Electronic Health Reporter

ANN ARBOR, MI and CHICAGO (January 13, 2013) – Edward W. Marx FCHIME, FHIMSS has been selected as the recipient of the 2013 John E. Gall Jr. CIO of the Year Award. Marx is Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Texas Health Resources in Arlington, one of the largest faith-based, nonprofit health care delivery systems in the United States and the largest in North Texas in terms of patients served. He will receive the award at the Annual HIMSS Conference and Exhibition in Orlando on February 25, 2014.

The award, sponsored by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) and HIMSS, recognizes healthcare IT executives who have made significant contributions to their organization and demonstrated innovative leadership through effective use of technology. The boards of directors for both organizations 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.

“This prestigious award is the greatest professional honor I have received. My world is rocked!” said Marx.  “While I am humbled and grateful, this recognition is a collective reflection of Texas Health employees and clinicians, my team, and the unconditional support from my wife Julie.”  

Marx’s distinguished career in the healthcare industry spans 24 years, 16 of which have been spent as CIO.  Concurrent with his career in healthcare, he served 15 years in the Army Reserve, first as a Combat Medic and then as a Combat Engineer Officer.

Marx has been leading Texas Health’s Innovative Technology Services professionals in developing and implementing strategies to enhance the patient and provider experience through the application of IT since 2007. Prior to joining Texas Health, Marx was CIO of University Hospitals Health System of Cleveland. He previously served in a variety of IT leadership roles with health care organizations such as HCA (Tennessee), Parkview Episcopal Medical Center (Colorado) and Poudre Valley Health System (Colorado).

“It is with great pleasure that we are able to recognize Ed with the industry’s highest honor. His renowned career as a healthcare CIO and his record of progressive IT utilization will be valued far into the future,” said CHIME President and CEO Russell P. Branzell FCHIME, CHCIO.  “Ed’s unique leadership style and approach to IT management; combined with his commitment to supporting the value of healthcare IT and promoting its effectiveness as a strategic asset, make him a worthy recipient of this prestigious award.  He is an extraordinarily talented and innovative CIO, and we are thankful for his many contributions.”

Marx has been a CHIME member since 2004 and a member of HIMSS since 1995. He became a HIMSS fellow in 1999 and a CHIME fellow in 2012. Marx has served in volunteer leadership positions for HIMSS at both the chapter and national levels. A popular communicator and educator, Marx is a faculty member of the CHIME Healthcare CIO Boot Camp, as well as a frequent conference speaker for both organizations, blogger, and social media enthusiast. Marx has served as the Texas CIO Coordinator for CHIME StateNet since its inception in 2009 and in 2012 was awarded the organization’s annual State Advocacy Award for his commitment to the growth and success of state-wide initiatives to further the advancement of health information exchange and health IT adoption in his home state of Texas. Marx is also the Governor-appointed Chairman of the Texas Health Services Authority, a role he has served since 2010.

Under his leadership, Texas Health Resources received the 2013 HIMSS Enterprise Davies Award, which recognizes the use of health IT and the electronic health record to improve the health care delivery processes and patient safety, and achieve a demonstrated return on investment.  In addition, the 14 hospitals in the Texas Health system are either at Stage 6 or Stage 7 on the HIMSS Analytics Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model?. Marx serves as reviewer for the conference education sessions and HIMSS Analytics on-site reviewer for verification of Stage 7 hospitals. And he continues to provide his expertise to others as a HIMSS Executive e-Mentor.

“As a HIMSS fellow and health IT leader throughout his career, Ed’s contributions to HIMSS are noteworthy because he has given back to so many people and in so many different ways. All of us at HIMSS congratulate him on his accomplishments and earning this award,” said Carla Smith, MA, CNM, FHIMSS, Executive Vice President, HIMSS.

Branded as one of the top 10 disruptive forces in healthcare, Marx has been nationally recognized by both CIO and Computerworld magazine as one of the “Top 100 Leaders” and the Dallas Business Journal’s “Newcomer of the Year.” Additionally, Marx’s organizations have earned Computerworld’s “100 Best Places to Work,” AHA/Health Forum’s “Most Wired” list, HealthLeaders’ “Marketing Awards,” and InformationWeek’s “Top 500.”

Marx’s academic background includes a BS in psychology and an MS in consumer sciences (business) from Colorado State University.

“We are very proud of Ed for receiving this significant national recognition,” said Douglas D. Hawthorne, FACHE, CEO of Texas Health Resources. “Ed and his skilled team of information technology professionals are absolutely critical in helping our system serve North Texans’ health care needs.”

Tickets for the HIMSS14 Awards Banquet are available. Visit the HIMSS14 registration page or call 866.229.2386 for more information.

About CHIME

The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is an executive organization dedicated to serving chief information officers and other senior healthcare IT leaders. With more than 1,400 CIO members and over 95 healthcare IT vendors and professional services firms, CHIME provides a highly interactive, trusted environment enabling senior professional and industry leaders to collaborate; exchange best practices; address professional development needs; and advocate the effective use of information management to improve the health and healthcare in the communities they serve. For more information, please visit www.cio-chime.org.

About HIMSS
HIMSS is a global, cause-based, not-for-profit organization focused on better health through information technology (IT).  HIMSS leads global efforts to optimize health engagements and care outcomes using information technology. Visit www.himss.org.

HIMSS is a part of HIMSS WorldWide, a cause-based, global enterprise producing health IT thought leadership, education, events, market research and media services around the world. Founded in 1961, HIMSS WorldWide encompasses more than 52,000 individuals, of which more than two-thirds work in healthcare provider, governmental and not-for-profit organizations across the globe, plus over 600 corporations and 250 not-for-profit partner organizations, that share this cause.  HIMSS WorldWide, headquartered in Chicago, serves the global health IT community with additional offices in the United States, Europe, and Asia.