We Are HIMSS Member Spotlight: Elizabeth A. Regan

At HIMSS, our members are the heart of our organization, made up of more than 100,000 individuals, 480 provider organizations, 470 non-profit partners and 650 health services organizations. Because their contributions are essential to our success, we seek to recognize their many accomplishments across title, worksite, region and career stage. Today and every day, we celebrate the essential endeavors of these health information and technology changemakers. #wearehimss

 

Elizabeth Regan is a former member of the HIMSS Innovation Committee.

Elizabeth A. Regan, PhD
Department Chair, Integrated Information Technology
Professor of Health Information Technology
University of South Carolina 

What is a collaboration that makes you proud?

I had the opportunity to serve two years on the HIMSS Innovation Committee. I met leaders working at the forefront of change, worked on exciting projects, and participated in planning two HIMSS preconference innovation workshops. I also had the opportunity to be a presenter for a HIMSS16 session on healthcare transformation.

What is one of the biggest challenges you’ve encountered? How did you overcome it?

I had to fund my education by depending on scholarships, workshops, and multiple part-time or temporary jobs. I had to take a few breaks to work, then go back to school. I was fortunate to be a straight-A student, even while managing my PhD and three children. I always received a lot of encouragement from professors and mentors, and my husband was very supportive.

What advice do you have for someone who is considering a career in health information and technology?

I advise prospective students that the healthcare industry is an exciting place to be with unprecedented opportunities to make a difference. It is undergoing tremendous change, which they can anticipate continuing into the near future. I stress that it is essential to gain skills and experience in a broad range of technologies, but equally important to have a deep understanding of the healthcare delivery system, opportunities and challenges of implementing technologies on the frontlines of patient care.

If you could time travel, where would you go?

I would go 25 years into the future to see where healthcare transformation has taken us. I think that care delivery in health information and technology is currently much closer to the Wright Brothers' plane than it is to today's jet aircraft. We have a long way to go.

What is your favorite book, film or song?

My current favorite book is "The Innovator's Prescription: A Disruptive Solution for Healthcare" by Clayton Christensen, et al. It helps the reader look at healthcare delivery through a different lens.