Richard I. Skinner

Vice President, First Consulting Group

Rick is a healthcare IT Executive with over 25 years' experience in healthcare information systems, including positions as the CIO for hospitals, a medical research laboratory, independent consulting and as project manager for the development and implementation of the Department of Defense's global medical information system.

Rick is a Vice President for First Consulting Group, a healthcare IT focused firm active in helping its clients in provider, health plan, government and life sciences organizations achieve their goals through the use of information technology.

Rick previously was Vice President - IS and CIO for the Providence Health System, a four billion dollar organization which operates 18 hospitals, a health plan with over 500,000 members, employs over 400 physicians, and manages numerous home health and long term care businesses across the four western states. Rick formed a new company to  consolidate and standardize IT infrastructure, implemented advanced clinical systems, and standardized the organization's  business systems, all contributing to Providence's excellent financial performance and quality reputation.

Rick is an author and frequent speaker on healthcare information technology as well as a leader in national organizations such as the College for Healthcare Information Management Executives and the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology.  He was the recipient in 1994 of the Healthcare Information Executives Forum, Crystal Award for Excellence.  Most recently, he received the John Gall Award for Healthcare CIO of the Year at the 2002 HIMSS Conference.