LinkedIn
Tom is Senior Vice President and Head of Government Relations at HIMSS, where he leads digital health policy strategy, government engagement, and member advocacy. He directs a team focused on legislative and regulatory analysis, aiming to advance HIMSS’s mission: realizing the full health potential of every human, everywhere.
He also serves as Executive Director of the HIMSS Foundation, supporting public policy education, academic scholarships, and partnerships that promote access and inclusion in healthcare.
Since joining HIMSS in 2003, Leary has held multiple leadership roles, including senior director of federal affairs, where he oversaw key policy work with agencies like the DoD and VA. Before HIMSS, he managed healthcare outsourcing projects at SAIC’s TRICARE division and held several policy roles at the Department of Defense and on Capitol Hill, including as a political appointee in the Clinton administration.
Leary teaches medical informatics at GWU and has served in community leadership roles. He holds a master’s in legislative affairs from GWU, a bachelor’s in history and political science from Rutgers, is a Certified Association Executive (CAE), and completed Georgetown’s Executive Leadership program.
A proud New Jersey native, Tom lives in Falls Church, VA with his wife Day and their sons, Jackson and Marcus.
Session: The Evolving Federal Landscape: An Open Discussion on Healthcare and Health IT Impacts
Scott MacLean
Senior VP & CIO, MedStar Health
LinkedIn
Scott MacLean is senior vice president and chief information officer at MedStar Health, overseeing Information Services (IS) and Clinical Engineering across clinical, research, academic, and administrative functions. His responsibilities include informatics, applications, integration, infrastructure, security, and telecommunications, while collaborating on technology solutions with Digital Transformation, MedStar Institute for Innovation, and Performance Improvement and Analytics teams.
MacLean joined MedStar Health with more than 25 years of IT experience, beginning his career at General Electric. He previously served as deputy CIO and vice president of IS Operations at Mass General Brigham, CIO at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, and director of Clinical Systems at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
He is board chair for CRISP Shared Services, a board member of CHIME, and a former board chair of HIMSS. A recognized speaker and author on healthcare technology, he has presented across the U.S., Middle East, and Asia.
MacLean holds a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Clemson University and an MBA in healthcare management from Boston University. He is a CHIME Certified Healthcare CIO (CHCIO) and a Lifetime Fellow of CHIME (LFCHIME).
Session: Shaping the Future of Healthcare Interoperability AND Closing CIO Panel
Matt MacVey
Executive VP & CIO, Children's National Hospital
LinkedIn
Matt oversees enterprise-wide information and digital strategy, applications, technology infrastructure, operations, biomedical services, and cybersecurity. He also leads investments in data, analytics, and artificial intelligence.
In 2020, CHIME and the AHA named Matt Transformational Leader of the Year for advancing IT with measurable business value. He also received the 2022 Capital Region Enterprise CIO of the Year ORBIE award.
Since joining Children's National Hospital in 2016, Matt has driven strategic technology planning, operational improvements, and cybersecurity risk management. He implemented an IT governance process to better allocate resources, enhance digital engagement, modernize infrastructure, and optimize EHR workflows. Most recently, he established an enterprise data, analytics, and AI strategy, recruiting the hospital’s first chief data and AI officer.
With more than 20 years in healthcare IT, Matt spent 18 years at Cerner Corporation, leading clinical and revenue cycle system deployments.
He holds two master’s degrees from Cornell University—an MBA from the Johnson School of Business and a master’s in healthcare leadership from Weill Cornell Medicine—as well as a B.A. in political science from Creighton University.
A Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) and a certified CIO through CHIME, Matt regularly speaks at industry events, including ACHE, CHIME, HIMSS, and the Scottsdale Institute.
In the D.C. region, he chairs the Healthcare Council’s IT division, organizing quarterly CIO meetings, and serves on the CapitalCIO Advisory Board.
Sessions: Analytics Innovation with Quality and Trust: A Journey and Lessons Learned AND Closing CIO Panel
Brandon Massie
Dir. of Workforce Health Consulting, Kaiser Permanente
LinkedIn
Brandon proudly leads the Workforce Health Consulting team for Kaiser Permanente, bringing over 20 years of expertise in Health & Wellbeing. He has a deep passion for supporting organizations and individuals in creating a supportive culture around health and wellbeing. As a dedicated mentor and leader, Brandon has helped empower thousands of organizations to drive the human element of a workforce into improving their quality of life. Outside of the office, he values quality time with his family and stays active with his children, showing his commitment to a balanced life.
Session: Compassionate Leadership: Navigating A Safe and Healthy Workplace
Mike McLaughlin
Head of AI & Advanced Analytics, Children's National Hospital
LinkedIn
Mike is the head of AI/ML & Advanced Analytics at the Children’s National Hospital in Washington DC. At Children’s he leads the team responsible for developing, monitoring, and maintaining custom AI/ML applications in addition to supporting AI governance and upskilling initiatives. He’s spent his entire career in the healthcare industry emphasizing AI and advanced analytics. His prior experiences include leadership roles at Monogram Health, Exact Sciences, and Elevance. He’s also a near life-long Maryland native who grew up in Montgomery County before graduating from the University of Maryland.
Session: Analytics Innovation with Quality and Trust: A Journey and Lessons Learned
Jeff Ostrow
Director, Training & Development, Johns Hopkins
LinkedIn
Jeff Ostrow, MSIT, PMP, is the director of training and development at Johns Hopkins University, where he oversees a team of education professionals.
