Meet CHIP alum, Nessim Abu Saif! After completing his MD at Trinity School of Medicine, Nessim pursued research that led to his interest in health informatics. Currently holding a role as a clinical process consultant at Duke Heart Center, he uses his health informatics training to work with clinical systems and collaborate with clinical providers and IT. Read more about Nessim below.
Tell us about yourself and what led you to pursue the MPS BMHI program with CHIP?
In 2004, I moved to the United States from Egypt with the goal of pursuing a career in medicine. I completed a Bachelor of Biological Sciences (BS) and a Master of Public Health (MPH) at the University of Missouri-Columbia, specializing in epidemiology, health policy, and disease prevention. After leaving Missouri in 2010, I lived in the West Indies, Georgia, Ohio, and Louisiana as I worked towards my Doctor of Medicine (MD) at the Trinity School of Medicine.
Upon graduating from medical school, I spent several months conducting research at UT Southwestern. During this time, I used biostatistical methods to determine parental-offspring risk factors for early-onset cardiovascular disease. This experience sparked my interest in using clinical and population health data to address gaps in quality, access, and patient outcomes, leading me to pursue a career in health informatics.
As I explored opportunities in this emerging field, I sought programs with distinguished faculty, connections to industry leaders, and access to leading research, biotech, and healthcare institutions. UNC-CHIP checked every box. For instance, CHIP's close affiliation with NC TraCS provided an internship experience that offered in-depth exposure to clinical data models (PCORnet, FHIR, UNC-CDW), mapping elements, and maintaining data integrity as a result of the interoperability gap.
What have you been up to since graduation?
I spent time with my family before moving to Boston for a position as a Senior Quality Analyst at Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI). In this role, I focused on conducting process improvement assessments and utilized data visualization tools such as Tableau and Power BI to analyze clinical data extracted using SQL. Additionally, I reviewed provider policies, procedures, and documentation standards to identify areas for improvement.
Currently, I hold the position of Clinical Process Consultant at Duke Heart Center of Excellence. In this multifaceted role, I am responsible for mastering clinical system technology platforms including Lumedx and Epic EMR. I translate process change needs into developer requirements and collaborate daily with clinical and IT staff.
What do you find most rewarding about your work?
Constant new challenges and opportunities for growth. Both roles demanded a broad set of skills that required learning new applications and systems.
Who inspires you?
Elias and Nessim, my grandfathers, both conquered adversity at a young age to provide for their families and achieve the pinnacle of their careers. Their resilience truly exemplifies the mindset of being the ultimate adversary.
What do you like to do when you are not at work?
I enjoy spending quality time with family, playing soccer, watching the Italian league, racket sports, and hiking/biking. I enjoy traveling to the beach or a historical site when on vacation.
What advice would you give to current CHIP students?
After months of coursework, I gained a deep appreciation for the vastness of the informatics field. It's essential to choose your informatics role early. Analyze job descriptions to pinpoint responsibilities and required skills, and adapt your coursework accordingly. Networking is crucial for uncovering opportunities and identifying areas where your expertise is needed - another advantage offered by CHIP.
