8.8.2019 By Brad Marsh, BSN, RN, CEN, CHCIO, Inpatient Nursing Information Officer, Madigan Army Medical Center
	Toby Gouker, PhD, GSLC, CISM, Vice President of Strategy, First Healthcare Advisory Solutions

In the 2017 Healthcare Industry Cybersecurity Task Force report to Congress, thought leaders identified the difficulty “to ensure workforce competencies due to the number of certification programs that are not all tailored to the health care environment.” (p. 36) Years ago, CHIME identified this same concern within the CIO role. There were CIOs but those who could manage the complexities of navigating patient safety and productivity were hard to identify. Enter the CHIME Certified Healthcare CIO (CHCIO). Since the minting of the first CHCIO, this program has become a method to identify those professionals who can perform the role of a CIO in the dynamic environment of healthcare. Once again, CHIME rises to the challenge.

This November CHIME and AEHIS will offer the first Certified Healthcare Information Security Leader (CHISL) certification exam. This exam utilizes the template of the CHCIO domains and the core principles of CHIME and AEHIS. A committee consisting of cybersecurity professionals and clinical and strategic leaders, co-chaired by the two of us, developed the exam. The exam focuses not on the tactical anti-intrusion, intrusion detection, or firewall configurations. Rather, it focuses on testing a professional’s ability to navigate the interpersonal communications required to align both internal and external stakeholders required to enable the technical aspects of cybersecurity to support strategic mission of a healthcare organization.

As the vision statement recognizes, “the CHISL is a Communicator both externally and internally to the organization. They lead networks of people managing the protection of networks on which the healthcare industry depends to deliver safe and efficient care. Each CHISL contributes to the overall protection of the Healthcare Infrastructure.”

In leading this charge, we wanted to ensure that the CHISL committee was focused on developing an examination that would identify cybersecurity professionals with a unique combination of strategic focus, healthcare experience and technical acumen. We guided the discussion and implementation of standards to lead the strategic focus and are pleased to report that the exam looks at a leader’s ability to apply a uniform approach to security. With so many different stakeholders involved in a healthcare setting, having a standards-based approach to security helps a CISO align all parts of the organization.

The committee met in-person at CHIME headquarters in Ann Arbor, Mich., in July for an intense training and development of the CHISL exam. The group worked extensively on developing a sound and robust exam that will undoubtedly measure a candidate’s understanding and experience in the healthcare security industry. Details surrounding candidate eligibility and requirements can be found on the CHISL Certification page.

Each CHISL will lead the security efforts and vision for their hospital/health system. Each hospital and system that a CHISL protects, contributes to the health and security of the healthcare sector, which directly impacts the security of the nation. CHIME stands ready to demonstrate leadership in the face of rising threats to our security.

Enrollment is now open; demonstrate your commitment to healthcare cybersecurity by earning your CHISL designation. Your journey starts here.

More Inside CHIME:

Boot Camp Will Give CISOs Skills and Tools to Be Effective Leaders

The Cost of Patient Misidentification and How You Can Help