Audio Story: Healthcare Informatics Through Time
This audio story was created by the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Midwest Gateway Chapter, serving the greater St. Louis region, eastern Missouri and southern Illinois.
“Healthcare Informatics Through Time” features three nurses working for major hospital systems in St. Louis. Their opinions are their own and do not represent the viewpoint of their provider systems.
About the speakers:
Cheryl Denison, BSN, RN
Cheryl Denison began her professional journey in healthcare at Mercy in 1992. In 2006, Cheryl transitioned into the realm of healthcare informatics, joining the pioneering team tasked with spearheading Mercy's Enterprise install of Epic across more than 40 hospitals. Today, she is a trusted resource within the organization and excels in bridging clinical practice with technological solutions to advance patient care and organizational goals.
Tracy Breece, MSN, RN-BC, CPHIMS
Tracy Breece, a registered nurse, has over 25 years’ experience in the hospital / health care system. Early in her career, as new technology developments were introduced into a nurse’s daily life, Tracy quickly identified a natural affinity for connecting how technology is applied in the nurse’s thought process. She embraced technology change, advocating for enhanced workflows. Some might even have called her an early adaptor. Through countless implementations on multiple system-wide clinical technology projects, her true north is the passion for improving the daily life of the nurse freeing up time for nurses to do what they do best, care for patients. Today, Tracy serves as the Executive Director nursing informatics at Mercy. At the system level, she facilitates the integration of clinical, technical, operational, financial, and usability components of multiple information systems. She provides guidance for the development and implementation of digital healthcare solutions that will transform nursing and patient care practices. Tracy collaborates with executive leadership to align innovation initiatives with the organization's strategic goals and objectives.
It is also not uncommon to see Tracy with guests during her work weeks. Dedicated to supporting the growth of the nursing profession, Tracy routinely mentors nursing students preparing for both baccalaureate and master’s degrees.
Tracy Breece holds a master’s degree in nursing, with an emphasis on Healthcare Leadership. She is a certified informatics nurse from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and a Certified Professional in Health Information Management from the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS).
Debra Vollmer, MSN, NI-BC, CPHIMS
Debra Vollmer is a clinical informatics director with SSM Health. She was an RN in surgery, ambulatory care, inpatient care, and post-acute care, prior to finding her home in the clinical informatics field. She has a passion for collaboration between clinical specialties and the technology field and making processes more efficient.