Matthew Upton , M . D .
Chief Medical Officer & Chief Medical Information Officer , Thomas Health
BRITTANY MCCLUNG
According to Matthew Upton , M . D .— chief medical information officer ( CMIO ) and chief medical officer ( CMO ) for Thomas Health — the three most important ingredients in the formula for success are organizational skills , communication skills and a sense of humor . Upton also recommends being honest , sticking to your word , giving credit to others and owning up to your mistakes .
When Upton began his career in internal medicine , he was interested in treating the full spectrum of adult medical conditions . However , as his career progressed , the business and technological side of medicine caught his eye . The ability to leverage the power of electronic medical records into the physician and patient experience , while minimizing its intrusion into the doctor ’ s workflow , piqued an interest for Upton that would pave the way and lead him to where he is today .
A West Virginia native , Upton received his bachelor ’ s degree in chemistry from Washington and Lee University and then went on to attend the West Virginia University School of Medicine . After completing his residency in internal medicine at Charleston Area Medical Center , Upton joined Dunbar Medical Associates , PLLC and was a partner there for 20 years before embarking on his career with Thomas Health .
Upton credits gaining his unique perspective on technology and learning how to minimize physician and staff disruption to his 20 years in private practice . He says he is very lucky to have begun his career at Dunbar Medical Associates , PLLC and might have had a different career path if it were not for his experiences there early on in his career .
In his current role as CMIO , Upton works closely with the chief information officer and information technology department as a liaison to incorporate new technology , improve existing technology and address the medical staff ’ s concerns surrounding the technology .
Photo by Rick Lee .
“ I find satisfaction when I can marry the technology with clinical practice to improve both the physician and staff engagement along with the patient experience ,” says Upton .
As CMO , he oversees all aspects of the medical facilities , including providing safe and effective medical services , budgeting , physician recruiting and updating the medical staff on changing regulations .
The COVID-19 pandemic brought on many challenges and changes for those in health care , including Thomas Health , which faced financial struggles that resulted in some very difficult years and left the hospital searching for
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