Christensen Joins Feinberg as CIO

Carl Christensen, vice president of information systems and chief information officer (CIO) with Northwestern Medical FacultyFoundation (NMFF), will serve as CIO of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, effective immediately. Christensen will maintain his positions with NMFF.

"Carl will play a vital role in creating and implementing a secure electronic environment where faculty and staff can freely and appropriately share information across institutions," said David Browdy, Feinberg's chief operating officer. "There are no longer clear distinctions between patient and research data, and there is an increasingly shared infrastructure that supports both. Rationalizing the deployment of information resources across and within our academic medical center will enable us to make the most of our activities and collaborations in clinical care, education, and research."

As CIO at Feinberg, Christensen will be responsible for developing a comprehensive vision for information resources in consultation with senior leaders of Northwestern Medicine®. He will recommend, implement, and enforce policies and procedures related to the deployment and use of information technology resources and data throughout the medical school, and will serve as the primary contact on IT issues with Feinberg's partners and clinical affiliates.

Christensen, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, earned a master's degree in computer and information sciences from Syracuse University. Previous to his role with NMFF, he worked at Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin, distinguishing himself as a respected and innovative leader in healthcare IT.

Since coming to NMFF in July 2010, Christensen has executed an IT assessment and initiated several projects to improve IT infrastructure and mitigate risks related to the handling of information. As a top priority of NMFF, he helped lead the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Records incentive program efforts, working to maximize federal payments while minimizing the impact on physician workflows and productivity.

As Feinberg CIO, Christensen will evaluate the current information technology environment and develop a model for the deployment of technological, staff, and financial resources for IT.

"I am honored and excited to take on this new and important role with Feinberg," Christensen said. "One of my top priorities will be to create a seamless computing environment across the Chicago campus."