ELKINS, W.Va. – A seasoned Davis Medical Center (DMC) physician recently added a new role to his family practice and hospitalist care. 

Doctor James Gainer has been named Chief Medical Information Officer (CMIO) for Davis Health System.

“I am excited about my new role as CMIO. I look forward to new challenges,” Gainer said. “This role allows me to improve patient care and safety not only for my patients, but for all the patients and providers of Davis Health System. As the interface between administration, information technology and the medical staff, I can communicate information and resolve issues between these groups.”

Dr. Gainer will continue to see his patients in the DMC outpatient clinic. 

Doctor Catherine Chua, DHS chief medical examiner, who oversees the CMIO position, said she believes Gainer will be an asset to DHS within the position.

“The CMIO is a liaison between the medical staff and the information technology (IT) department. Dr. Gainer represents the needs of the medical staff when it comes to decisions concerning IT and analytics in any form,” Chua added.  “He will be instrumentally important in the adoption and implementation of our new Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system which we will go forward with between now and 2023.

Gainer said implementation of a new EMR will benefit patients and the health system alike.

“Right now, we have multiple systems and that creates challenges,” Gainer said. “The decision to go to one integrated EMR will be a huge help to providers.  It appears to be very user-friendly and adaptable to our needs. Taking ideas and issues back and forth between the providers and the IT staff to troubleshoot and improve processes makes providers happier, and ultimately improves patient’s outcomes and safety.”

Chua explained that as Gainer transitions into his new role, she expects him to become a “super user” of the new technology, which will allow for expeditious advancements in facility care.

“Initially, Dr. Gainer will spend time getting to know the new system and training to be a super user. He will aid the IT department in establishing workflows that are as efficient as possible to improve the experience of both the physician and the patient. Moving forward, he will be analyzing data and helping us to utilize that data to improve patient care.”

Gainer has practiced medicine locally for 27 years, serving in various roles at DHS during this time. He currently has an outpatient family practice clinic at DMC and serves as a hospitalist.  He is involved with several medical staff committees including Quality/Medical Management, PTNA, Peer Review and Medical Executive Committee.

“Having experience in all these areas allows me to work with providers in many different specialties and settings and will be very beneficial in my new role,” Gainer said.