Job SummaryThis position plays a critical role in supporting Augusta Health's mission and advancing departmental goals through measurable performance indicators and service excellence. This position contributes to a collaborative, patient-centered environment and helps drive outcomes aligned with organizational priorities.
The Principal Clinical Informaticist provides strategic and operational leadership for nursing informatics and digital health initiatives. Reporting to the CIO, the Principal Clinical Informaticist collaborates across nursing, clinical, and IT teams to align technology with nursing practice, improve care delivery, and enhance workflows through evidence-based informatics strategies. The role ensures nursing input in system design, promotes technology adoption, and leads optimization efforts to reduce burdens and improve outcomes.
The Principal Clinical Informaticist provides leadership for clinical technology initiatives and supports the development of a digitally capable nursing workforce. A key component of this role is fostering strong interdisciplinary partnerships with physician teams, pharmacy, case management, therapy and other clinical support teams. The scope of informatics leadership and support extends to the many professional roles in clinical care, such as case management, pharmacy, therapy teams, front office staff and other professionals working in patient care settings; specific associate chief nursing informatics officer assignments will be made to allow focus for the Principal Clinical Informaticist in the care settings that they are most proficient with. This role works closely with the CIO, CMIO, CNO and AMG leaders to foster alignment and coordination in the selection and implementation of innovative technology for Augusta Health. The position reports directly to the CIO and has a collaborative reporting relationship to the CNO or AMG COO as appropriate.
Essential Job Duties- Operate as part of a clinical nursing informatics team to provide clinical informatics leadership across all clinical care teams of Augusta Health, including the hospital, ED, outpatient pavilion, cancer center, the many practices of Augusta Medical Group, population health, hospice and home health with specific focus areas as assigned.
- Partner with other associate chief nursing informatics officers to provide integrated, collaborative leadership on clinical informatics responsibilities.
- Partner with the CIO, CNO, and CMIO on digital transformation impacting nursing and serve as a change agent and leader for digital initiatives across all care settings.
- In collaboration with the CIO, CNO and CMIO, serve as a leader for evaluating, selecting and implementing new and innovative technologies for the health system.
- Serve as a collaborative nursing informatics leader for EHR implementation and ongoing optimal use by nursing and ancillary clinical teams across the health system.
- Develop and monitor key performance indicators and nursing technology metrics to identify improvement opportunities and guide implementation of solutions.
- Lead informatics education and training efforts for clinical end users.
- Partner with the CMIO and leaders in Augusta Medical Group to lead the growth of virtual care in its many dimensions, as an essential path for improving access to care for our community.
- Evaluate emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), ambient clinical documentation, and remote monitoring, for safe, appropriate integration into clinical care.
- Represent Augusta Health externally in professional organizations, conferences, and community initiatives to share best practices and advance healthcare informatics leadership.
- Serve as a mentor and role model for digital transformation and innovation across the clinical community demonstrating strong leadership behaviors that inspire collaboration, innovation, and mutual respect for all disciplines.
- Foster a strong informatics workforce; mentor nurse informaticists and clinical champions throughout the organization.
- Partner with clinical and information technology leadership to create and implement annual work plans for nursing informatics that align with Augusta Health's strategic goals and annual work plans.
- Partner with the CMIO to develop strategies and tactics that foster multidisciplinary alignment and effective team-based workflows throughout all care settings.
15. Represent nursing in IT governance, project leadership, and strategic planning forums. Likewise, represent IT in nursing governance, project leadership, and strategic planning forums.
16. Collaborate with Quality, Risk, Compliance and Information Security teams to ensure that clinical information systems meet all applicable regulatory, privacy, safety, and security requirements.
17. Champion the use of data integrity, data governance, interoperability standards, and health information exchange (HIE) participation to enhance care coordination across organizational and regional boundaries.
18. Lead change management strategies to promote successful adoption of clinical technologies and minimize disruption to clinical operations.
19. Perform other duties aligned with Augusta Health's mission and values
Required Qualifications- Education: Master's in Nursing; nursing informatics or information management from an accredited school of nursing
- Licensure/Certification: Active RN license in Virginia; Informatics Nursing Certification (RN-BC) within 1 year of hire.
- Experience: 5+ years clinical nursing, 3+ years in nursing informatics leadership
- Driver's License: N/A
- Eligibility to work in the United States and meet Virginia state employment requirements
Preferred Qualifications- Education:
- Licensure/Certification:
- ITIL Foundation Certification; Clinical informatics fellowship or formal training
- Experience: Enterprise IT experience (e.g., EHR implementation)
- Prior experience in a hospital, healthcare system, or related service-oriented environment
- Familiarity with Augusta Health's systems, workflows, or organizational culture is a plus
Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities- Deep understanding of nursing practice, clinical workflows, and digital tools that support care.
- Leadership experience in change management, education, and stakeholder engagement.
- Proficiency in data analysis, performance measurement, and system evaluation.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills with clinical and non-clinical teams.
- Demonstrates a strong understanding of cybersecurity principles and maintains vigilance in identifying potential security risks; actively takes measures to prevent risks by following cybersecurity best practices and organizational policies.
- Skillful in navigating computers, operating systems, and a variety of software tools necessary for learning, adopting, and training others on applications.
- Interest in and ability to critically assess and guide the adoption of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI)-for their clinical appropriateness, safety, operational impact, and alignment with organizational strategy and patient care goals.
- Strategic planning capabilities aligned with system-wide goals.
- Skill in mentoring and developing nurse informaticists and interdisciplinary partners.
- Commitment to patient safety, continuous improvement and high-reliability organization principles.
- Proficiency in usability testing, design thinking, and digital transformation.
- Interest in continuous learning, especially in regard to new technologies and digital tools with a commitment to staying abreast of technology developments in healthcare IT.
