Katie Dickens named UK HealthCare chief digital and information officer
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 4, 2024) — Following an extensive nationwide search, UK HealthCare announces the appointment of Katie Dickens in the role of chief digital and information officer (CDIO). Dickens will report directly to Brian Nichols, enterprise chief information officer of UK.
Dickens will have responsibility for leadership and oversight of the UK HealthCare Information Technology team, serving as chief strategist for information technology planning and implementation within UK HealthCare, as well as a change agent for digital health technologies. As CDIO, she will oversee Health Information Management (HIM), the chief nursing information officer and clinical/Epic information services (specifically acute, pharmacy, ambulatory, revenue cycle, imaging radiology and patient financial).
Dickens has been asked to develop and execute strategies that optimize and transform care delivery models in the clinician-patient experience through the smart use of the electronic health record, digital tools, advanced technologies, services and processes. In setting our digital health vision, she will align the use of technology with health system strategies and key priorities, always balancing value while addressing operational challenges through the available digital means.
Dickens will maintain key relationships with clinical leadership, College of Medicine department chairs, and the deans and IT staff of UK's health profession colleges.
Bringing a wealth of more than 20 years of progressive experience in health care operations, Dickens most recently was vice president of technology applications at Bronson Healthcare in Michigan. In that role, she expertly managed the IT application portfolio for clinical services, specialties and diagnostics, the revenue cycle, and corporate functionalities. Moreover, she played a pivotal role in delivering solutions for consumer health products, community health initiatives and the financial management of information technology.
Dickens holds a bachelor's degree in organization management and a master's degree in business administration and management, both earned at Central Michigan University.
Her appointment underscores our commitment to the objectives outlined in our strategic refresh. Dicken’s leadership will be instrumental in steering UK HealthCare through the evolving landscape of digital health, ensuring we not only meet but exceed our goals of enhancing patient care, operational efficiency and innovation.
Dickens will join the UK HealthCare team in early May 2024.
UK HealthCare is the hospitals and clinics of the University of Kentucky. But it is so much more. It is more than 10,000 dedicated health care professionals committed to providing advanced subspecialty care for the most critically injured and ill patients from the Commonwealth and beyond. It also is the home of the state’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that cares for the tiniest and sickest newborns, the region’s only Level 1 trauma center and Kentucky’s top hospital ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
As an academic research institution, we are continuously pursuing the next generation of cures, treatments, protocols and policies. Our discoveries have the potential to change what’s medically possible within our lifetimes. Our educators and thought leaders are transforming the health care landscape as our six health professions colleges teach the next generation of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals, spreading the highest standards of care. UK HealthCare is the power of advanced medicine committed to creating a healthier Kentucky, now and for generations to come.