TOPICS OF EXPERTISE
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Cybersecurity
- EHRs
- Executive Leadership
- Future of Healthcare IT
- IT Strategy and Governance (IT Organizational Strategy, IT Staging, IT Strategic Planning)
- Machine Learning
- Population Health
- Vendor Partnerships
Executive Healthcare Strategist at CrowdStrike, Freelance Consultant, Speaker, Mentor, Coach
Seattle, WA
Drex DeFord is an independent consultant with a long career as a healthcare executive, including his experience as Co-Founder and CEO of Next Wave Connect; EVP and CIO at Steward Healthcare in Boston; SVP and CIO at Seattle Children’s Health System and Research Institute; and Corporate VP and CIO at Scripps Health in San Diego. Prior to that, he spent 20 years in the US Air Force, where he served as a regional CIO, a medical center CIO, and Chief Technology Officer for the USAF Health System’s World-Wide Operations.
Besides his work as a healthcare executive, he’s spent significant time leading some of healthcare’s top provider associations – he’s served on the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) National Board of Directors, and is the Past-Chair of both College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) and the CHIME Foundation. He’s also held state HIMSS leadership positions in both Virginia and Washington.
DeFord has a couple of masters degrees (Master of Science, Health Informatics from University of Alabama-Birmingham; Master of Public Administration, University of Oklahoma), he’s a Fellow in all the right organizations (HIMSS, CHIME, and ACHE), and he’s also a Certified Healthcare CIO (CHCIO).
DeFord now spends his time bringing together trusted health systems, payers, associations, vendors, and investors to solve healthcare’s toughest problems.
Speaking Samples
How to Build a Flexible Culture in Health Without Compromising Values – Outcomes Rocket Podcast (Feb 2018)
An Amazon Hospital, SpaceX Captures the Imagination, and Culture Wins the Superbowl – HealthLyrics Podcast (Feb 2018)