HIMSS North America Board Chair Denise Hines received the Woman of the Year in Technology – Small Enterprise Award, from Women in Technology on Nov. 16 in Atlanta. WIT is a group of Georgia companies on the leading edge of science, technology, engineering, art and math industries.

Since July 1, Hines has led the HIMSS North America Board of Directors as board chair. She is executive director of GaHIN and CEO of eHealth Services Group, Georgia Health Information Network & eHealth Services Group.

WIT’s Women of the Year Awards, presented by NCR, celebrates women who are actively engaged in Georgia’s STEAM community with roles in small, medium and large/enterprise organizations.

Hines has been instrumental in advancing healthcare connectivity in Georgia, ensuring physicians have the information they need to deliver quality care. Through her work at the local, state and regional level, Dr. Hines has improved technology adoption and advanced its exchange. This has directly contributed to Georgia’s ranking as the nation’s health IT capital.

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Hines heads eHealth Services Group and also serves as the Executive Director of Georgia Health Information Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a healthier Georgia by facilitating the use and secure exchange of electronic health information so providers have the information they need at the point of care. The result is improved quality of care, better health outcomes and reductions in cost.

As executive director of GaHIN, Hines has connected the state health information exchange to two national networks for information exchange, made Georgia one of the first state HIEs to connect directly to other states, created connections with five state agencies and spurred participation in the HIE by Grady, CHOA, Emory and numerous other state hospitals and healthcare providers.

Hines holds a doctorate degree in healthcare administration where she focused her studies on the use of electronic personal health records and the impact on patient health. She also maintains certifications in project management, software development and healthcare law.

She is married to Wiley Earl Hines, Jr. and a mother of seven children: Crystal, Candice, Sydney, Quincy, Gabriel, Madison and Wiley Earl Hines III (Trey).

Twitter: @Bernie_HITN
Email the writer: bernie.monegain@himssmedia.com