Breana Stillo, MS ’24 works with Memorial Hermann Health System here in Houston. Learn about what Breana’s work entails, what biomedical informatics means to her, and her future plans in this industry.
Tell us about your current role: what is your title, where do you currently work and how long have you served in that role? I am currently a Senior Project Manager at Memorial Hermann Health System, a role I have held for six years. Before this position, I served as a Clinical Business Analyst.
Name two or three skills you use each workday to successfully complete your job. On a typical workday, I mainly rely on data visualization, clinical data analysis, and cross-functional communication to drive better patient and operational outcomes. First, I spend a lot of time turning complex medical data into clear, dynamic dashboards so our teams can easily spot trends and decide which metrics to focus on. Second, I gather and format data for physicians to review and inform them of trends that have been observed and provide cases that need review. Finally, none of that data matters if people can't use it, so I present these dashboards to physician groups, helping them visualize where their specific campuses may be falling short so they can proactively implement corrective actions.
What does the term biomedical informatics mean to you? Tell us in your own words. To me, biomedical informatics is the vital link that connects technology with healthcare. It means using computers and data to help healthcare providers and administrators get a clearer picture of medicine, making healthcare safer, easier to navigate, and ultimately helping patients live healthier lives.
Which class at McWilliams did you enjoy most, and why? I truly appreciated my time in this program and had a great experience with all the professors. But there were two classes that really hit home for me: BMI 6340 (Health Information Visualization) with Professor Johnson and BMI 6316 (Change Management) with Dr. Murphy. Both areas are exactly what I’m most passionate about in healthcare. I walked away from both classes with so much practical knowledge, and I’m using what I learned from Professor Johnson and Dr. Murphy in my job every day.
What goals do you have for the next five years (professional or personal)? I’ve always seen so much hidden potential in healthcare data. Over the next five years, I really want to focus on using AI tools to dive into those massive datasets and actually make sense of them. It’s not just about managing data; it’s about finding the real stories behind the information and sharing them in a way that actually helps the healthcare system.