Academic Forum at HIMSS


ABOUT THE ACADEMIC FORUM


The AUPHA Academic Forum will be held on Monday, March 9, 2026, 11:30AM to 5PM Pacific time at the Venetian Hotel (Delfino 4101A Room, Level 4), Las Vegas, Nevada. This year’s program features Gabriela Wilson, PhD, MSc, FHIMSS, FIAHSI, SNAI, University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Tom Leary, MA, CAE, FHIMSS, HIMSS. The Forum will be co-chaired by Shannon Houser, PhD, RHIA, FAHIMA, FHIMSS, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Cathy A. Flite, PhD, RHIA, FAHIMA, Temple University, and Sue Boren, PhD, MHA, FACMI, FAMIA, University of Missouri. The online program can be viewed by clicking here.

Once registered for the Academic Forum, attendees will receive a code for a significantly discounted registration rate for HIMSS-26. AUPHA is excited to be a part of the HIMSS-26 Global Health Conference & Exhibition as a Conference Collaborator. The countdown to Healthcare’s transformative event has begun—secure your spot now. HIMSS-26 isn’t just a conference; it’s the epicenter of healthcare technology where groundbreaking solutions meet visionary minds.


KEYNOTE SPEAKERS


Gabriela Wilson,
PhD, MSc, FHIMSS, FIAHSI, SNAI,
University of Louisiana at Lafayette

 


Dr. Gabriela Mustata Wilson is a globally recognized leader in health informatics, celebrated for her expertise in transforming advanced research into impactful solutions that bridge health and resilience. Her multidisciplinary background in chemical engineering, pharmacoinformatics, and public health has equipped her with the insights and skills to address market needs and create integrated public and ecological health innovations. Dr. Wilson currently serves as the Director of the Louisiana Center for Health Innovation and as a Professor in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where she holds both the Dr. J. Robert Rivet Endowed Chair and the Acadian Ambulance Service/BORSF Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair in Health Informatics.
 
Throughout her career, Dr. Wilson has shaped the health informatics field through strategic roles with the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA®), contributing to industry standards and promoting technology-driven change. As the co-chair of the HIMSS Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform (TIGER) International Initiative and chair-elect of the AMIA Pharmacoinformatics Workgroup, she has demonstrated exceptional leadership in cross-disciplinary, high-stakes environments. Dr. Wilson’s influence is acknowledged through prestigious honors, including being named the 2023 HIMSS Changemaker in Health Awardee, Fellow of HIMSS, Fellow of the International Academy of Health Sciences Informatics (FIAHSI), and Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Her career reflects a profound commitment to innovation, global leadership, and driving meaningful societal impact.


Tom Leary,
MA, CAE, FHIMSS,
HIMSS

 


Tom Leary is senior vice president & head of government relations at HIMSS. In this role, Leary leads the organization’s digital health policy development work and strategic engagements with government and membership. Leary also serves as the executive director of the HIMSS Foundation. Leary’s tenure at HIMSS began in 2003 as director of federal affairs, working with a small team of HIMSS staff to launch the government relations team. Later he was promoted to senior director, federal affairs—leading the team’s engagement with U.S. federal government on policy topics spanning everything from meaningful use to EHR modernization at the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs (DoD). ​Prior to HIMSS, Leary was a division manager for SAIC’s TRICARE division, where he was engaged in the coordination of healthcare administrative outsourcing solutions for the Military Health System (MHS). Leary’s previous roles at DoD included staff assistant and special assistant for healthcare policy positions in the Office of the Secretary of Defense Legislative Affairs—followed by a shift to focus exclusively on federal healthcare policy as the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs.
 
Leary earned his master’s degree in legislative affairs from The George Washington University. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Rutgers University, He is a Certified Association Executive (CAE) through the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), and has completed the Georgetown University Executive Leadership Certificate program.