WASHINGTON, D.C. — December 12, 2024 —
WEDI, the nation’s authority on efficient health care information exchange, and a statutory advisor to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), proudly announced the winners of its annual awards. These awards honor the extraordinary contributions of industry leaders and the dedication of the organization’s volunteers. Each award was formally presented during the 2024 WEDI Annual Membership Meeting held earlier this week.
“The 2024 WEDI award recipients embody innovation and unwavering commitment to the advancement of health IT. It was our distinct honor to acknowledge these outstanding individuals and organizations for their significant contributions to our organization and the broader Health IT community,” said Charles W. Stellar, president and CEO of WEDI. “Our heartfelt congratulations go out to each of the 2024 award winners. We deeply appreciate their steadfast dedication to fulfilling WEDI's vision and objectives, and their vital role in advancing national health and wellness.”
The award winners included:
Health IT Champion – The Louis W. Sullivan Award – Named in honor of the Honorable Louis W. Sullivan, MD, the former HHS Secretary who was instrumental in the creation of WEDI and initiating our industry’s ongoing commitment to improving health care through the development and deployment of standards for administrative simplification. This award recognizes an individual who has distinguished themselves through their leadership, vision, and achievements in advancing the efficiency of health care. The 2024 Sullivan Award was awarded to Alex Mugge, Chief Health Informatics Officer, and Director of the Health Informatics and Interoperability Group, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Leadership in Volunteerism - The Andrew Melczer Award – Named in honor of the late Andrew Melczer who committed his career to health care and devoted his life to helping, teaching, and sharing with others. This award recognizes an individual who has provided exemplary service by giving their time to WEDI and the health IT industry. Lesley Berkeyheiser, Direct Trust, is the 2024 award recipient.
Innovation in Health IT Award - Recognizes an organization such as a provider, health plan or vendor that has contributed to the advancement of health IT and advancing administrative automation and technology in health care. The 2024 awardee is Massachusetts Health Data Consortium (MHDC).
Distinguished Service – The Steve Lazarus Award Named in honor of Steve Lazarus, PhD, a former WEDI Board Chair and exemplary volunteer. This award recognizes an individual who has provided significant leadership to the fulfillment of the mission, objectives, programs and overall volunteer activities of WEDI through participation in committees, workgroups, PAGs, Board of Directors, and events. The awardee for 2024 is Nancy Spector, American Medical Association.
Excellence in Service Award – This award recognizes individuals who have provided significant leadership to the fulfillment of the mission, objectives, programs, and overall volunteer activities of WEDI through participation in committees, workgroups, Board of Directors, among others. The following are the 2023 recipients of this award:
· Raj Godavarthi, MCG Health
· Janice Karin, Massachusetts Health Data Consortium
· Thanh-Thien Nguyen, Kaiser Permanente
· Arna Meyer, Albion Dental Technology Consulting
· Michael Pattwell, Edifecs
· Danielle Lloyd, America’s Health Insurance Plans
Chair’s Award – This award is presented at the discretion of the WEDI Chair to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment to the advancement of specific WEDI initiatives. The 2023 recipients of this award are:
· Janice Karin, Massachusetts Health Data Consortium
· Rachel Foerster, Rachel Foerster & Associates
· Ferris Taylor, Health Care Executives Group
For more information on the 2024 awardees or on 2024 WEDI educational programming, please visit www.wedi.org.
About WEDI: WEDI was formed in 1991 by then HHS Secretary Dr. Louis Sullivan to identify opportunities to improve the efficiency of health data exchange. WEDI was named in the HIPAA legislation as an advisor to the Secretary of HHS. Recognized and trusted as a formal advisor to the Secretary, WEDI is the leading authority on the use of health information technology to efficiently improve health information exchange, enhance care quality, and reduce costs. With a focus on advancing standards for electronic administrative transactions, and promoting data privacy and security, WEDI has been instrumental in aligning the industry to harmonize administrative and clinical data. For more information, please visit wedi.org.