Swope Health appoints Dr. Thurston Smith as Chief Information Officer

Swope Health, Kansas City’s leading provider of healthcare services for the medically underserved, today announced Dr. Thurston Smith as Chief Information Officer.

Dr. Smith is an IT professional with experience in health information systems management, project management of complex systems, and operational leadership. He comes to Swope Health from Cerner Corp., one of the nation’s leading health information systems firm, where he served as senior engineer manager, leading an engineering team in code design and development.

Dr. Smith also has experience working in a federally qualified health center, having previously served as CIO at the Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center in Kansas City. Here he led all aspects of IT systems including development and implementation of new electronic medical records, pharmacy, imaging and laboratory services.

“We welcome Dr. Smith’s passion for coaching, mentoring and continuous learning, as well as the deep technical expertise he brings,” said Jeron Ravin, JD., President and Chief Executive of Swope Health. “Dr. Smith understands our commitment to serve our whole community and will help us improve access to healthcare, build new efficiencies and enhance our services through technology.”

Dr. Smith brings expertise from roles at Truman Medical Centers; Datafile Technologies; and DST Systems Inc., all in Kansas City; and at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, in Iowa City, Iowa. A veteran of the U.S. Army and Army Reserve, Smith has also held positions as an adjunct professor with Johnson County Community College and DeVry University, where he received the highest student evaluation rate of his peers for two years.

He holds a Doctorate of Health Administration, emphasis in Business Intelligence and Data Analytics, from Capella University in Minneapolis; and a Master of Business Administration from DeVry University, Keller Graduate School of Management, in Naperville, Ill. He received a Master of Arts in Educational Technology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City; Associate degree in Applied Science in Information Technology from Hamilton Business College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Computer Science from Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena, Miss. He also holds several professional certifications.

Dr. Smith has received accolades in his field of study, including the Black Family Technology Awareness Association of Kansas City Award in February 2011, which recognizes an exceptional technology professional with the African American Community.

In the Kansas City community, Dr. Smith is active in his church and fraternity. He also serves on the boards of Jackson County CASA, a court advocacy group for children, and his non-profit organization, Iron Men Ministry, which mentors young men in positive development and empowerment.

Dr. Smith lives in Kansas City. He and his wife have four children and three grandchildren.