After more than four decades in healthcare IT and information management, Joan Hicks will retire as chief information officer (CIO) of UAB Health System, effective April 30, 2027. Joan has served as CIO since 2004, and her impact on this organization reaches far beyond any single project or milestone.
Her 28-year career at UAB Health System (UABHS) has been defined by a commitment to the patients we serve and the people who care for them. That focus has guided decisions large and small, from critical investments in our technology infrastructure to the complex work of integrating UAB Medicine’s and UAB St. Vincent’s systems. Under her leadership, UAB Health System achieved HIMSS recognition, has been consistently recognized as a Most Wired health system, and built an information services team that is among the most capable in medicine.
Joan will not be stepping away before the work is done. She has agreed to remain in her role through the completion of our Epic EHR implementation and a period of stabilization that follows, which means she will see one of the most transformational technology undertakings in our history through to the finish line before she transitions to retirement.
From our leaders
Dawn Bulgarella, CEO, UABHS
“Joan’s fingerprints are on virtually every major technological advancement this health system has made over the past two decades. She has been a steady, trusted voice in our leadership and a fierce advocate for patients, for the information security of our organization, and for doing things the right way. We are deeply grateful for her service and glad that she will be with us through this next chapter.”
Janet Hadar, COO, UABHS
“I have had the privilege of watching Joan work during the Epic Journey thus far, and what I can tell you is that her leadership and expertise are matched only by her integrity and her care for the people around her. The fact that she is staying to lead us through Epic says a great deal about her commitment to this organization. We will miss her enormously.”
Joan Hicks, CIO, UABHS
“This organization has been my professional home for a long time, and I mean that in the truest sense. I have watched UAB Health System grow in ways I could not have imagined when I started, and I am proud of what our team has built together. Having the privilege of helping to lead our Epic implementation, to be part of something this significant for our patients and our clinicians, feels like the right way to close this chapter. I am not done yet, and I am grateful for the opportunity to finish strong.”
Looking ahead
As Joan transitions toward retirement, UAB Health System will conduct a national search for a chief digital & information officer – a title that reflects the growing scope of technology, data, and digital strategy as core functions of how we deliver and improve care. More information about that search will be shared as it progresses.