Mary Beth Saddoris

Name (pronouns): 
Mary Beth Saddoris (She, her, hers)
Department/Division: 
Office of the CIO, UCSF IT Communications
Years at UCSF: 
I was a contractor from November 2019 to June 2020. I came back as an FTE in May 2021.
Role in technology: 
I lead our IT Communications team for the Office of the CIO.
What technology project(s) have you worked on that you are most proud of?: 

I have nearly 10 years of experience working in healthcare technology, leading change adoption communications efforts for systemwide technology infrastructure changes including Electronic Health Records and Enterprise Resource Planning. At UCSF, my work has included the APeX instance merger with Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, the APeX implementation at MarinHealth Medical Center, and the Wisdom implementation for our School of Dentistry. In recent months, I have had the pleasure of being part of the Health IT Operations team working on the evolution of the Health IT operating model.

How has technology helped you achieve a goal within your role or department?: 

Since I have been working in marketing and communications for well over 20 years, I have experienced firsthand the evolution of tools available to help create and distribute content, including everything from basic email marketing and graphic design programs to Google Analytics and full-scale, customized marketing automation solutions. These tools have allowed me and my teams to craft and distribute content that is increasingly targeted towards specific audiences and to measure our effectiveness over time by analyzing available metrics such as open and click rates, page views, etc., as indicators of engagement and expanding readership.

What’s your favorite aspect of your role at UCSF and why?: 

Having somewhat recently moved from my Health IT Operations communications role into enterprise IT, I am loving the opportunity to be plugged into broader conversations about the UCSF initiatives spanning across all mission areas. As leader of IT Communications, I want to help find and communicate the linkages between and across these initiatives and help our colleagues understand the organization's priorities and corresponding impacts to our work.

What’s one ‘fun fact’ about you that not many people know?: 

I learned to swim before I learned to walk, in my grandparents' backyard pool in Florida as an infant.

What do you like to do when you’re not at work?: 

When the weather is warm and sunny, my husband and I love boating and swimming at our favorite lake in the foothills of Mount St. Helens in SW Washington. In the cooler months, we enjoy making and eating food with friends and spending time in cozy environments waiting for the sun to return.

If you could learn anything, what would that be?: 

I would love to understand exactly what animals are saying when they "talk."