Session Connector (All sessions)
Susan Heichert, MA, BSN, President, Cedar Isles Organization
As Session Connector, Susan will weave together session themes and topics by asking pertinent questions, sharing her insights and perspectives, and engaging participants. She is the former Chief Information Officer at Allina Health in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Susan is currently consulting in information technology strategy and leadership as President of the Cedar Isles Organization, LLC. She began her professional career in pediatrics/NICU nursing, practicing in Texas and Minnesota, after earning a BS in Nursing from the University of Maryland at Baltimore. Her MA is from the University of Minnesota. Previous positions included working with a start-up IT company as director of nursing informatics, consulting, and systems implementation. Susan is currently vice chair of the HIMSS Board of Directors and a fellow HIMSS member. She has been active with the MN Chapter of HIMSS and the national HIMSS organization since the ‘90s, serving in various positions and on numerous committees and contributing to HIMSS publications. Susan has been recognized as a MN Top 10 CIO of the Year by the Minneapolis Business Journal, as one of the Top 10 Women Powerhouses in Health IT, and as one of the Top Women Dynamos in Health IT by HealthCare IT News, among other awards. She has served as a Community Faculty member for Metropolitan State University (St. Paul, MN), was on the board of Senior Community Services, and volunteers with various community groups.
Session 1 – AI and Health Equity
Presenter
Maia Hightower, MD, MPH, MBA, CEO, Equality AI
Dr. Hightower is the CEO and Founder of Equality AI and former EVP and chief Digital Transformation Officer at the University of Chicago Medicine. She is a leading voice in the intersection of health care, AI, digital transformation, and health equity. She is a champion for responsible AI, ensuring that the digital future of health care is equitable and just. Equality AI provides AI quality assurance and compliance software for health care. She is a 4-time C-suite physician executive with fifteen years of executive leadership spanning healthcare IT, medical affairs, and population health across four academic medical centers, clinically integrated networks, and health care technology companies. She is an internationally sought-after speaker on responsible AI and digital health equity for academic, government, consumer, and industry audiences. Dr. Hightower received her BA at Cornell University, MD, and MPH from the University of Rochester School of Medicine, followed by Internal Medicine and Pediatrics residencies at the University of California, San Diego. She also holds an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
Session Responders
Roli Dwivedi, MD
Dr. Roli Dwivedi is an Associate Professor and the Mac Baird Vice Chair in Community Engagement and Advocacy for the Department of Family Medicine & Community Health at the University of Minnesota Medical School. She is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Clinical Officer at the Community-University Health Care Center (CUHCC). Dr. Dwivedi’s interests include global health, culturally sensitive care, improving health disparities, and mentoring medical students and residents.
Paige Nong, PhD
Paige Nong, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Her research is designed to optimize the governance and use of advanced analytics in health care to facilitate equitable digital transformation. Her research engages both patients and health care systems to focus on the ways advanced analytics can reinforce, create, or counteract inequities in health care.
Session 2 – AI and Workforce
Presenter
Brian Norris, MBA, RN, FHIMSS, Vice President & Managing Director, MedeAnalytics
Brian has more than 25 years of experience in health care, 20 of those years as an RN and 15+ years in analytics, value-based care, and product development. Before MedeAnalytics, he was the Vice President and Chief Nursing Informatics officer at Indiana University Health, where he successfully launched Google’s Healthcare data engine, a first-of-its-kind system in the health care industry. He has worked at several of the largest health care and consulting institutions, including Lutheran Health Network, Triad Hospitals, Inc., Deloitte, Catholic Health Initiatives, Aledade, and Marathon Health. In addition, he’s won three national innovation data and software development challenges. Brian has an Associate’s degree in Science and Nursing from Purdue University, a Bachelor’s degree in Science from Indiana University, and a Master’s in Business Administration specializing in healthcare management from Indiana Wesleyan University.
