Questions And Answers With Bernadette Sobrino

Q: What are your main tasks as the Manager of IT Clinical Systems?

A: The applications I manage are MyChart, which is the patient portal, EpicCare Link and PlanLink, which are the community provider portals. I also recently became the manager of our population health clinical application – Healthy Planet.

Q: What does managing these portals entail?

A: I've been managing MyChart for about 10 years now, and it means being responsible for the application, which includes content review, feature development, customer/patient support and education. My role is to be a liaison between patients and our facility, to make sure they have a secure place where they can effectively manage their care and their health. I am committed to making sure MyChart is accurate, comprehensive and extremely user-friendly so our patients can have a safe and secure place to manage their health.

Q: You mentioned you’ve been working with MyChart for 10 years. Have you seen a lot of improvements and enhancements over the years?

A: Yes. It's a different portal from back then. It looks different, the content within it is different and even gaining access to it has changed dramatically. We work hard to make sure there is value to every feature enabled. It’s especially nice that patients know they can send us feedback when changes are made letting us know how it is working for them.

Q: What led you to a career in healthcare in the first place?

A: I always wanted to be a nurse ever since I was young. I’ve worked in a variety of areas in the hospital setting – from surgical intensive care and open-heart surgery to the emergency department and interventional radiology. When I was ready to make a change from the hospital setting over to IT, I still wanted to continue caring for patients. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to manage MyChart and take it in the direction it's gone. I really feel like I'm still taking care of patients. I may not physically be at their side, but I'm still taking care of them.

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?

I enjoy horseback riding and spending time with my family and friends. It's something that really gives me pleasure and relaxation when I'm not at work. I love it.