Mark Brinley says there is no better time to be a part of information technology in healthcare. As the vice president of enterprise applications at Mercy — one of the top health systems in the United States — Brinley applies his knowledge of health informatics to his career, creating a more efficient and effective way to manage data and communicate with patients.
Today, the 23-year Mercy veteran maintains one of the most sophisticated electronic health records in use.
“Our industry has been heading toward more predictive and proactive analytics for some time,” he said. “The ability to tap into electronic health records and integrate more outside data to create a comprehensive 360-degree view of a patient’s health is vital so we can serve them in the best way possible, creating a more intimate and personalized experience.”
Moving up
Five years ago, Brinley recognized a desire to advance his professional career through education. He was attracted to the flexible format of the online Master’s in health informatics at Logan University in Chesterfield, Missouri. There, he found an engaging community of colleagues and faculty, many of whom held active roles in the healthcare and healthcare technology industries.
“Knowing they were peers in the industry was a comforting feeling and made the learning experience so much richer, as I applied what I was learning in the moment,” he said.
Brinley also appreciated how the health informatics curriculum evolved to consider shifts in the healthcare industry.
“Even after I graduated, Logan’s leadership was already reassessing and readapting courses for changes that were happening in the market,” he said.
Brinley says as more consumers are being pulled into technology and healthcare, the greater the need there is to provide better-informed care through the sharing of information.
“It’s imperative for healthcare IT leaders to be educated, and health informatics is absolutely essential in my field,” Brinley said.
