[Interview] Part 1: Adam Chee, Noted International Healthcare Informatics Authority

This is the next blog in the continuing series of interviews with leading professionals.

In this blog series, we talk with Adam Chee, a top expert in Healthcare Informatics. Adam is also the first and only international Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) Hall of Fame Inductee.

Thank you and Enjoy!

 

Stephen Ibaraki, FCIPS, I.S.P., MVP
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Stephen : Adam, you were the first inductee to the international Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) Hall of Fame due to your outstanding contributions and leadership over many years. We thank you for taking the time to share experiences and insights with our audience.

Adam: It is my pleasure, Stephen. It is really my honor to be invited for this interview.

Stephen : What led to the MCP Hall of Fame honour?

Adam: I think it was a combination of good luck and great community support. I never expected myself to win as the other nominees were all outstanding IT professionals in their own area of expertise.

Stephen : You have a substantial educational background in technology including a degree, Microsoft certifications, diplomas in medical informatics and security, and a project management certification from the Singapore Computer Society. What is your recommendation for ICT professionals in this area?

Adam: The general recommendation to all ICT professionals is Continuous Professional Development (CPD). Technology is evolving at a rapid rate, there is something new and interesting every other day, what you learned previously can 'work against you' simply because you are not aware of how technology has changed, also the convergence of old and new technologies translates to feasibility of solutions previously deem impossible.

Stephen: You are a member of the Singapore Computer Society, Australia Computer Society, Biomedical Engineering Society (Singapore) and the Association for Medical and Bio-Informatics(Singapore). We have similar groups in Canada such as CIPS-Canada's Association of IT Professionals. In the US, there's the Network Professional Association (NPA). I should note that CIPS, the Singapore Computer Society, and Australia Computer Society are also members of the UNESCO-founded IFIP (International Federation of Information Processing) who are launching a worldwide Professional Practice Program in 2008. What are the benefits of membership in these groups and why would you recommend IT and Business Leaders and Professionals to get involved?

Adam: My personal take on professional societies is that they represent you as a professional for your chosen field. IT is a profession that requires multiple skill sets to address diverse technology and business issues. Professional societies provide a medium where one can develop such skills.

In addition, professional societies provide members with opportunities to get involved and help shape the changes in their field. I would definitely recommend anyone who is passionate about their industry to join the relevant professional societies.

Stephen: Adam, you are an active participant in popular online forums together with founding binaryhealthcare.com (BHC), a vendor neutral knowledge based web portal on Healthcare Informatics. Why would you encourage ICT leaders to contribute in a similar fashion?

Adam: The reason why I am so active online is the same as to why I join the relevant professional societies, it's just a different avenue for me to contribute to my profession. There are already a lot of prominent IT professionals out there contributing in online forums and blogs.
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Look for more with Adam in the next blog.
I also encourage you to share your thoughts here on these interviews or send me an e-mail at sibaraki@cips.ca.
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