John Gaede
San Juan Regional Medical Center
Farmington, NM USA
"Having an inquisitive mind, asking questions, that drives us forward and everyone becomes better for it."
Career Roadmap
John's work combines: Technology, Medicine, and Problem Solving
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
I’m a fan of education and I do encourage pursuing a bachelor's degree, but there’s nothing like hands-on experience, especially in IT. Real-world experience helps you find your niche and understand where you can uniquely contribute to a team.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Chemistry
Tabor College
Bachelor's Degree
Clinical Laboratory Science
University of Kansas Medical Center
Graduate Degree
Theology
Dallas Theological Seminary
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
I began my career as a medical technologist in a small rural Kansas hospital, working in the lab and seeing firsthand how technology could affect patient care.
2.
In the early ’90s, I asked my boss if we could automate a paper-based workflow—that simple question opened the door to my career in healthcare IT.
3.
I spent most of my career working with rural, nonprofit hospitals, where caring for the community became my inspiration and passion.
4.
As healthcare moved from paper to electronic records, I helped organizations adopt technology that made patient information more accessible, legible, and safe.
5.
While working at an Oregon hospital, a ransomware attack took our systems offline and forced us back to paper—this reshaped how I think about cybersecurity and resilience.
6.
I’ve spent over 35 years in healthcare IT, ultimately growing into leadership positions.
7.
Now, I serve as the chief information officer at San Juan Regional Medical Center, where I lead technology efforts for a rural hospital serving communities across the region.
