Dive Brief:
- After 22 years leading HIMSS, H. Stephen Lieber announced he plans to retire at the end of 2017.
- During his tenure, HIMSS membership increased from approximately 10,000 to 64,000, and the organization established a presence in 35 countries.
- Egon Zehnder, an international executive search firm, is leading the search for a successor, which is expected to conclude several months prior to Lieber’s departure.
Dive Insight:
The role of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) has grown and evolved significantly since Lieber began heading the organization in April 2000. Due to the strategic importance of IT in healthcare—both in terms of potential benefits and the risks of data breaches—HIMSS has become a key voice in discussions of EMRs, hospital computer systems, clinical communications and related issues.
“I feel that our work at HIMSS has resulted in considerable improvements to the quality of care delivered to patients, to the safety of the treatments they receive and to the value of care provided,” Lieber said.
The search for a successor is expected to conclude before the end of 2017 in order to provide time for Lieber to ensure a smooth transition to the new leadership.