I was looking at a job posting for a CMIO.  The first requirement is that the person must be a physician and a degree in healthcare infomatics.  Good start.  All of the other requirements read more like those one would expect to find in a receptionist–works and plays well with others, is kind to small animals.

You want someone whose name nobody will remember in five years–sort of like the umpire of a baseball game.  If they do their job right, nobody will know they were even there.

So what’s missing?  This is a been there done that job.  Battle hardened.  At what?  EHR?  I don’t think that has to be the case.  There aren’t many of those, and even fewer who have been successful.  Does it need to be a doctor?  I don’t think so.  There are plenty of docs, and there are enough medical infomatics.  I think it’s worth looking at a solution whereby you staff the project with those skills, but as far as having someone lead the charge, I respectfully suggest considering finding someone with big project experience.