Dha Karen Marhefka

Karen Marhefka serves as the Deputy Chief Information Officer at RWJBarnabas Health (RWJBH), the largest academic healthcare system in New Jersey.1 She joined RWJBH in 2020 and has been playing a key role in leading the implementation of a single electronic health records (EHR) platform across the organization's hospitals and medical group office locations.1

Some key points about Karen Marhefka's background and role:

Career Experience

• She has over 25 years of experience in healthcare IT and operations.1
• Prior to RWJBH, she spent nearly 25 years at UMass Memorial Health, where she gained extensive operations experience.1
• She also worked as a consultant for a decade, helping healthcare organizations transition to electronic health records.1

Current Role and Responsibilities

• As Deputy CIO, she focuses on RWJBH's ambulatory space.1
• She ensures all technological systems are working properly and that the right tools are in place for clinical documentation and patient care.1
• Marhefka is part of the leadership team overseeing the massive 5-year project to implement Epic (an EHR platform) across the entire RWJBH organization.1

Leadership Approach

• She approaches her leadership role through the lens of teaching, aiming to break down complex IT concepts for non-technical colleagues.1
• Her background in operations, including a doctorate in healthcare administration, enhances her ability to strategize and be proactive about RWJBH's future technological needs.1

Expertise and Focus Areas

• Marhefka specializes in large-scale healthcare IT transformations.1
• She has particular expertise in change management, which is crucial for successful IT implementations in healthcare.2
• Her focus includes balancing emerging technologies with the practical needs of patients and providers.1

Karen Marhefka's extensive experience in both healthcare operations and IT, combined with her collaborative leadership style, positions her as a key figure in RWJBH's ongoing digital transformation efforts.