Sue Schade, chief information officer at University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers, has been named the 2014 John E. Gall Jr. CIO of the Year, an award given each year by CHIME and HIMSS.

[See also: Top 10 women powerhouses in health IT]

Schade has worked in health IT industry for 30 years, and has been a CIO for 15 of those. Prior to joining U-M in 2012, where she guided the deployment of its new electronic health record system, she spent 12 years as CIO at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital, which received national recognition for its Balanced Scorecard initiative – a widely adopted best practice by providers nationwide – under her leadership.

U-M Health System reached Stage 6 on the HIMSS Analytics Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model this past summer. Schade also helped B&W achieve Stage 6 on the EMRAM scale during her tenure there.

[See also: Brigham and Women's CIO heads to U-M]

In 2013, Healthcare IT News named Schade one of its "Top 10 Women Powerhouses in Health IT."

"I am very honored to receive this award," said Schade, in a press statement. "I am passionate about my work in healthcare and IT. With talented and dedicated IT teams over the years, we've been able to make a positive difference in the lives of so many people. I'm happy to be able to give back, both personally and professionally through organizations like CHIME and HIMSS where we are developing the next generation of HIT leaders."

Schade has been a CHIME member since 2000 and is a current member of the CHIME Policy Steering Committee; she is also a CHIME Fellow and served on the CHIME Board of Trustees from 2004 to 2006, in addition to and chairing the CHIME Education Foundation Board from 2006 to 2009.  

A HIMSS Fellow and member of the organization since 2005, Schade served on the HIMSS Advocacy and Public Policy Steering Committee from 2009-2011; she received the New England Chapter of HIMSS CIO of the Year Award in 2011.

"Sue is truly one of the great and influential forces in health IT," said CHIME President and CEO Russell P. Branzell, in a statement. "Her vision and passion for healthcare transformation have made an enduring impact on our industry, and she continues to serve as a vital and credible source of knowledge and inspiration to her peers."

"Sue's ongoing leadership as a CIO, her willingness to give back to the healthcare community, and her commitment to act upon her own values in improving health with IT illustrate why she has been recognized," said Carla Smith, executive vice president, HIMSS, in a statement.

The boards of directors for both CHIME and HIMSS annually select the recipient of the award, which is named in honor of the late John E. Gall Jr., who pioneered implementation of the first fully integrated medical information system in the world at California's El Camino Hospital in the 1960s.

"In every respect, Sue personifies the ideals for which this award was created and the legacy of the man for whom it is named," said Andrew Rosenberg MD, chief medical information officer at U-M Health System, in a statement. "Sue has been instrumental in the reorganization of our information services and has helped to re-shape the two largest state HIE organizations into a cohesive single entity – a task that requires the experience, gravitas and leadership skills gained over the course of her remarkable career."

Schade will receive the CIO of the Year award on April 14 at the 2015 HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition in Chicago.