The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society honored Randy McCleese with the organizations' joint 2017 John E. Gall Jr. CIO of the Year award Jan. 15.
Each year, the boards of CHIME and HIMSS collectively select a CIO as the John E. Gall Jr. CIO of the Year who has shown "significant leadership and commitment to the healthcare industry."
Mr. McCleese, CIO of Henderson, Ky.-based Methodist Hospital, was chosen for his commitment to rural healthcare. He helped found the Northeast Kentucky Regional Health Information Organization and serves as a member of the Kentucky Health Information Exchange.
During his career, he has worked with policymakers in Washington, D.C., and various health system executives to bring health IT innovations to small and rural hospitals.
"My sights are set on not just what is going on with technology or in the hospitals," Mr. McCleese said. "Most of those patients can't afford to drive 25 to 30 miles, or they are not able to drive 25 to 30 miles to the next biggest town."
Mr. McCleese joined CHIME in 1998 and has served as a member of the organization's board of trustees, foundation board and policy steering committee. He joined HIMSS in 1997 and served as president of the Kentucky Bluegrass Chapter of HIMSS from 2004 to 2005.