Empowering Nursing Through Informatics: A Journey with Kay Burke
Since joining UCSF Health in 2017, Kay Burke has made significant strides as the VP and Chief Nursing Informatics Officer. With strategic oversight of the Nursing Informatics team, Kay has established and advanced the nursing informatics function across the health system. She recently expanded her portfolio to include the Clinical Systems Training team, emphasizing the synergy between informatics and training. "I am very excited that recently, the Clinical Systems Training team is also part of my portfolio and am looking forward to the ongoing collaborations between informatics and training!" she shared enthusiastically.
Kay's journey with Epic, a leading electronic health record software, began in 2009 when she started as an Ambulatory application analyst. When asked about who she admires in the tech space, she mentioned that over the years, she has collaborated closely with Emily Barey, now Epic's Chief Nurse. Their partnership has focused on leveraging technology to enhance the lives of clinicians and patients. Kay highlights the importance of having vendor partners who prioritize genuine improvements over sales agendas. "While often vendor partners can come with a sales agenda, she has always been an excellent partner in how their software can (and can't) improve the lives of clinicians - and of patients," she explains.
As healthcare delivery evolves, Kay is energized by the opportunities and challenges it presents. She is particularly excited about UCSF's new Health IT Operating Model, Senior Leadership's five-year strategic priorities, and the expansion of their enterprise with two new community hospitals. "Healthcare delivery is changing: the world is more consumer-driven, and our patients want choices and to feel empowered to make decisions," she notes. Kay believes that technology must be personalized, flexible, and patient-centric, incorporating innovations like AI, smart hospitals, mobile devices, IoT, and virtual care platforms. Her advice to women in tech is to remain curious, open-minded, and comfortable with ambiguity. "Mentorship is key. There are incredibly talented people at UCSF who are eager to help others - take advantage of that!" she encourages.
Below, Kay is pictured with her daughter and husband in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (Lake Superior) on their family road trip this summer.
