Owensboro Health Announces Dr. Bridget Burshears as Chief Medical Informatics Officer

OWENSBORO, Ky. (Nov. 24, 2025) – Owensboro Health is pleased to announce the appointment of Bridget Burshears, MD, as the system’s new Chief Medical Informatics Officer (CMIO). Dr. Burshears brings more than a decade of clinical leadership, innovation and system-wide collaboration to the role, having served the organization since 2011.

Dr. Burshears joined Owensboro Health in September 2011 as NICU Medical Director, a position she held until March of 2024, when she transitioned to Assistant Chief Medical Informatics Officer. She remained a full-time NICU care provider until recently, when she transitioned to an Optum team member. She will continue to work part-time as a Neonatologist for Owensboro Health Medical Group and reports to Dr. Francis DuFrayne, Owensboro Health Chief Medical Officer. Owensboro Health has hired an additional neonatologist to ensure that the specialty is well-covered. 

Neonatology, she says, is where her calling first took root.

“Neonatology has always felt like a calling to me. I chose that career from a very early age and never changed my mind,” Dr Burshears said. “I love walking alongside families during some of the most stressful moments of their lives, and nothing compares to seeing them go home or return for the NICU reunion.”

Her move into informatics came just as naturally.

“I’ve used some form of EHR (electronic health records) for most of my medical career and helped build our NICU’s system when we went live in 2012,” she said. “I loved the challenge and the opportunity to improve the EHR for providers across Owensboro Health. Becoming more involved in informatics was an extension of wanting to help a larger community.”

As CMIO, Dr. Burshears sees herself first and foremost as a bridge between frontline providers and the technology that supports them.

“My clinical background helps me understand exactly how one alert, one click or one workflow change can affect a provider’s day,” she said. “If we can make clinicians more efficient, we allow them to focus on what matters most — excellent patient care.”

She brings the same qualities that defined her NICU leadership into the informatics sphere.

“In everything we do in healthcare, being a servant leader is essential,” Dr Burshears said. “In the NICU, it meant serving families. As CMIO, it means serving providers by ensuring they have the tools they need to care for patients safely and efficiently. And teamwork, the foundation of NICU care, is equally vital in delivering technology across the system.”

Looking Ahead: Innovation and Impact

As technology evolves rapidly, Dr. Burshears’ priorities focus on optimizing clinical systems, enhancing usability and harnessing emerging tools such as artificial intelligence.

“AI will dramatically influence how we deliver healthcare,” she said. “We’re already using ambient listening to let providers fully engage with patients while generating accurate notes. The possibilities ahead — from better summarizing histories to supporting nurses in real-time documentation — will improve care and reduce burden.”

Her vision is rooted in enabling clinicians to get back to what drew them to medicine.

“Most healthcare workers chose this field to help people,” she said. “Technology should lighten their load, not add to it.”

A Leader Committed to Owensboro Health

Dr. DuFrayne said Dr. Burshears brings deep credibility and a clear, collaborative vision to the CMIO role.

“Dr. Burshears is widely respected as both a clinician and a partner in innovation,” Dr. DuFrayne said. “Her ability to understand the real-world needs of providers while driving system improvements makes her an exceptional fit for this role. We are fortunate to have her leading our informatics strategy as we advance toward a more connected, efficient and patient-centered future.”

For Dr. Burshears, the role represents both professional growth and personal meaning.

“It’s an honor to serve Owensboro Health on a system level,” she said. “I look forward to partnering with my colleagues to ensure our providers have the tools they need to continue offering the best care possible to the patients in our community.”