ANN ARBOR, MI, July 16, 2010 – The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is pleased to announce that Russell P. Branzell, Vice President-IS & Chief Information Officer at Poudre Valley Health System in Fort Collins, CO, is the recipient of the organization’s second annual State Advocacy Award.
Branzell is being recognized for his commitment to the growth and success of state-wide initiatives to bring together stakeholders across Colorado to further the advancement of health information technology.
Branzell organized and led the development of C4, the Colorado CIO Collaborative Committee, a group organized for senior leaders in HIT to work collectively on significant and urgent issues within their state. Additionally, he brought together elements of the Colorado Telehealth Network (CTN), Colorado Hospital Association and Colorado Regional Health Information Organization (CORHIO) in an effort to build a stronger union of CIOs in the state of Colorado.
Branzell also championed the launch of CHIME’s StateNet, an online CIO network intended to enhance communication among healthcare CIOs on important state matters related to the HITECH Act.
As Chair of StateNet, Branzell has helped stimulate growth and activity on the network as well as facilitated future collaborative efforts with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC).
The CHIME State Advocacy Award was created to honor a member for their demonstrated leadership at the state level in educating policy makers on the value of HIT towards improved patient care. Branzell represents one of CHIME’s many dedicated members who have helped the industry by influencing governmental policy and energizing colleagues to follow suit.
