Dr. Zafar Chaudry, Sr. VP, Chief Information Officer, Seattle's Children's Hospital, A Fearless Leader
By Artina Mitchell, Communications Chair
Welcome to the end of 2020, HIMSS WA! In this month’s member spotlight edition, I would like to introduce to you Dr. Zafar Chaudry, Sr. VP and Chief Information Officer of Seattle's Children's Hospital. If asked, those who know and have worked with Zafar may tell you that he is considered to be a HIT thought leader, an advocate of community involvement and someone who has a knack for helping people expand their thoughts beyond the obvious while keeping them from getting lost in the idea of “just IT”.
It was in March of 2018 when we reached out to Zafar and asked him if he would be willing to share his perspective and time as an advisor for our Chapter. I know this because I was there and remember that first meeting with him, I was so nervous. However, I quickly learned there was no reason to be. Zafar was the perfect professional and so very personable. He had thought provoking questions, immediate feedback, great ideas, and a true desire to help others in this field. Since that time, Zafar has been a very important member and contributor to the format of events for our Chapter. He helped us with planning for our Emerging Leaders events, participated as a panelist in many CIO events, connected us with technologies ideas for our Summit events and currently sits on our CXO Committee. We are very happy to have him as a resource and hope you are too!
On a personal note, we’ve recently found out that Zafar has a hidden desire to meet Darth Vader as he has a deep desire to know more of the “dark side”. This hidden desire seems to pair well with his belief that the emotional wellbeing of a person is paramount in times of crisis. As to achieve emotional well-being does require perspective of both the light and the dark. This also may be why he chooses to share his own experiences with his team regularly. He may argue this point, but his commitment to put his own good and bad experiences out in the open for others to see (even when he doesn’t want to) is a true behavior of a “fearless leader”. We are thankful for his willingness to be authentic and vulnerable. It brings people together and grounds them in the understanding that we are all in this life and situation of “juggling eggs” together, no matter who we are, where we’ve been and where we might end up.
When asked why he chose to get involved with the HIMSS WA Chapter and how it has impacted him professionally and personally, Zafar responded with “It’s important for all healthcare IT leaders to provide and support education and learning for our upcoming stars. I want to ensure that I’m doing my part to support what HIMSS is trying to foster. Volunteering keeps me on my toes, forces me to think and re-think what I do and helps me keep up to date as to what others are doing, so it’s very educational.”
Zafar, your ability to empower the people who surround you to see what is possible and your dedication to foster a healthy collaborative community is what true leaders are made of. We are very honored to have you as a part of our community. Thank you for your authenticity, your humanity, and your leadership.