CHICAGO – September 21, 2021 – The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) is proud to announce that CEO Wylecia Wiggs Harris, PhD, CAE, has been recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of 2021’s Top 25 Diversity Leaders, and is one of 10 people named 2021 Diversity Leaders to Watch by the publication. The inaugural Top Diversity Leaders awards, formerly known as the Top 25 Minority Leaders, honor the top healthcare executives from diverse backgrounds and the organizations influencing policy and care delivery models across the country.

According to Modern Healthcare, “Honorees on this year’s list represent a cross section of the industry and have demonstrated a commitment to expanding and improving access to care, regardless of a patient’s race, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. They’ve also served as mentors to advance diversity within the industry’s leadership ranks.” In addition to Dr. Harris, the awards recognize executives from the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals, Optum Pacific West, Northwell Health, the Biden Administration, American Medical Association, and more.

“I’m honored to be recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of their Top 25 Diversity Leaders,” Harris said. “I’m grateful Modern Healthcare is highlighting the importance of diversity in leadership. As a country and industry, we have come a long way, but more work remains as we strive for more diverse companies, organizations, and boardrooms.”

AHIMA President/Chair Katherine G. Lusk, MHSM, RHIA, FAHIMA, said she has been impressed by Dr. Harris’ leadership abilities.

“Wylecia is so deserving of this honor, and her commitment to health equity will always inspire me,” Lusk said. “Most importantly, Wylecia has skillfully positioned the organization for growth and innovation. Her leadership has been instrumental in transforming the profession and the association to ultimately have impact on the transformation of healthcare.” 

Download the AHIMA policy statements on social determinants of health (SDOH) and health equity, along with the new white paper about SDOH data governance.

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About The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)
AHIMA is a global nonprofit association of health information (HI) professionals. AHIMA represents professionals who work with health data for more than one billion patient visits each year. AHIMA’s mission of empowering people to impact health drives our members and credentialed HI professionals to ensure that health information is accurate, complete, and available to patients and providers. Our leaders work at the intersection of healthcare, technology, and business, and are found in data integrity and information privacy job functions worldwide. cms-qa.ahima.org.