Russell Branzell, president and CEO of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), is being honored for his work in the cybersecurity sector by the Foundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
Branzell is part of the inaugural class of recipients of the Baldrige Foundation Awards for Leadership Excellence, which recognize outstanding leaders in all of the Baldrige Award sectors: Business (Manufacturing, Service, Small Business), Non-profit, Government, Health Care, Education, and Cybersecurity.
“Russ Branzell has been a critical proponent of the development and promotion of Baldrige principles applied to cybersecurity,” said Foundation President and CEO Al Faber, in a prepared statement. “Russ has been an important partner to the Foundation and continues to advocate for widespread adoption of the Baldrige Cybersecurity Excellence Builder.”
“Last year’s WannaCry and Petya cyberattacks underscore how critical it is for all organizations to have a robust cybersecurity program,” Branzell said in a statement. “In healthcare we need to be especially vigilant because it is not only money at stake, but patients’ lives. The Baldrige Foundation provides excellent resources for organizations in any industry to assess and improve their cyber risk management efforts. It is an honor to contribute to this and the many other outstanding initiatives Baldrige offers.”
Prior to joining CHIME as president and CEO in April 2013, Branzell served as CEO of the Colorado Health Medical Group. Prior to that, he was the vice president of information services and CIO at Poudre Valley Health System and the president/CEO of Innovation Enterprises (PVHS’ for-profit information services entity). Before joining PVHS, Branzell was the regional deputy CIO and executive director of information services for Sisters of Mercy Health System in St. Louis, Mo.
The Foundation will present the award during the 30th Annual Quest for Excellence Conference in Baltimore on April 10, 2018.
