The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) continues to strengthen its national standing as a leader in digital health through its participation in the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives’ (CHIME) Digital Health Most Wired program, one of the healthcare industry’s most respected benchmarks for technology maturity.
The CHIME Most Wired program provides national recognition for excellence in health information technology, evaluating how healthcare organizations adopt, integrate, and strategically leverage digital capabilities to improve care delivery, patient outcomes, and operational performance.
Demonstrating advanced digital maturity
CHIME evaluates organizations across areas such as clinical quality and safety, patient engagement, population health management, analytics, infrastructure, and cybersecurity.
UTMB received a Level 8 rating for 2025, indicating a high level of proficiency and leadership in leveraging technology for healthcare and placing an organization in the top tier of digital transformation globally.
Organizations operating at this level demonstrate optimization and innovation — using digital tools strategically to drive measurable improvements in quality, safety, access, and efficiency.
About 50,000 healthcare providers participated in the survey process in 2025. Of those, only a few hundred were designated as Most Wired, which requires a rating of 7 or above.
“This level of recognition shows you’re not just implementing technology,” said Jayson Laban, MBA, CHCIO, CDH-E, vice president of information services and chief information officer at UTMB. “You’re leveraging it in a way that directly supports outcomes, resilience, and long-term strategy.”
Why CHIME Most Wired matters
According to Laban, the Most Wired designation represents far more than an award. It is a strategic asset for UTMB.
The recognition strengthens the institution’s competitive edge, helping differentiate the academic health system in recruiting top clinical, research, and technology talent, attracting patients, and forming high-value partnerships.
It also enhances the UTMB position in value-based care initiatives, supporting negotiations and opening doors to grants and innovation-focused funding opportunities.
Equally important, the designation provides third-party validation that UTMB investments in technology and digital transformation are delivering measurable results.
“At the end of the day, Most Wired signals to all stakeholders, including patients, partners, students, faculty, and staff, that UTMB is a leader in technology-enabled care,” Laban said.
Raising the bar for digital health excellence
In recent years, CHIME has continued to refine Most Wired. The updated framework places increased emphasis on areas such as artificial intelligence, virtual care, cybersecurity preparedness, data interoperability, and emerging care delivery models, while introducing scoring methods that more equitably assess organizations based on size and complexity.
With tens of thousands of care sites evaluated nationwide, the program has become a trusted benchmark for understanding how healthcare organizations compare and where they are positioned for the future.
Looking ahead
UTMB leaders say alignment with CHIME’s standards supports a long-term vision focused on innovation, interoperability, security, and value-driven care. As healthcare continues to evolve, digital maturity remains central to the institution’s ability to advance research, education, and patient outcomes.
“This recognition reflects the talent, dedication, and collaboration of our team,” Laban said. “Their expertise and commitment to improving care through digital innovation are what position UTMB as a leader in advancing healthcare.”
By leveraging the CHIME Most Wired program as both a benchmark and a strategic tool, UTMB continues to reinforce its role as a forward-looking academic health system, one that uses technology as a catalyst for better health, discovery, and care delivery.