Medical Director of Clinical Informatics

Summary

The Medical Director of Clinical Informatics role is essential to drive physician adoption of Epic and optimize their use within Phelps Health. The increasing complexity of healthcare systems, coupled with the rapid evolution of technology, requires a dedicated leadership role to oversee the effective implementation and utilization of clinical information systems. The Medical Director of Clinical Informatics will play a pivotal role in:

• Optimizing clinical workflows: Ensuring that technology solutions streamline processes and improve efficiency.
• Improving Physician Engagement in Information Technologies: Bridge the gap between clinical practice and information technology, ensuring that technology solutions align with clinical needs
• Reducing Burnout and Administrative Burden While Increasing EHR Satisfaction: Physicians and advanced practitioners who make use of personalization settings, receive ongoing training, and have support are more satisfied with their EMR, resulting in a direct reduction in burnout.

Proposed Role and Responsibilities

The Medical Director of Clinical Informatics will be responsible for:

• Evaluation and Optimization of Epic Adoption and Use: Evaluating Signal data to identify opportunities for efficiency improvement for Phelps Health providers with the goal of reducing burnout and improving satisfaction.
• Provider Peer Support: Providing direct peer-to-peer support for providers.
• Education and Training: Developing and delivering training programs, such as Thrive, to educate providers on the effective use of clinical information systems.
• Technology Evaluation and Adoption: Assessing new technologies and recommending their adoption based on clinical needs and benefits.
• Clinical Workflow Optimization: Collaborating with clinicians and IT staff to identify and address inefficiencies in clinical workflows.
• Physician Onboarding Support: Providing tailored onboarding support for new physicians, ensuring their success for optimizing clinical system use, directly impacting job satisfaction and retention.
• Lead Physician Advisory Council: Revitalize and lead the Health Informatics Advisory Council (HIAC). HIAC is a physician-lead council that provides input and guidance on the implementation and use of clinical information systems at Phelps Health.
• Collaborate with the IT Team: Assist to define, develop, and implement clinical informatics solutions that align with the hospital's strategic goals and clinical needs. This includes working closely with IT staff to understand their capabilities and limitations, and communicating expectations to peers regarding the scope and timeline for delivering new or requested technology solutions.
• Training and education: Obtain applicable certifications such as Epic's Physician Builder certification, SmartUser badge, Epic for the Clinical Informaticist certification, Epic Empowering the Clinical End User badge, etc..
• Attend Epic UGM: Stay updated on the latest Epic features, network with peers, learn best practices, and influence future development and use of the Epic.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate for the Medical Director of Clinical Informatics role will possess:

• A passion for leveraging technology to improve patient care.
• Strong knowledge of clinical workflows and processes.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Effective collaboration and respect among peers.

Benefits of Establishing the Role

• Improved patient care: Optimized clinical workflows lead to better patient outcomes.
• Increased efficiency: The use of technology can streamline processes and reduce administrative burden.
• Improved Physician Retention: Reduce burnout, improve wellness by reducing pajama time and improving work/life balance and job satisfaction.
• Enhanced Patient Experience: Improving overall physician happiness correlates to better connections with patients, improving the patient experience.

Phelps Health is an independent hospital system serving over 200,000 residents in south-central Missouri. Phelps Health is county-owned, non-tax supported and is overseen by a five-member elected board. Phelps Health employs more than 1,900 people, including 100-plus providers. Phelps Health, which includes a hospital licensed for 240 patient beds, serves a six-county area, with its main campus and several clinics located in Rolla, Missouri. Phelps Health also has clinics in Salem, St. James, Vienna and Waynesville, Missouri.

Rolla, Missouri is home to over 20,000 residents and is the county seat of Phelps County. It is also home to Missouri S&T, a leading STEM university which was recently ranked 3rd in the nation for career placement among public universities (Princeton Review) and 1st in the state of Missouri for return on investment (Georgetown's Center on Education). Rolla is nestled in the Ozarks along I-44 just 90 minutes from St. Louis, and maintains a balance of small town charm and suburban amenities.