The finalists for WashingtonExec’s 2024 Pinnacle Awards were announced Sept. 20, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person Nov. 21.
Next is Michael (Mike) Azar, director and chief enterprise architect at Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and finalist in the Healthcare Executive of the Year, Government, category. Here, he talks about recent achievements, shares career advice and more.
What key achievements did you have in 2024?
In 2024, we worked on shoring up key components of our enterprise architecture management tools. We successfully migrated and modeled all legacy enterprise architecture artifacts from the past 6 years, enabling improved data use for strategic decision-making.
What are your primary focus areas going forward, and why are those so important to the mission?
Our primary focus moving forward is developing clear line of site between our data and strategy. CMS data is one of our most unique assets. Understanding the data we have, its meaning, and how it supports mission critical program areas that cover 100 million Americans is our primary focus.
What is your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
I started out at as a critical care nurse then went into Nursing Informatics. It was a nontraditional path, but being grounded with a clinical background has helped keep my focus on patient care, even though my current position is IT-centric. So, having a unique skill set has always been helpful.
Fun Fact: What is something about you that most people do not know about?
I love fermentation: beer, bread, pickles and hot sauce. I love the science behind fermentation and making new things.