On December 2, 2013, Health Sciences South Carolina (HSSC) welcomed Dr. Leslie Lenert as chief medical informatics officer (CMIO). Lenert is also the SmartState Endowed Chair in Medical Bioinformatics, MUSC’s chief research information office, and professor of Internal Medicine.
Lenert brings 20 years of experience in research and development work in informatics and predictive analytics. He served as the founding director of the National Center for Public Health Informatics at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention where he managed the development of key national biodefense computer systems.
Lenert’s mantra is “actionable information is integrated information.” As HSSC CMIO, Lenert will help to develop a statewide learning system by serving as the technical arm, supplying technology informatics that allows the system to run. “Health Sciences South Carolina is an extraordinary resource for the state,” said Lenert.
To make new discoveries and quickly translate them to the bedside, Lenert believes researchers must have access to the right information at the right time. “We must work collaboratively and change behaviors in an effort to transform data to information and information to knowledge. This design will allow us to more fully understand the specific needs of the patient and make health care more patient–centric and improve population health."