ian slade

Clinician. Educator. Advocate. Technologist. Optimist. Ian Slade was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and moved to the South Side of Chicago at the age of two. This relocation marked the beginning of his firsthand experiences with the harsh realities of poverty, from relying on food stamps to living in housing projects. In 1988, Ian's life took another dramatic turn when he moved to the Philippines, encountering even starker disparities. High school in the Philippines was an unusual experience for Ian; he found himself befriending the principal rather than his peers, often spending time in the faculty lounge rather than the cafeteria. This early comfort with authority figures proved advantageous during his college years. Excelling academically, Ian received several international scholarships and assumed leadership roles that reached national prominence. His activism did not go unnoticed; it eventually caught the attention of the Philippine President who wasn't too keen on his grassroots movements. His uncle who was a general in Police Intelligence, proved crucial in safeguarding his life when his voice became too loud for the ruling administration. After completing degrees in Nursing and Psychology, Ian returned to Chicago in 2000, embarking on a challenging journey as an immigrant in his own country. He began his career in the clinical field, working in both the ICU and the ER, where he was involved in trauma care and suicide watch. In 2002, Ian relocated to Southern California, starting again in the ER before transitioning into the burgeoning field of healthcare electronic systems. His career in healthcare evolved through roles in Operations, Management, and Finance. His expertise and dedication led him to be selected for an exclusive advisory board where he trained with professors from Harvard Business School and other leading intellectuals. He continued his studies in Business, Economics and AI to learn the evolving landscape of his industry. Ian later became a clinical consultant, traveling across the country to help Veterans Affairs hospitals standardize their peri-operative workflows and aiding cancer centers in improving their operations. Ian joined the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) which was started in 1961. He volunteered and eventually became the National Advocacy Chair. His efforts in this role were recognized when he was named HIMSS Advocate of the Year, the first recipient from California to receive this honor. His affiliation with UCLA began in 2018 when he started teaching Healthcare Project Management and helped develop the Physician Informatics Fellowship program in 2019. In 2023, he added Stanford Children's Hospital to his list of clients. Today, Ian speaks globally on the integration of technology in healthcare, particularly advocating for its application in mental health. His recent projects include training healthcare project managers worldwide and collaborating with Caltech scientists on the use of AI in healthcare. Ian resides in Irvine, California, with his wife, children, and his Shitzu-Poodle mix, Charlie.

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