Susan H. Fenton, PhD, RHIA, ACHIP, FAMIA
Dr. Doris L. Ross Professor
Vice Dean for Education
UT System Distinguished Teaching Professor
Direct: 713.500.3591
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Susan Fenton joined McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston, formerly UTHealth Houston School of Biomedical Informatics (SBMI)) on June 1, 2013 as an assistant professor of biomedical informatics. She came to McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics from Texas State University in San Marcos, where she was an assistant professor and co-director of the Institute for Health Information Technology. In August 2014, Dr. Fenton transitioned into the role of associate dean for academic affairs, taking over the management responsibilities for the Office of Academic Affairs and helping the school acquire health informatics and information management education accreditation from CAHIIM for the applied health informatics program.
At CQHII, Dr. Fenton contributes strategic leadership at the intersection of informatics, quality improvement, and innovation, supporting initiatives that translate data and technology into actionable insights for organizations and communities. She has led and evaluated federally and state?funded programs, authored numerous peer?reviewed publications, and is actively engaged in national and international professional organizations focused on informatics, education, and health system transformation.
Jiajie Zhang, PhD
Dean/Past Principal Investigator
Direct: 713.500.3922
Email: [email protected]
Jiajie Zhang, PhD, is the dean and Dr. Doris L. Ross Professor and at McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics. He serves as director of the National Center for Cognitive Informatics and Decision Making in Healthcare, for which he is principal investigator of the Strategic Health IT Advanced Research Projects Program’s patient-centered cognitive support initiative. Zhang has spent the past two decades conducting research in biomedical informatics, cognitive science, human-centered computing, decision making and information visualization. He has authored more than 120 journal articles, book chapters, and peer-reviewed proceedings papers. As an educator, he has taught courses in human-computer interaction, electronic health record usability, information visualization and technology-mediated social dynamics.
Megan Crossan is the Program Manager at the Center for Quality Health IT Improvement. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and an MBA from the University of Houston Clear Lake. Since joining the center in September 2010, Megan has been responsible for managing office operations and supporting numerous federal and state grants. Her duties encompass consulting contract billing oversight, project coordination, data collection, quarterly reporting metrics, and serving as the program's financial analyst.
Alexa Poole, HIT & HIE Pro
Greater Houston Area, including Port Author/Beaumont, Nederland, Orange, Conroe
Direct: 713.500.3936
Email: [email protected]
Alexa Poole is a Quality Improvement Advisor III with the Center for Quality Health IT Improvement at UTHealth Houston. She brings more than 15 years of experience in health information technology, clinical workflow improvement, and practice transformation across small, rural, and community health settings.
With a background in mathematics and health information technology from the University of Texas at Austin, Alexa specializes in helping healthcare organizations use their electronic health records (EHRs) more effectively to improve patient outcomes and meet value based care goals. Before joining the Center, Alexa worked with eClinicalWorks as a software training specialist, providing tailored instruction to physicians and clinical staff and helping practices incorporate technology into daily workflows.
Alexa partners with statewide and national collaborators on population health initiatives focused on chronic disease prevention, colorectal cancer screening, HPV vaccination uptake, and cancer survivorship. She has contributed EHR optimization and implementation support for projects funded by the CDC, NIH, CPRIT, and the Texas Department of State Health Services.
She is committed to helping clinics close care gaps, streamline workflows, and use data to advance equitable, high quality care.
Tracy Judd
San Antonio, Corpus Christi, and surrounding areas
Direct: 361-772-4812
Email: [email protected]
Tracy Judd, currently serves as a remote Quality Improvement Advisor III with the Center for Quality Health IT Improvement. Tracy holds an Associate of Applied Science in Medical Record Technology from Wharton County Junior College and a Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas.
Her career spans diverse healthcare environments, including acute care hospitals, critical access hospitals, nursing homes, and rural health clinics. Throughout her professional journey, Tracy has directed health information management operations, coordinated healthcare accreditation activities, overseen credentialing services, managed risk and compliance programs, and led performance improvement initiatives supporting state and federal programs. She has implemented evidence-based improvement strategies, such as the Chronic Care Model, Plan-Do-Check-Act rapid-cycle improvement process, and TeamSTEPPS approaches to address healthcare delivery challenges and strengthen team performance. Tracy has also worked as a certified, inpatient medical coder.
Tracy values building professional connections and leveraging her expertise to help organizations close care gaps and accelerate interoperability. She collaborates closely with leadership to drive clinical excellence and optimize practice management.
Diana Canales
Laredo, Rio Grande Valley surrounding areas
Direct: 956-452-1268
Email: [email protected]
Diana Canales is a Quality Improvement Advisor II with the Center for Quality Health IT Improvement. She partners with small, rural, and federally qualified health center (FQHC) practices to enhance workflows, patient care, and safety through the effective use of electronic health records and clinical information systems. Diana holds an Associate of Science degree from Laredo College and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management with a minor in Health Informatics at Texas State University. She began her career in the plasma industry in 2010 as a Processing Technician and later advanced into quality-focused roles, most notably as a Quality Specialist/Coordinator. Her professional experience includes internal auditing, regulatory compliance, and quality program development.
