Pam Austin

Founder, Digital CIO™ | Strategic CIO & Board-Ready Leader Technology that serves people. Strategy that shapes care™ ⸻ Award-winning healthcare technology executive and board-ready CIO with 30+ years of experience driving enterprise-scale digital transformation, governance, and operational resilience. Named CIO of the Year (2025, TN Large Corporate) by InspireCIO, I bring proven expertise in leading technology-enabled growth, managing risk, and shaping enterprise strategy at the highest level. As CIO at Ballad Health, I lead multimillion-dollar portfolios spanning Epic EHR transformations, digital health platforms, AI and analytics, cybersecurity, enterprise IT PMO, and M&A integration. Beyond this role, I founded Digital CIO™, an independent platform advancing thought leadership on the convergence of digital innovation, healthcare, and executive leadership. Boards today need digital fluency at the table. I help translate technology risk into business risk, and digital capabilities into enterprise value. With experience guiding organizations through mergers, regulatory shifts, and industry disruption, I understand how to balance innovation, governance, and trust. Expertise Includes: • Digital transformation & enterprise technology strategy • Governance, risk, compliance & cybersecurity oversight • Healthcare IT leadership (Epic EHR implementation & optimization) • M&A and post-merger technology integration • Capital allocation & vendor strategy • Leadership development & succession planning I am frequently invited to keynote and advise on AI governance, digital trust, and the future of converged CIO/CDO leadership. My work reflects a simple truth: technology isn’t just support it is strategy. And CIOs are the leaders shaping that future.