A Tribute to CIO of the Year Marc Probst (and You Can Contribute, Too)

2.20.2020
By John Kravitz CHCIO, Chair, CHIME Board; Corporate CIO, Geisinger Health System

I am positive that like me, many digital healthcare executives have benefitted from the wisdom and generosity of Marc Probst, winner of the John E. Gall Jr. CIO of the Year award. Marc has touched many of us in several ways, both directly and indirectly. Whether dealing with an early-career team member or a seasoned C-suite leader, he has always been willing to share his time and insights.

Take me, for instance. When I first met Marc, I was working at a smaller organization than my present employer, Geisinger Health System, and he was CIO at Intermountain Healthcare, one of the most prominent health systems in the U.S. Yet Marc was always approachable, providing sound advice about any number of domains that are critical for being – to use CHIME’s vision statement – exceptional leaders transforming health and care. His deep understanding of both the business and the technology have been invaluable for me and many others. And his ability to drill down quickly to the core of an issue and articulate problems and solutions is truly impressive.

But it is not just that Marc is smart; he is honest. He is willing to discuss mistakes as readily as successes, sharing how he handled difficult situations that arose in his career. Sometimes these are lessons in what to avoid, but often they illustrate how to learn, adapt and approach adversity with integrity. Whatever the challenge, he stays true to himself.  

Marc’s impact on CHIME is profound, too. Marc has served as chair of the Board of Trustees, chair of the CHIME Foundation Board, a CHIME faculty member, and a member of CHIME’s Policy Steering Committee – all while overseeing Intermountain’s digital enterprise. He has been an advocate for CHIME members and patients nationally, often traveling to Washington, D.C., to help educate policy makers. His contributions earned him CHIME’s 2018 Federal Public Policy Award for CIO Leadership. Marc helped spur CHIME’s international outreach, using his experience and connections overseas to build collaborations and exchange ideas with digital leaders globally. And his expertise was key in the development of CHIME Innovation.

And he has helped shape our industry, too. He served on the Federal Health Information Technology Policy Committee, a committee organized under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to make recommendations on a health IT policy framework. His vision helped Intermountain become a leader in innovation, demonstrating the value of advanced technology and even spinning out startup companies.