Bart Howe, President

Bart Howe is the chief executive officer of HealthMark Group, a leader in digital health information management based in Dallas, Texas. In that role, Howe leads a team focused on developing patient-centric technology solutions that streamline the flow of healthcare data to promote information accessibility and workflow optimization in healthcare without sacrificing privacy or security. Howe also serves as the president of the Alliance for Health Information Operations and Standards, an organization comprised of the leading health information management service companies with the mission to promote compliance and excellence in the management of confidential, patient-identifiable information.

Prior to his current roles, Howe served as executive vice president of business development and corporate strategy at Caris Life Sciences, a pioneering leader in precision medicine, biotechnology and molecular diagnostics, where he led global business development, corporate strategy, international distribution, marketing and biopharma services. Howe’s entrepreneurial experience includes co-founding Ubiquitous Energy, Inc., a venture-backed solar energy technology company. He began his career in finance as an analyst at JPMorgan Chase. Howe holds a BBA in finance from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School.

Kyle Probst, Vice President

Kyle Probst is a Georgia-licensed attorney who has been practicing law for more than 20 years and currently serves as the Deputy General Counsel for Datavant’s provider business, as well as their Director of State Government Relations. His role requires him to advise Datavant’s provider business regarding federal and state privacy laws, including but not limited to HIPAA, HITECH, the 21st Century Cures Act and more. In addition, Kyle has worked on state legislation regarding medical records in over 30 states.

Nathan Eastman, Treasurer

As the treasurer for AHIOS, Mr. Eastman strives to lead the association in its mission to strengthen and enhance the health information management (HIM) outsourcing industry while promoting excellence in the handling and dissemination of protected heath information. As Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for MRO, Eastman oversees MRO’s financial initiatives. Prior to assuming this role, Eastman was CFO of Availity, LLC, an integrated healthcare technology company that leverages its digital information network to improve care coordination and patient outcomes and increase financial and operating efficiencies for payers and providers. Prior to Availity, Eastman was CFO at Inovalon, Inc., a leading healthcare data connectivity and clinical analytics company. Eastman, who began his career in various finance roles at Express Scripts, Inc. and PWC, LLP, graduated with an accounting degree from St. Norbert College and received his MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.

Elizabeth McElhiney, Director of Legislative Affairs

Ms. McElhiney is the Privacy and Security Officer and a Regional Director of Client Services at Verisma. She has over 13 years of experience in the HIM and Health Information Technology (HIT) industries and is a member of AHIMA, ILHIMA, HIMSS, and PMI. Ms. McElhiney received a Master’s in Health Administration with a specialization in Health Informatics from Capella University and a Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science from Illinois Wesleyan University. She currently holds CHPS, CAHIMS, and CRIS credentials.

Steve Socha, Secretary

Steve Socha serves as the SVP of Central Operations for Sharecare Health Data Services, LLC where he oversees quality control and privacy and compliance issues for this division of Sharecare. Prior to joining Sharecare, Steve worked in oceanographic research and manufacturing operations in the biotech and medical device fields. He received his B.S. in Oceanography from the University of Washington.

Darin Challacombe, Director of Education

​As Secretary of AHIOS, Mr. Challacombe strives to promote the Health Information Management (HIM) outsourcing industry by facilitating communications between AHIOS and industry stakeholders; working with AHIOS members to increase interest in Release of Information (ROI) as a career path for new HIM professionals; and promoting patient awareness of their access and privacy rights in a continually changing and complex environment. Mr. Challacombe is the Manager of Training and Employee Development for Verisma. Through this position, he is a member of the Human Resources team and oversees all educational opportunities for the company. He has worked in the educational space since 2002 and has focused on HIM and ROI for the past four years. Mr. Challacombe has a Ph.D. in Social Psychology and is on the faculty for Fort Hays State University. Prior to Verisma, Mr. Challacombe worked as a grant-writer for a not-for-profit and for the Department of Justice. Outside of work, he currently serves on the board of Global Ties Kansas City, a not-for-profit organization connecting the USA to the world. He is a regular volunteer with the KKFI 90.1 Kansas City Community Radio station, United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, and several other organizations in Kansas City serving individuals with housing and food insecurities.

Dick Logan
Emeritus Membership and a founder and past President and Executive Director of AHIOS.