We can all agree advances in technology have had a great impact on how we work and how we treat our patients. Not only that, the technological tools we have at our disposal can be highly effective in gathering data. How do we manage all of this information? How do we use it to drive decisions? How can we share this information across our system?
That essentially is the mission of the newly-created Information Management Governance Cabinet. Its focus is sharing information, creating visibility and thinking strategically about technological investments for both UNMC and Nebraska Medicine.
“The Information Management Governance cabinet will provide a forum to educate and align us according to our data and technology needs,” said UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., who also serves as chairman of the Nebraska Medicine advisory board. “We need to consider the needs of the whole and tie those needs to our strategic plan.”
To accomplish this, the cabinet is made up of eight sub-committees that cover the spectrum of work on our campus: clinical care, academics, research, outreach, campus integration/global initiatives, shared IT, corporate relations/tech transfer and privacy and security.
“Anything we do generates data,” said Kelly Caverzagie, M.D., vice president of education and associate dean for educational strategy, UNMC College of Medicine. “Data provides information. How do we leverage this data to make strategic decisions?”
Information Management is all about taking that data and using it to its full potential.
“We want to make the best use of information resources and technology across our entire organization,” said Yvette Holly, assistant vice chancellor for Information Technology Services at UNMC.
The cabinet’s goal is to have line-of-sight as to the priorities and needs of each area before an investment is made in new technology.
“This is Nebraska Medicine and UNMC working together toward a common mission,” Dr. Caverzagie said.