EvergreenHealth's Jason Wood Wins Seattle CIO of the Year
Kirkland, Wash. – EvergreenHealth Chief Information Officer (CIO) Jason Wood, MBA, MS, was recently named 2022 Seattle CIO of the Year by the Inspire CIO Leadership Network, which recognizes exceptional leadership, innovation and vision among technology executives spanning all industries. Wood received the group's annual ORBIE Award in the Large Corporate category for his accomplishments that represent the characteristics and qualities that inspire others to achieve their potential.
Described by his colleagues as a big-picture information technology (IT) leader, Wood's vision and technical skills have enabled him to successfully manage IT systems throughout the EvergreenHealth system. Each division provides unique IT challenges, and since he joined the organization in 2021, Wood and his team have provided unparalleled service, bringing everyone together to make the patient experience as seamless as possible.
"I am beyond honored to be named a Seattle CIO of the Year," said Wood. "IT is laser-focused on creating community stakeholder value. As a public hospital district, we are an extension of the community and are accountable to delivering value that enriches the health of all those we serve. My approach to leading this important work through the lens of IT is to build high-performance teams by investing time and resources in our people who share our commitment to EvergreenHealth's mission and values."
"One of Jason's unique qualities is the understanding that IT is a critical tool to help our system provide better, safer, highest-quality health care," said Jeff Tomlin, MD, CEO of EvergreenHealth. "With that in mind, he makes a habit of reaching across professional margins to partner with leaders and frontline care providers, ensuring they have the tools to be successful and the resources to do their best work."
Mark Freeborn, MD, Chief Medical Officer for EvergreenHealth agrees that Wood's service-minded approach makes him so valuable to the medical group. "He and his team not only solve problems for us as clinicians when needed; they anticipate those problems well ahead of time and work on the front end to prevent a lot of the barriers that effect workflow in the clinical space."
Before joining EvergreenHealth, Wood led an extensive career in information technology, bringing more than 20 years of experience in leadership and IT management specifically within the health care space. Previously, he served as CIO for OptumCare-Northwest, a health care network which includes The Everett Clinic, The Polyclinic, Northwest Physicians Network, Physician Care Network, Physicians Care Alliance, Oregon Groups & Optum Care Network-Washington.
Wood received his bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Management Information Systems from Washington State University. He then earned his Master of Science in Information Systems Management from Seattle Pacific University and his Master of Business Administration with a Healthcare Management concentration from the University of Arizona.
Outside of the health system, Wood is part of various local CIO boards, collaborates with other IT professionals in the Pacific Northwest and enjoys spending time with his wife and their two sons.
