UNI/CARE Systems executive takes on new HIMSS role

Sarasota, FL — Stephen A. Wood, FHIMSS, a senior vice president with UNI/CARE Systems, Inc., recently was appointed to a new position within the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.

Wood, who has been involved with HIMSS at the national level for several years on both the HIE Steering Committee and the Financial Systems Steering Committee, has turned his focus back to his home chapter, Central and Southern Ohio HIMSS. Wood, a past president and chapter board member, is leading the new ARRA-HITECH Work Group. This group will work on education and communication initiatives related to the development of health information exchanges and regional extension centers in Ohio.

“This new work group will focus on the very important work being done around the development of HIEs and RECs in Ohio,” said Wood, who oversees professional services at UNI/CARE Systems.

HIMSS is a not-for-profit organization that provides leadership for the optimal use of information technology and management systems for the betterment of healthcare.

Last year, Wood was honored with the Spirit of HIMSS award, which recognizes members who exemplify the society’s mission through volunteer efforts within the organization. Wood was honored for his participation in the Quality and Price Reporting Collaborative Work Group. This work group, made up of the Quality and Safety Steering Committee and the Financial Systems Steering Committee, was cited for its work in publishing tools on best practices in leveraging health IT to capture and report pricing and clinical outcomes data.

“We are very proud of Steve and his appointment to this important position,” said May Ahdab, PhD, president and chief executive officer of UNI/CARE Systems. “The society could not have picked a better leader for the new work group than our own Steve Wood.”