Organizations in the UK and Canada Agree to Open International CHIME Chapters
2.21.2019
Candace Stuart – Director, Communications & Public Relations
CHIME’s international footprint is expanding with the signing of two letters of intent to establish chapters in the UK and in Canada. To date, CHIME has one international chapter fully launched and five in formative stages.
On Feb. 11, CHIME and BCS The Chartered Institute for IT announced that they will work together to provide health IT leaders in the UK with CHIME’s online and in-person educational and networking opportunities as well as accreditation through the international CHIME Certified Healthcare CIO (CHCIO) program. BCS is a membership organization that aims to promote and advance the education and practice of computing for the benefit of society.
Chair of BCS Health & Care Executive Andy Kinnear, in an announcement from the stage during the CHIME HIMSS CIO Forum, described the agreement as a milestone and a sign that more and more healthcare IT leaders are collaborating to advance digital health globally.
The same week CHIME and Digital Health Canada also announced that Digital Health Canada will operate the CHIME International – Canada Chapter through Canada’s Health Informatics Executive Forum (CHIEF). CHIEF brings together more than 150 CIOs and senior healthcare leaders from healthcare delivery, government and private sector organizations across Canada.
CHIEF leaders exchange best practices and share their expertise with government and system stakeholders in setting the agenda for the effective use of digital to improve health and healthcare in Canada. Mark Casselman, CEO of Digital Health Canada, said in a statement that the “partnership strengthens the digital health leadership network between Canada and the U.S.”
CHIME launched the first international chapter in India in 2017. Since then, organizations in Italy, Ireland, the German-speaking communities in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Switzerland, and now the UK and Canada have signed letters of intent to form international chapters.