Deeply honored by HIMSS for the 2025 Changemaker Award and grateful to HIMSS TV for the chance to share my journey and vision.
My conversation with HIMSS reinforced a core belief: staying grounded in our “why” unlocks powerful new ways to serve our communities with greater impact and effectiveness.
At NHIT, this translates into action through the NHIT Data Fusion Center. We’re leading AI-driven initiatives to tackle critical challenges like food insecurity and diabetes—issues that disproportionately affect underserved communities. This is intentional innovation, using AI to create real-world solutions where they’re needed most.
The future of healthcare belongs to the bold—those who not only envision it but actively build it. That’s why I’m deeply committed to empowering the next generation of diverse health IT leaders and ensuring every community, regardless of ZIP code, has the ability to address community health factors and access to services, opportunity, and dignity.
Our data-driven, community-anchored work in rural Georgia, in partnership with Fort Valley State University, exemplifies this commitment.
Serving others is a marathon, not a sprint. Together, let’s drive meaningful impact and transform lives. That’s the heart of NHIT: A Public/Private Partnership for a Healthier America!
Luis Belen