Session 3 – AI and Cybersecurity
Presenters
Jerry Odegaard, Director of Threat Emulation Services, White Oak Security
Jerry has a long history in computing that began in the 1990s when the Internet was in its infancy. His drive to understand how technology works led him to the University of Minnesota’s Computer Science program, where he was initially interested in Artificial Intelligence before pivoting to Information Security. Over the past 20 years, Jerry had the opportunity to work for several Fortune 500 companies in various capacities such as vulnerability management, penetration tester, and red team engineer. Throughout these roles, Jerry learned how to work effectively within each organization to inform the businesses of risk, educate stakeholders, and improve the overall security posture. Although working in corporate roles is rewarding, Jerry always missed the excitement of consulting. In 2019, Jerry joined White Oak Security as the Director of Threat Emulation Services. Since then, Jerry has helped build an advanced team of security specialists who value family, time away from work, and world-class security testing capabilities. When he’s not working, you’ll find Jerry playing with his kids, operating his kitchen or a grill/smoker, tending to his garden when the weather permits, watching 20-30-year-old science fiction, or staring into the distance, wondering what the future will hold.
Megan Roby, Senior Manager of Threat Emulation Services, White Oak Security
Megan Roby is a seasoned cybersecurity professional with extensive experience in both offensive and defensive cybersecurity. Her lifelong fascination with understanding how things work—and how to break them—led her to pursue studies in Computer Science and Computer Engineering at the University of St. Thomas. Megan began her career as a penetration tester, initially at Target and later at White Oak Security. While her primary focus was on applica<on security, she also had the opportunity to test mobile applica<ons, external networks, and a variety of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. After several years on the offensive side of cybersecurity, Megan transitioned to a defensive role as a Lead Analyst on Target’s Enterprise Incident Management team. In this capacity, she played a crucial role in escala<ng, coordina<ng, and remedia<ng high-profile cybersecurity and privacy events. Megan thrived in a fast-paced environment, where her hacker mindset proved invaluable in critical situations. Currently, Megan serves as the Senior Manager of Threat Emula<on Services at White Oak Security, a Cyber Advisors company. While she primarily manages a team of penetra<on testers and Red Teamers, she also occasionally consults on security assessments and SOC opera<ons internally. Megan deeply values her team at White Oak, who continuously challenge her cybersecurity skills and keep her laughing throughout the day.
Session 4 – AI and Patient Experience
Presenters
Edward W. Marx, MS, CEO, Marx Advisory
The youngest child of Holocaust survivors, Ed moved to the United States at age 10. At 16, he served as a medical clinic janitor where he discovered his healthcare calling. Ed took successive positions as a combat medic, anesthesia tech, strategic planner, and technology manager. He quickly learned how the convergence of clinical, business, and digital saved lives. His passion ignited, he jumped feet first into technology and operations in the C-Suite of Cleveland Clinic, NYC Health & Hospitals, Texas Health Resources, and University Hospitals. Intermixed, Ed also served the supplier side. He was CEO of the consulting firm Divurgent, global CDO for Tech Mahindra Health & Life Sciences, and CIO of the Advisory Board. Concurrently, he served 15 years as an Army combat engineer officer and combat medic. Today, Ed is focused on his own advisory practice. Ed does a fair amount of speaking, writing, and podcasting. He authored health care bestsellers, including “Voices of Innovation” and “Healthcare Digital Transformation.” His Blog, CEO Unplugged, has surpassed one million views. Ed recently started a YouTube channel to expand his audience. Most importantly, Ed is husband to Simran, who holds a Doctor of Nursing (DNP). They love to dance and climb mountains. They have five grown children and four grandchildren. To stay fit, he is captain of TeamUSA Triathlon.
Cris Ross, MBA, CIO, Mayo Clinic
Cris Ross is the Chief Information Officer of Mayo Clinic. Before joining Mayo Clinic in 2012, he held business and technology leadership roles with Surescripts, CVS Health/MinuteClinic, and UnitedHealth Group. Before entering the healthcare industry in 2003, he was a tech entrepreneur, finance manager, and Congressional aide. He was voted Healthcare CIO of the Year in 2022 by Inspire CIO/ORBIE. A two-time cancer survivor, he writes and speaks about improving the patient experience. He has served on advisory boards for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Veterans’ Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other industry groups. He is past chair of the Board of HIMSS and currently serves on the CaringBridge and Minnesota Opera boards. He has degrees from the University of Minnesota and Yale University.