From Self-Taught Web Developer to Healthcare CIO with Angie Cosca | Ep045

Episode Information Show NotesEpisode OverviewAngie Cosca’s career journey challenges every assumption about traditional tech career paths. Starting with no formal computer science education, she taught herself HTML using Notepad, worked her way up through help desk support, and eventually became CIO of a major healthcare organization – all while staying with the same company for 23 years.Her story demonstrates the power of curiosity, relationship-building, and continuous learning in creating a successful technology career.Key TakeawaysOn Career Development:Formal education isn’t required for tech success, but continuous learning is non-negotiableTaking on responsibilities beyond your job description opens unexpected opportunitiesBuilding relationships across the organization matters as much as technical skillsOn Leadership:Understanding business workflows and pain points enables better technology solutionsCollaborative hiring processes involving other departments improve team dynamicsSecond opinions and diverse perspectives strengthen decision-makingOn Healthcare IT:Technology professionals in healthcare indirectly save lives by ensuring reliable systemsVendor relationships should be partnerships, not just transactionsAI implementation requires careful change management to avoid employee fearGuest BackgroundAngie Cosca serves as Chief Information Officer at Steinberg Diagnostic Medical Imaging (SDMI), where she oversees IT infrastructure, compliance, and security for 12 locations serving 550+ employees. The organization processes approximately 500,000 diagnostic studies annually, including MRIs, CTs, X-rays, and ultrasounds.Beyond her corporate role, Angie is President of ISSA Las Vegas and dedicates extensive time to mentoring through IT Works, a 16-week intensive program helping disadvantaged students transition into technology careers.Resources MentionedIT Works: 16-week intensive IT program for disadvantaged studentsISSA Las Vegas: Information Systems Security Association chapterPACS: Picture Archival Communication System for medical imagingUNLV Negotiation Course: Referenced for professional developmentEpisode HighlightsThe Power of Curiosity: How asking “why” and observing workflows leads to better solutionsVendor Partnership Strategy: Building relationships beyond transactional interactionsMentorship Impact: The long-term relationships formed through programs like IT WorksHealthcare Technology: Understanding the life-saving implications of reliable IT systemsConnect with AngieLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angeline-cosca/ISSA Las Vegas: https://www.lvissa.org/ TranscriptionManuel Martinez: Welcome everyone. My name is Manuel Martinez, and this is another episode of Career Downloads. Where each episode, I basically hit the refresh button and bring on a different guest to learn more about their background and their experiences, to really help uncover any actionable advice that you can use as you’re managing your own career. I’m excited for today’s episode because I have with me Angie Cosca, and she is a CIO here in, for the medical industry within Las Vegas. So again, I’m very excited to kind of understand her journey, where she kind of started and eventually how she ended up in her role. So with that, I’ll introduce Angie. Hi Angie. Angie Cosca: Hi, thank you for having me, Manuel. Manuel Martinez: I appreciate you coming on and being open to kind of sharing your experiences. Angie Cosca: I’m excited. Manuel Martinez: So if you don’t mind, can you just kind of tell us what your current role is and just some of the roles and responsibilities that you fulfill on a daily basis for the most part? Angie Cosca: Sure. So I am currently the Chief Information Officer for Steinberg Diagnostic Medical Imaging. For some of the audiences that know what this is, it’s a radiology center. We have 12 locations here, and we handle about half a million studies a year.