Tom Leary is senior vice president & head of government relations at HIMSS. In this role, Leary leads the organization’s digital health policy development work and strategic engagements with government and membership. He guides a team that provides legislative and regulatory analysis and practical guidance on health information and technology policy development. Through policy analysis and outreach to establish support, he leads priority engagements and strategies to achieve the HIMSS vision: to realize the full health potential of every human, everywhere.
Leary also serves as the executive director of the HIMSS Foundation. As the philanthropic arm of HIMSS, the foundation enriches public discourse on public policy and helps advance clinician informatics and data science education through granting academic scholarships and other opportunities. The foundation fosters partnerships to advance access and inclusion in the healthcare community.
Leary’s tenure at HIMSS began in 2003 as director of federal affairs, working with a small team of HIMSS staff to launch the government relations team. Later he was promoted to senior director, federal affairs—leading the team’s engagement with U.S. federal government on policy topics spanning everything from meaningful use to EHR modernization at the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs (DoD).
Prior to HIMSS, Leary was a division manager for SAIC’s TRICARE division, where he was engaged in the coordination of healthcare administrative outsourcing solutions for the Military Health System (MHS). His government experience includes time on Capitol Hill working as an LA for Rep. Les Aspin (D-WI) before heading to the Pentagon with the Aspin Team as a Clinton Administration political appointee.
Leary’s previous roles at DoD included staff assistant and special assistant for healthcare policy positions in the Office of the Secretary of Defense Legislative Affairs—followed by a shift to focus exclusively on federal healthcare policy as the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs. As part of the senior management team, he worked to address important issues like medical readiness and peacetime healthcare delivery for military.
For professional enrichment, Leary teaches an online course on medical informatics and decision management for The George Washington University’s Master of Health Administration program. He also served as the treasurer of Falls Church High School’s Parent Teacher Student Association.
Leary earned his master’s degree in legislative affairs from The George Washington University. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Rutgers University, He is a Certified Association Executive (CAE) through the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), and has completed the Georgetown University Executive Leadership Certificate program.
Tom is a proud member of the Leary Bunch from Wanaque, NJ. He lives in Falls Church, VA with his awesome educator wife, Day, and teenage sons, Jackson Thomas and Marcus Paul, who are his current and future heroes!
