Episode Details

Healthcare today runs on data, but few people understand how deeply information systems shape patient outcomes, clinician workflows, and long-term public health. In this episode of Research Renaissance, host Deborah Westphal sits down with Dr. Caterina (Cat) Lasome, a nationally recognized leader in health informatics and digital health transformation.

Drawing from 23 years as an Army nurse and decades working across the Department of Defense, VA, NIH, and federal health systems, Cat explains how informatics sits at the intersection of clinical care, technology, and human behavior. Together, they explore what happens when data flows well, where systems still fracture, and why learning healthcare systems may be the key to safer, more adaptive medicine.

Key Topics & Takeaways

• What health informatics actually is and why it affects every patient encounter
• How military healthcare prepares clinicians for complexity at scale
• Why continuity of care between DoD and VA systems matters for veterans
• The hidden role of data standards, interoperability, and governance
• Clinical practice guidelines and how they improve consistency without replacing judgment
• Burnout, documentation burden, and the promise of ambient clinical listening
• Why healthcare struggles to learn from errors, and what aviation gets right
• What a true “learning healthcare system” would require to function

About the Guest

Dr. Caterina (Cat) Lasome is a nationally recognized expert in health informatics, clinical systems, and digital health transformation. A retired Army nurse with 23 years of service, she has worked across the Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs, NIH, and HHS, and is the President & CEO at iON Informatics, LLC. To contact Dr. Lasome cat@ioninformatics.com. 

Resources Mentioned

• Department of Defense Health System
• Veterans Health Administration (VA)
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
• Joint Trauma Registry (JTR)
• Electronic Health Records (EHRs)
• Ambient clinical documentation technology

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Technical Podcast Support by Jon Keur at Wayfare Recording Co.