CHA CHIO Hannah Galvin, MD, Named 2026 HIMSS Changemaker Award Winner
HIMSS honors Dr. Galvin for pioneering leadership and measurable impact advancing health equity
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA), a community health system serving Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston's metro-north communities, is proud to announce that Chief Health Information Officer and Interim Chief of Pediatrics Hannah Galvin, MD, received the HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) Changemaker in Health Award at the 2026 HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition on March 10. Dr. Galvin was recognized in the Health Equity category for her impactful leadership in advancing a more equitable health data ecosystem for patients nationwide.
"I'm honored to receive this award from HIMSS and to help advance a more trustworthy, patient‑empowered digital health experience," said Dr. Galvin. "I'm grateful to be recognized alongside fellow Changemakers and inspired by the collective impact we will continue to make both across the industry and in the lives of the people we serve."
The HIMSS Changemaker Award honors innovative leaders in health care who are driving transformational change to improve the future of care. Dr. Galvin's work blending technology with health equity principles has led to advancements in developing new and innovative ways to share health data across different health systems or care platforms, while maintaining patient privacy and decision-making. The impetus for this work began during her time supporting the Bridge Over Troubled Waters organization, which provides services for runaway, homeless and high-risk youth.
"My time working with homeless and at-risk youth has informed much of my work," Dr. Galvin said. "Many vulnerable patients don't seek medical care because they are worried about stigma and bias. As custodians of care, we need socio-technical solutions to balance patient safety and privacy needs if we are to best serve our patients."
Throughout her career, Dr. Galvin has been dedicated to advancing health equity through digital health, policy and practice. As chief health information officer and interim chief of pediatrics at CHA, a public health system dedicated to its safety-net mission, she leads enterprise technology and informatics strategies designed to improve access and outcomes for CHA's diverse community. A dual board-certified practicing pediatrician and clinical informaticist, Dr. Galvin is the co-founder and Board chair of Shift, an international collaborative advancing equitable interoperability through granular data segmentation and consent standards. Additionally, she serves as a GAO-appointed member to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy Health Information Technology Advisory Committee.
"Dr. Galvin is a natural Changemaker and an extraordinary leader at CHA," said Assaad Sayah, MD, chief executive officer at CHA. "Her work drives meaningful change across our organization and beyond, and we are proud to see her leadership recognized as she continues to advance more equitable, patient‑centered digital health."
Dr. Galvin's work to advance equity in digital health is entering its next phase. Building on a strong foundation of leadership and trust, she and her team are advancing best practices and laying the groundwork for future applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning that are designed to safeguard trust and equity while expanding innovation.