Top Federal Officials to be Honored at GovCIO Media & Research’s Health IT Summit
The finalists for the Health IT Flywheel Awards have been announced for the September 23, 2025 Summit in Rockville, Maryland.
August 11, 2025
Fairfax, Va. – GovCIO Media & Research, a leading federal technology media company, announced the finalists for the annual Health IT Flywheel Awards – an awards program established to recognize the accomplishments of federal leaders transforming health care. Winners will be announced September 23 at the Health IT Summit in Rockville, Maryland.
“We’re excited to honor the achievements and commitment of these federal health leaders whose transformative advancements are strengthening our nation’s digital infrastructure.” said Michael Hoffman, President, GovCIO Media & Research.
The Health IT Flywheel Award Finalists include:
Rising Star: A newcomer to federal health IT leadership and showcases a commitment to building innovative frameworks and technology solutions to improve health services and patient experiences within their organization.
- Sweta Ladwa, Chief, Scientific Solutions Delivery Branch, NIH National Heart Lung and Blood Institute
- Nadia Smith, Acting Chief Digital Health Officer, VHA
- Abe Sutton, Director of Innovation Center and Deputy Administrator, CMS
Interoperability Leader: This leader demonstrates continued dedication to developing frameworks to advance interoperability. This awardee recognizes that the use of electronic health information is critical to transform service delivery, patient care and the ways that providers work together to create a seamless health care experience.
- Lance Scott, CTO, FEHRM
- Mitchell Thornbrugh, CIO, IHS
- Cmdr. Sayeedha Uddin, Chief Medical Information Officer, Coast Guard
Digital Transformer: An individual who exhibits a passion for modernizing the information landscape to transform health care systems through the power of data. This awardee is committed to improving access to data, access and interoperability between systems, all in the service of better patient care and health outcomes.
- Kevin Duvall, Deputy CIO and Acting Deputy CAIO, HHS
- Susan Gregurick, Associate Director for Data Science and Director of the Office of Data Science Strategy, NIH
- Patrick Newbold, CIO and Director of the Office of Information Technology, CMS
Innovation Champion: This award recognizes that innovation elevates the productivity, efficiency, reliability, sustainability and security of health care. They demonstrate a passion to integrate emerging technologies into the health care ecosystem to improve both the patient and provider experience.
- Stephen Konya, Chief, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships, ASTP
- Sara Mattix, Division Director, Infrastructure and Data Protection, NIH
- Matthew Miller, Executive Director, Suicide Prevention, VA
Health Advocate: A visionary leader who leverages technology in the fight against chronic disease. This awardee exemplifies how innovation, data and digital tools can be harnessed to transform public health.
- Ilana Hancu, Program Manager, Health Science Futures, ARPA-H
- Col. Christina Sheets, DHMSM Program Manager, DHMS
- Jeff Shilling, CIO, NCI
Visit GovCIO Media & Research’s Health IT Summit page to view the full agenda, speaker lineup and register for this must-attend annual event. Register today to secure your spot.
About GovCIO Media & Research
GovCIO Media & Research, an independent media company, is the leading industry solutions resource providing analysis and insights on federal IT innovation. Our team uses an omnichannel approach to keep you informed on today’s most pressing issues. Video interviews, podcasts, events, articles and special reports keep federal IT decision-makers aware of technology’s impact on government.
Visit https://govciomedia.com/ for more information.
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