Join us for our upcoming Health COI Member Meeting on December 15, 2025, from 12 PM - 1 PM ET. This fully virtual event will feature a panel discussion on "Federal Health IT: Insights, Trends, and What Industry Needs to Know."
Session Description:
As federal health agencies accelerate digital transformation, understanding their priorities is critical for industry success. This session brings together former federal health technology executives for an honest dialogue on modernization, data strategy, and procurement realities. Hear candid insights from senior leaders in federal health IT as they share what worked, what didn’t, and what industry needs to know to partner effectively with government. This conversation will explore:
• Lessons learned from modernization initiatives
• How priorities shift behind the scenes in federal health IT
• Common pitfalls in vendor engagement—and how to avoid them
• Emerging opportunities for innovation and collaboration in 2026 and beyond
Whether you’re building solutions or shaping strategy, this discussion will help you align with federal needs and deliver real impact.
Moderator
- Ratima Kataria, VP, Federal Health, ICF (former Deputy CIO, HHS/HRSA)
Panelists
- Avery Muse, CEO, The Muse Group (former Executive Director, Office of IT Operations, HHS)
- Mohammed Sohail Chaudhry, CIO, Precise Software Solutions (former CTO, FDA)
- Nick Niefeld, Subcontract Manager, Akima (former Contracting Officer, NIH/NIDA)
Speaker Bios
Ratima Kataria is Vice President for Federal Health at ICF, bringing over 28 years of leadership across public and private sectors. A strategic innovator and growth leader, she previously served as Deputy Chief Information Officer at HHS/HRSA during the COVID-19 pandemic, driving agile technology solutions in a time of national crisis.
Ratima is known for forging impactful collaborations between government and industry to advance mission outcomes through innovation, inclusion, and digital transformation. Deeply committed to the federal mission, Ratima acts as a catalyst for collaboration between government and industry leaders through her involvement with associations like ACT IAC, AFCEA, PSC and others.
Before entering the federal space, Ratima led global growth initiatives in the semiconductor and satellite communications industries, giving her a unique cross-sector perspective that fuels her work today.
Avery Muse, Sr. is the founder and CEO of The Muse Group and a former member of the Senior Executive Service (SES). As Executive Director of the Office of IT Operations at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), he introduced the innovative Total Experience framework, driving both digital and business transformation. He led federation initiatives across HHS’s $8.9 billion IT ecosystem, enhancing collaboration and operational efficiency. Mr. Muse also held key IT leadership roles at the U.S. Capitol Police, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Defense Information Systems Agency. A U.S. Navy veteran, he has been recognized with numerous awards for his service and leadership.
Mohammed Sohail Chaudhry is a strategic leader with progressive and vibrant ideology of transformative change in business transformation, solution delivery and information management processes with a proven record of saving billions in information technology (IT) expenses by leveraging secure innovation. Currently serving as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and as the Vice President (VP) at Precise Software Solutions where he continues to serve the American people by providing exceptional ability and mission-focused strategic enablement to federal partners.
Prior to this he served as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) where he was responsible for standardization and modernization of IT by leading development of enterprise solutions while enabling the strategic business objectives of the agency.
Prior to that, Mr. Chaudhry served as the Chief Technology Architect, Chief Digital Strategist, Deputy Chief Information Security Officer (D-CISO) and as the Director of Infrastructure Operations leading the implementation, operations and maintenance of enterprise IT.
Mr. Chaudhry has also served as an expert and in transforming, automating and securing highly regulated agencies like the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and United States Department of the Treasury, and USAID where he established pragmatic goals and played an instrumental role in developing and maintaining outstanding relationship with internal and external customers through his professionalism, attention to detail, focus on responsiveness, and commitment to the mission. Through boundless creativity and enthusiasm, he contributed and continues to deliver exceptional ability, and dedication to duty in keeping highest standards of professional excellence.
Nick Niefeld is a federal procurement and contracting professional with extensive experience supporting mission-critical operations across multiple government agencies. He currently serves as a Subcontract Manager at Akima in their Mission Systems, Engineering & Technology Group, supporting federal procurement for clients including the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Defense (DoD).
Previously, he worked as a Contracting Officer at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where he managed high-value IT and R&D acquisitions that advanced NIH’s scientific mission.
Nick began his federal career at the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), providing acquisition support across several military branches and building a strong foundation in IT and R&D procurement. He brings a blend of government and industry experience, a deep understanding of federal acquisition, and a commitment to effective, compliant, and mission-driven procurement.
United States