The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) is the state’s only academic medical center and includes six health science schools and a faculty group practice of the School of Medicine. UMMC offers the state’s only Level I trauma center, Level IV neonatal intensive care unit, organ transplant programs, and many other specialty referral services.
UMMC’s three-part mission is to improve the lives of Mississippians by educating tomorrow’s healthcare professionals, conducting health sciences research, and providing cutting-edge patient care.
The health system is one of the state’s largest employers. The Medical Center’s $2 billion annual budget, approximately one-tenth from state appropriations that are directed to assist the academic mission, represents 10 percent of the Jackson metro area economy and two percent of the state economy.
UMMC hospitals:
- University Hospital
- Children’s of Mississippi
- Wiser Hospital for Women and Infants
- Wallace Conerly Critical Care Hospital
- UMMC Holmes County
- UMMC Grenada
Facts and Figures
3K+ enrolled students
700 physicians
10K+ employees
31,230 hospital admissions
114,999 ER visits
284,057 outpatient visits
575,683 clinic visits
864 beds
$98.7M net income
$2.1B total revenues
Figures based on UMMC Annual Report 2024.
Position Overview
UMMC seeks a CMIO to lead system-wide Epic optimization initiatives, develop governance models, and serve as the clinical informatics expert. This strategic role reports to the Chief Medical Officer with a dotted line to the CIO.
The organization runs lean but plans to add resources to the Epic team in the next fiscal year. While the current team is skilled at implementation, UMMC needs optimization and workflow design leadership. This position has been vacant, and the leadership team is fully committed to making this role successful.
This position offers a unique opportunity to build a physician-builder program from the ground up, establish formal governance structures, and lead standardization efforts across a major academic medical center. The successful candidate will create UMMC’s optimization roadmap in an organization ready for positive change.
Success will be measured through relationship development with clinical and IT teams, implementation of the physician builder program, comprehensive assessment of Epic utilization, and improved efficiency around key documentation and workflow opportunities.
The CMIO will maintain some clinical practice, up to 20% (all physician leaders at UMMC maintain clinical practice). They will initially have two direct reports: Epic Medical Directors for ambulatory and inpatient areas.
Key Projects
- Lead system-wide optimization and standardization of Epic
ο Implement a physician-builder program to further enhance provider documentation
ο Develop more efficient workflows for all caregivers
ο Partner with clinical and technical leaders to prioritize Epic enhancements
- Develop a governance model for Epic
ο Streamline regulatory reporting
Key Responsibilities
- Educate, motivate, and provide expertise – serve as the clinical leader for Epic
- Work with key stakeholders to develop a roadmap for Epic optimization
- Serve as a liaison between physicians, frontline staff, and the Epic team
- Drive improvements in regulatory reporting
- Foster a culture of data-driven performance through strategic Epic design
- Participate in data governance from a clinical perspective
- Improve clinical data capture and reporting efficiency
Qualifications
Education, Experience, and Technical Background
- A licensed physician with at least 5 years of medical practice experience
- Master’s degree or board certification in informatics is preferred
- Experience with EPIC is preferred
- Experience with an academic medical system is preferred
Strategic and Leadership Competencies
- Knowledge of how IT impacts care delivery and disease prevention
- Understanding of ROI requirements for IT investments
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills across diverse teams
- Experience optimizing IT around clinical workflows (inpatient & outpatient)
- Proven leadership with clear priorities and practical experience
- Skilled in designing systems within technical and financial limits
- Effective in matrix management environments
- Systems thinker with strong organizational skills and quality focus
- Collaborative team player who values integration over silos
- Insight into healthcare, managed care, clinical systems, and IT trends for strategic advantage
Please note this is an on-site position in Jackson, MS.
About Jackson, Mississippi
Affordable living
Jackson is the capital city, located in central Mississippi along the Pearl River, and about three hours from Memphis, Tennessee. Compared with other similarly sized cities, Jackson is very affordable. The cost of living is almost 24% lower than the U.S. average and the median home sale price is significantly lower than the national median. Forbes magazine ranked Jackson third for “Bang For Your Buck”.
Diverse culture
Jackson and the surrounding communities offer a vast array of local dining experiences. The city, known as “The City With Soul”, has an eclectic music scene with several concert venues, and outdoor music festivals.
Year-round outdoor recreation
Sports and outdoor enthusiasts take advantage of Jackson’s mild climate and enjoy year-round opportunities for running, biking, fishing, hunting, swimming, kayaking, tennis, and PGA golf.
Procedure for Candidacy
Final candidates should expect two interviews with Kirby Partners recruiters (including a video conference interview). You may be asked to complete our “Executive Profile” and submit references to be considered for presentation to the search committee.
Margaret Cowan
Executive Recruiter