He has more than 30 years of experience in education and information technology, including leadership roles at several organizations, most notably the University of Maryland Medical System and Johns Hopkins Medicine. He is a board member of Maryland HIMSS and co-chair of the Maryland HIMSS Professional Development Committee.
Ostrow earned a Bachelor of Science in information systems management from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and a Master of Science in instructional technology from Towson University. He became a Project Management Professional in 2010.
He is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Stevenson University, and the Community College of Baltimore County, where he teaches IT, project management, and health IT courses.
Session: Mastering Digital Project Management to Maximize Efficiency
Michael Prakhye
CISO, Adventist HealthCare
LinkedIn
Michael Prakhye is the chief information security officer and director of information security at Adventist HealthCare. He holds a master’s degree in cybersecurity and an MBA from the University of Maryland, as well as executive certificates in healthcare leadership and change management from Cornell University.
Prakhye also holds industry certifications, including Project Management Professional, Certified Chief Information Security Officer (C|CISO), ITIL, and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).
With 20 years of experience in healthcare and the Department of Defense, Prakhye specializes in information security, healthcare compliance, risk management, and privacy. He is committed to safeguarding patient data while balancing security with operational efficiency.
Session: Exploring Maryland's Top Cyber Unknowns
Janet Rathod
VP & CISO, Johns Hopkins Univ. and Medicine
LinkedIn
Janet Rathod currently serves as vice president and chief information security officer at Johns Hopkins University and Medicine. In this role, she oversees information security governance, risk assessment, policy development, compliance, education, incident response, and security operations.
Before joining Johns Hopkins, Rathod was the global head of cyberthreat intelligence at Citigroup, where she led multiple global teams performing technical and strategic cyber analysis to drive defensive controls and mitigate emerging threats. She also served as a key leader in external cyber engagement.
Prior to Citigroup, Rathod was senior director of cyber operations and intelligence at Capital One Financial Corp., where she created and led cybersecurity functions with firmwide scope and impact.
She also served for 16 years with the FBI, where she was a member of the Senior Executive Service, overseeing the intelligence program across 56 field offices and four operational divisions.
During her tenure with the FBI, Rathod was an adjunct faculty member for counterterrorism at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. There, she completed overseas assignments supporting the FBI’s counterterrorism division by helping build its information-sharing component. She also led intelligence training programs for Fortune 500 companies, including the Walt Disney Co., Sony Electronics, and Western Union.
Rathod holds a master’s degree in public administration from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Nebraska Wesleyan University. She studied abroad at the American University in Cairo and Gujarat University in Ahmedabad, India. She was a Public Policy and International Affairs Fellow and a Presidential Management Fellow. Rathod also served on the board of directors at the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA).
Session: Exploring Maryland's Top Cyber Unknowns
Jackie Rice, BSN, RN
VP & CIO, Frederick Health
LinkedIn
Jackie Rice, BSN, RN, is the vice president for information technology and chief information officer at Frederick Health. She leads the development of an innovative, secure information technology environment that supports governance, cybersecurity, digital innovation, population health, and IT protocols.
With a 20-year background in nursing, Rice transitioned to information services to leverage her clinical experience in developing processes and solutions that support the workflow needs of nurses and clinicians.
Rice also serves on the Maryland HIMSS Board of Directors and is a member of the Governance Committee. She is committed to advancing Frederick Health’s mission to positively impact the well-being of every individual in the community.
Session: Closing CIO Panel
April Saathoff, DNP
VP & CNIO, Johns Hopkins Hospital (EPIC)
LinkedIn
April Saathoff is vice president and chief nursing information officer at Johns Hopkins Health System and adjunct faculty at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. She has 24 years of nursing experience, including 21 years in nursing informatics.
Saathoff is certified in healthcare information management systems and nursing informatics. She served as president of the Maryland chapter of the American Nursing Informatics Association through 2020 and received the Zynx Clinical Improvement Through Evidence Award in 2015. She is also a peer reviewer for Applied Clinical Informatics and has authored numerous presentations and publications on healthcare technologies.
Her expertise spans large- and small-scale healthcare technology implementations, strategic planning, nursing EBP and research projects, innovative technology adoption, workflow redesign, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Session: Clinical Workflow Innovation In Your Electronic Health Record
Lauren Small, BSN, RN
IT Director of Applications, Frederick Health
LinkedIn
Lauren Small, MBA-ITM, BSN, RN, is the IT director of applications at Frederick Health. She began her career at Frederick Health in 2000 as a pediatric RN. In 2002, she joined the newly formed EMR team to build pediatric RN documentation in MEDITECH as part of the organization's transition from paper to online nursing documentation.
Over the next 23 years, she advanced through roles including MD/RN MEDITECH trainer, senior analyst, manager of clinical applications, and ultimately IT director of applications. A Six Sigma Green Belt, she currently oversees all clinical, HIM, and MIS applications, as well as user accounts.
Session: Clinical Workflow Innovation In Your Electronic Health Record
Michael Widerman
Director IT Security, Frederick Health
LinkedIn
Mike began his career in health IT in 2014 while working for the Maryland Health Information Exchange, CRISP. While there, he oversaw the security, privacy and compliance programs and helped CRISP achieve HITRUST and EHNAC certification.
He later served as chief information security officer for Luminis Health, which includes Anne Arundel Medical Center and Doctors Community Medical Center.
He has held his current role at Frederick Health since 2022, helping build a security-first foundation that also supports the operational needs and future goals of the health system.
Session: Exploring Maryland's Top Cyber Unknowns