Our January Employee Spotlight is Tone Southerland, an exceptional individual who wears many hats with grace and excellence. He is a highly regarded Principal Engineer with a passion for healthcare interoperability and a strong commitment to mentorship. Throughout his career, Tone has demonstrated his dedication and caring nature by constantly going above and beyond to support those around him. He is also an active member of IHE International, further showcasing his commitment to advancing the healthcare industry through the use of technology. Tone’s wealth of experience, knowledge, and passion make him a valuable asset to Kno2, and his contributions to the field will continue to make a lasting impact for years to come.
Read on to learn more about Tone.
What do you do at Kno2?
I explore new paths and develop solutions to solve healthcare interoperability problems. On a typical day I am deep in code, either digging into our existing code, or working with my colleagues to design and code new solutions to meet customers’ needs. I also participate on the IHE International Board as a representative to the Patient Care Coordination domain and get involved with various healthcare standards development activities as time allows.
What motivates you to wake up and go to work every day?
Everyone has a healthcare story. No one is exempt. Part of my story relates back to my (now) 18-year-old daughter who was diagnosed with eosinophilic gastroenteritis when she was 7 years old. While she is healthy today with a great long-term prognosis, my wife and I had a rather long journey of concern and discovery to get to a diagnosis and better understand her disease and how to manage it. What motivates me is making our healthcare system better, seeking ways to open up access to health information, ensuring that we, as patients, have access to that data whether through our doctors in the course of care or through direct patient access. As an industry we have certainly made strides over the past 15 or so years, but there are many gaps to still close.
What do you enjoy most outside of work?
My wife of 18 years and our four children are the delight of my life. We are active and busy, involved in youth sports, our church and school, and many other facets of family and community life. We love to be outside, travel, and just spend time together, whether working on projects, playing games, or going for hikes.
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
I deeply enjoy working on my Toyota Land Cruisers, whether rebuilding an engine or keeping a newer one running or driving them into the middle of nowhere to cross rivers, navigate mud holes, and climb rocks, they bring a sense of appreciation for the processes and engineering that Toyota has brought to market. I strongly prefer daily driving a rusty and trusty old Land Cruiser than a new car any day! I am also fairly actively involved in my local club, contributing to various events that we hold throughout the year supporting charities such as the Fisher House Foundation.
