HOUSTON, Texas-October 21, 2013-Next Wave CONNECT (www.nextwaveconnect.com), provider of the first healthcare industry-specific enterprise social networking application, today announced that the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) has signed a letter of intent to partner with Next Wave CONNECT, Inc. Next Wave CONNECT is a smart social networking application that connects healthcare professionals and peers from across healthcare organizations, providing members with a place to collaboratively solve the industry's toughest challenges.The agreement was finalized during the CHIME13 Fall CIO Forum in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Next Wave CONNECT went live on Oct. 8, and already has a deeply-committed community of 31 healthcare industry enterprises, comprising over 450 hospitals operating in more than 30 states.
Next Wave CONNECT offers a cloud-based collaborative environment that includes professional facilitation and support services for members via a network of Community Managers and Community Advisors. Next Wave CONNECT's Advisory Council Experts (ACEs) are well-known, accomplished healthcare industry professionals who will assist members as they work together to crowd-source solutions and best practices.
“CHIME is excited to begin working with Next Wave CONNECT,” said CHIME president and CEO Russell P. Branzell, FCHIME, CHCIO. “With a mutual interest in guiding the healthcare industry forward, CHIME and Next Wave CONNECT intend to transform the way leaders collaborate and problem-solve together using the tools of social media.”
In keeping with CHIME's goal to advance the role of CIOs and other senior healthcare IT leaders-through education, collaboration and advocacy in support of improved health and healthcare in our communities-Next Wave CONNECT is a social platform that will enable CHIME members, CHIME Foundation representatives, and other relevant stakeholders to engage with each other in meaningful and ongoing collaborative discussions in real-time.
“Next Wave CONNECT takes the possibilities of online engagement to a higher level,” said Next Wave CONNECT CEO Drex DeFord, FCHIME, CHCIO. “CHIME is precisely the type of forward-thinking organization to help bring the healthcare IT industry together to solve real and meaningful issues and challenges.”
