Healthcare IT Leaders Announces Promotion of Ben Hilmes to CEO

Healthcare IT Leaders is proud to announce the promotion of Ben Hilmes, MHA, FACHE, from President to Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Mr. Hilmes takes over day-to-day responsibilities from Bob Bailey, who will remain as Executive Chairman with significant ongoing business development duties focused on Data Cloud, AI, and Federal practices.

Mr. Hilmes joined Healthcare IT Leaders as President in 2023 with over 25 years of healthcare vendor and provider experience, including most recently, his role as SVP/Chief Integration Officer for Adventist Health, Roseville, Calif.-based health system with $4B in revenue, over 400 sites of care, and 35,000+ employees.

Prior to that, Mr. Hilmes had a long and distinguished career at Cerner Corporation, where he rose to the position of Sr. Vice President - Client Relationships, responsible for nearly $3 billion of the company’s U.S. portfolio of Cerner customers and outsourcing operation.

To date at Healthcare IT Leaders, Mr. Hilmes has successfully driven new lines of business and growth, while overseeing the restructuring of key departments and the hiring of a new CFO.

"Ben is a gifted leader, and our organization has benefited significantly since he joined us," said Mr. Bailey. "He understands the marketplace and the business of healthcare. He’s implemented a smart and detailed strategic plan for the growth of our company. Most importantly, Ben has earned the trust of our employees, our Board, and our clients. I am thrilled to hand him the reins and support him in this next step of Healthcare IT Leaders’ journey to become the dominant brand in Healthcare Digital Transformation.”

“I knew this was a great company when I joined. What I’ve learned since then is why: it’s our people. Up and down the line, we have smart, fun, committed, and passionate associates who care about each other and our consultants and customers. I’m humbled by the trust Bob and the Board have extended to me, and I am excited for the opportunity to lead our team into the future as CEO,” said Mr. Hilmes.

Mr. Hilmes' new title and role are effective immediately. This month and next, he and Mr. Bailey will jointly attend client and partner meetings at two major industry conferences: ViVe ’24 and HIMSS ’24.