Jennifer Wilson, Public Relations Manager · January 13, 2014
West Columbia, S.C. – Kathleen Herald, Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Lexington Medical Center, has achieved professional certification from the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME). Representing achievement of the highest standard, the Certified Healthcare CIO (CHICIO) certification shows that Ms. Herald has demonstrated the commitment, knowledge and experience required to master the core skills needed by successful chief information officers.
Ms. Herald has served in her position at Lexington Medical Center since 2011. Her main responsibility is to work together with hospital leadership to ensure that LMC’s technology and applications are aligned with the hospital’s goals and mission.
“Lexington Medical Center recognizes the importance of putting new technology in our network of care,” Ms. Herald said. “My goal is to manage the daily information operations of the hospital successfully while expanding and optimizing our technological innovations to enhance patient care and meet the needs of our community.”
One of Ms. Herald’s most successful projects during her tenure at LMC has been overseeing the implementation of an electronic health records system for the hospital in May of 2013.
To receive the CHICIO certification, Ms. Herald had to pass a rigorous 125-question examination and possess specific professional qualifications including continuing education units and at least three years of experience as a chief information officer.
“We congratulate Kathleen Herald for her commitment to the healthcare CIO profession,” said CHIME President and CEO Russell P. Branzell. “As a CHICIO, Kathleen Herald has identified herself as a leading professional, giving her an immediate and continuous advantage in the industry.”
Ms. Herald joined Lexington Medical Center as Vice President and Chief Information Officer in 2011. She has more than 30 years of experience in information services and systems integration at health care organizations in the Carolinas and Georgia. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from St. Francis College in PA and a medical technology degree with certification from Bowman Gray School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, NC. Ms. Herald is a past president of the South Carolina Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) chapter, and a current Member of HIMSS, CHIME, and the Information Systems Audit and Control Association.
Lexington Medical Center is a 607-bed teaching hospital in West Columbia, South Carolina. It anchors a health care network that includes five community medical centers and employs a staff of more than 8,000 health care professionals. The hospital is ranked best hospital in the Columbia Metro and #2 hospital in South Carolina by U.S. News & World Report and was named one of the “Best Places to Work in South Carolina” by SC Biz News, in partnership with the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and Best Companies Group. Lexington Medical Cancer Center is an accredited Cancer Center of Excellence and has a clinical research and education affiliation with MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. The network includes a cardiovascular program recognized by the American College of Cardiology as South Carolina's first HeartCARE Center. The network also has an occupational health center, the largest skilled nursing facility in the Carolinas, an Alzheimer's care center and more than 70 physician practices. Lexington Medical Center operates one of the busiest Emergency departments in South Carolina, treating nearly 100,000 patients each year. The hospital delivers more than 4,000 babies each year and performs more than 25,000 surgeries. Its postgraduate medical education programs include family medicine and transitional year residencies.
