Faster, smarter, better: Informatics student looks to leverage data to improve patient care

Lana Davis remembers the two battles her grandmother fought: one against cancer, and the other against a fragmented system of medical records.

“I was only eight at the time, but I vividly recall watching her navigate a labyrinth of specialists, lugging her medical records from one appointment to the next,” says Lana, a second-year student in the Doctorate in Health Informatics program at McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston. “It left an indelible mark on my heart and mind.”

Later, as a clinical nurse caring for children undergoing bone marrow and stem cell transplants, Lana witnessed the same struggles in the lives of her patients and their families.

“I was struck by the sheer volume of data these brave young souls carried with them—their lives condensed into multiple four-inch binders,” she says. “There was such a stark contrast between the wealth of vital patient data and the cumbersome, often inefficient methods of managing it.”

Those experiences convinced Lana of the need for integrated health information systems and drove a commitment to help make those systems a reality. She earned a Master of Science in Health Informatics at Northwestern University and rose to become a senior manager in oncology data partnerships at Labcorp, a company that provides laboratory services for diagnosis and health care decisions. 

Lana saw earning a Doctorate in Health Informatics as a natural progression in her journey. The program teaches students how to manage large datasets that inform real-time clinical decisions, integrating artificial intelligence, machine learning, and predictive analytics. This focus on translating research into practical applications aligns with her professional experience and future goals.

“Having worked extensively with cross-functional teams, I've witnessed firsthand how critical it is to have leaders who can speak both the clinical and technical languages,” she says.

The program is tailored to executive professionals like Lana and is structured in a way that allows her to take classes without stepping away from her job.

“It fits with my belief that continuing to engage in practice is crucial for staying at the forefront of this rapidly evolving discipline,” she says. “The ability to immediately apply classroom learning to real-world scenarios, and vice versa, creates the kind of educational experience that I find invaluable.”

In this complex and changing field, Lana values the knowledge and experience of the faculty at the School of Biomedical Informatics and their commitment to growing future leaders.

Lana received the D. Bradley McWilliams Scholars award, allowing the North Carolina resident to receive in-state tuition while taking courses remotely. A mother of three, the scholarship helps her juggle the costs of her education with her children’s undergraduate studies.

“It felt like it lifted a mountain from my shoulders, allowing me to focus on my studies and my vision for data innovation without constantly worrying about finances,” she says.

As she continues her studies, Lana holds a passion for the intersection of informatics and behavioral health. She looks forward to utilizing the knowledge she gains in the program to enhance early intervention, personalize treatment plans, and improve long-term outcomes for patients.

“This combination of informatics and mental health intrigues me because of its vast potential to revolutionize care delivery and results,” she says. “By applying advanced analytics and machine learning to behavioral health data, I believe we can uncover patterns and insights that could dramatically improve patient care, reduce stigma, and ultimately transform lives.”