From scanning medical charts as a teenager to Chief Strategy Officer at DirectTrust and so much inbetween, we are proud to welcome Kathryn Ayers Wickenhauser, MBA, FACHDM, CHPC, CHTS to the fellowship!
Shoutout to Jared Jeffery, MBA, FACHDM for the nomination!
Ms. Kathryn Ayers Wickenhauser is a highly accomplished healthcare leader with a passion for health information technology, data interoperability, and healthcare compliance. Her career began serendipitously as a teenager scanning medical charts, and she has since grown into a trusted thought leader in the health IT space. Currently, Ms. Wickenhauser serves as the Chief Strategy Officer at DirectTrust, where she works with healthcare organizations to promote trust frameworks, interoperability standards, and seamless data sharing across systems, ultimately driving better healthcare outcomes.
With over a decade of experience in health data management, compliance, and electronic health record (EHR) systems, Ms. Wickenhauser has become known for her expertise in navigating complex government initiatives such as Meaningful Use, PQRS, and HIPAA compliance. Prior to joining DirectTrust, she served in leadership roles at DataFile Technologies, where she managed compliance and industry education, helping healthcare organizations optimize their data management practices. At KIG Healthcare and GBS Corp, she played a pivotal role in assisting more than 3,000 providers to collect over $45 million in incentive payments and avoid $20 million in penalties by mastering EHR workflows and audit processes.
Ms. Wickenhauser holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biopsychology from Westminster College and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Webster University. Her journey through healthcare has been shaped by her commitment to improving interoperability, healthcare compliance, and data security. Whether speaking at national conferences such as MGMA and AHIMA or leading teams, she consistently advocates for better data management practices that lead to improved patient care and system efficiencies.
Ms. Wickenhauser’s work has earned her a reputation as a true #HIPAAnerd, and her dedication to advancing healthcare technology and improving care delivery is a hallmark of her career.
#healthdatamanagement #interoperability #healthcarecompliance #datasecurity
