By: Gwynne Jelbaoui, FHIMSS

We are pleased to highlight Dr. Jorge Ferrer, a valued member of the 2025 HIMSS Physician Committee. Dr. Ferrer serves as an Informatics Health System Specialist with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and holds a faculty appointment as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the UTHealth School of Biomedical Informatics.

A dedicated HIMSS member since 2010, Dr. Ferrer has actively contributed to numerous volunteer groups. His leadership roles include serving as Vice Chair and later Chair of the Blockchain in Healthcare Task Force. He has also been involved with the Interoperability & Health Information Exchange Committee, the National Health Information Infrastructure (NHII) Task Force, the Innovation Committee, and the Health IT User Experience Group. In addition, he is an active member of the Houston HIMSS Chapter.

Now in his first year on the HIMSS Physician Committee, Dr. Ferrer is eager to deepen his engagement with emerging technologies in global health IT and collaborate with fellow HIMSS members to address key challenges in health information technology.

Below are his thoughts on his outlook on digital health and health technology.

HIMSS: What inspired you to pursue a career at the intersection of healthcare and technology?

Dr. Ferrer: I pursued a career at the intersection of healthcare and technology (healthcare informatics) for the potential to improve patient outcomes through innovative solutions and data-driven insights. I enjoy the fast-paced technological advancements and challenges in these fields that are intellectually stimulating and rewarding, providing opportunities to directly impact and enhance the healthcare system.

HIMSS: What advice would you give to physicians interested in becoming more involved in health tech?

Dr. Ferrer: Physicians interested in health tech (healthcare informatics) should consider gaining proficiency in administrative medicine and health informatics principles through online courses, graduate certificates, master’s degrees, or doctorates in health informatics, which can help them better understand and contribute to tech-driven healthcare solutions. Additionally, joining interdisciplinary health tech communities like HIMSS and attending conferences can provide valuable networking opportunities and expose them to the latest innovations in the field.

HIMSS: Are there any digital health innovations or trends you think physicians should be paying closer attention to?

Dr. Ferrer: Physicians should be aware of the increasing use of emerging technologies to reduce physicians’ burden in maintaining accurate provider directories. Additionally, AI tools and other emerging technologies are being harnessed to continuously update and verify directory information, reducing the risk of inaccuracies significantly and reducing the burden for physicians having to maintain accurate provider directories in the industry.

If you would like to learn more about the HIMSS Physician Committee, click here.