Visit from Dr. Donald Lindberg

The HWCIR was honored today to have a visit from Donald A.B. Lindberg, MD, director of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. A reception and luncheon were held at the HWCIR offices at the Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah.

Dr. Lindberg is truly a luminary in the medical informatics profession. He has been a pioneer in applying computer technology to healthcare for over five decades. Prior to his appointment at the U.S. National Library of Medicine in 1984, he was a professor of information science and a professor of pathology at the University of Missouri. He was elected the first president of the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA). He has also served on the Computer Science and Engineering Board of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Board of Medical Examiners, and the Council of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. More information about Dr. Lindberg is available at the U.S. National Library of Medicine website.

In attendance today were Dr. Homer R. Warner, HWCIR executive director Dr. Peter Haug, Intermountain Healthcare pulmonologist Dr. Alan H. Morris, and medical informaticists and staff members from the HWCIR.

Photos by Rudy Van Bree.

In Memoriam

The HWCIR lost a dear friend and colleague this week. Carr Smith, PhD, died on March 18, 2012 after suffering a massive heart attack two days prior. Dr. Smith, one of our medical informaticists, had been serving as the executive director of Intermountain Healthcare's software development alliance with GE Healthcare at the time of his death.

Carr and Koralie Smith at the HWCIR grand opening event
February 2011
Photo by Rudy Van Bree

Dr. Smith trained at Intermountain LDS Hospital and at the University of Utah where he earned his PhD in Medical Informatics. Prior to joining Intermountain Healthcare in 2005, Dr. Smith worked in a variety of product management and product strategy roles for Eclipsys Corporation, IDX System Corporation, and EMTEK Healthcare Systems.

We love Carr and will greatly miss his intellect, astuteness, humor, kindness and leadership. Our thoughts and prayers go to Carr's wife Koralie and to their family. Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 24, 2012 in Kaysville, Utah. The Smith family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the T. Alan Pryor Scholarship Fund at the following website: http://medicine.utah.edu/bmi/scholarship/pryor/index.htm.

Scholarship donation checks may also be sent to:

The University of Utah

Department of Biomedical Informatics

Attn: Susan Krantz, Department Manager

26 South 2000 East, Suite 5775

Salt Lake City, UT 84112-5750