UC Davis Health has handed the digital keys to longtime clinical informaticist Dr. Scott MacDonald, promoting him to chief health information officer and putting him in charge of the system's health IT and digital strategy. The move lands at a moment when hospitals across the country are racing to plug artificial intelligence and other digital tools into electronic health records and everyday patient-care workflows.
According to the Sacramento Business Journal, MacDonald will lead the academic health system's health information technology, clinical informatics and digital innovation efforts. The outlet notes that UC Davis Health is using the promotion to centralize its sprawling digital programs under a single leader.
Becker's Hospital Review also reported the move, pointing out that the announcement first appeared on the health system's LinkedIn page. The UC Davis physician directory lists MacDonald as EHR medical director and chief medical information officer for clinical informatics, confirming his long-standing informatics roles inside the organization (UC Davis directory).
What he'll oversee
In his new role, MacDonald is expected to oversee EHR optimization, clinical decision support, clinician training, telehealth and pilot AI projects across UC Davis Health. Conference materials and program listings show he has already been working on "optimizing clinical decision support, population health, and deploying and evaluating machine learning & large language models with a focus on fairness and accuracy," according to the California Hospital Association.
Why it matters in Sacramento
UC Davis Health is the region's primary academic medical center, so consolidating digital leadership could speed up how new tools hit exam rooms and patient portals across Sacramento. MacDonald also serves on statewide interoperability and data exchange advisory efforts, according to Data Exchange Framework materials, a sign that his influence extends beyond the health system's own walls.
Trade outlets and the system's social announcement have made the leadership shift public, while the UC Davis directory and conference listings spell out the experience MacDonald brings to the job. For patients and clinicians in Sacramento, UC Davis Health's digital and AI projects are likely to be key storylines to watch as he settles into the role.
