Katie Parizek is a clinical informaticist passionate about leveraging health information systems and technology to reduce the burden of delivering healthcare and to optimize health and wellness. In her role as Chief Health Informatics Officer for the U.S. Coast Guard, Katie drives healthcare modernization through the implementation of technical solutions that support outpatient and operational environments, the maturation of data governance, the development of strategy and the use of change management techniques to promote optimal use of health information systems.
Katie’s experience includes product management, software and device testing, process improvement and risk management. Her clinical background includes medical-surgical, telemetry, & behavioral health nursing and ambulatory clinic management. As a U.S. Naval Officer for over 11 years, Katie has extensive experience leading teams to successful outcomes. She received her MSN in Healthcare Informatics from the University of San Diego in 2020.
What motivated your interest in serving on the advisory board for the MS-HCI program? What are you hoping to contribute?
I am extremely grateful for my USD education and the USD faculty who have inspired me. Given the expansive and fast-changing world of healthcare informatics, diverse perspectives are needed for curriculum development. I am thrilled for the opportunity to contribute my perspective and, in doing so, give back to USD and future students.
What advice do you have for anyone interested in advancing their career in health care informatics?
Seek opportunities. You never know what you will learn by joining a conference, a webinar, a project, committee, or by meeting someone new. Those experiences will widen your breadth of knowledge and may open doors to other opportunities. Apply yourself in your current role. Opportunities may not be referred to as “informatics”, but most any work involving data, software or databases, medical devices, process improvement, healthcare business operations, or customer management will help prepare you for a career in health informatics.