The Guthrie Clinic Appoints First Chief Digital Officer
The Guthrie Clinic announced today that Terri Couts, MHA, RN, has been named the health system’s first Senior Vice President, Chief Digital Officer.
In this new role, Couts is responsible for providing vision, strategic leadership, and oversight of Guthrie’s information technology (IT) strategy, operational execution and scaling digital transformation into the future. She will be instrumental in developing IT strategies and plans to fully support and accelerate the organization’s performance to overall vision, strategic and annual goals.
“We are thrilled to have Ms. Couts as The Guthrie Clinic’s first Chief Digital Officer,” said Dr. Edmund Sabanegh, Guthrie President and CEO. “Her innovative spirit and patient-centered focus will drive our system to new heights in care quality as well as patient and caregiver experience.”
Most recently, Couts served as Guthrie’s Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer. Prior to that, she was Vice President, Epic Program, Clinical Systems and Integration. She has consistently led Guthrie to achieve Epic (Electronic Medical Record) STARS 10 status, placing Guthrie among a group of less than 10 organizations in the world that have received this distinction.
In this role, she will oversee the adoption of digital technologies across the organization, transforming business strategy using technology and data, and influencing how people, processes, and technology can enable The Guthrie Clinic’s vision to be the most trusted healthcare partner for patients across our region.
“I am excited not only for the opportunity to lead our digital transformation at Guthrie, but also for the impact that digital transformation can bring to our community and patients by giving people, both patients and caregivers, the right tools and information to advance a proactive approach to managing health,” said Couts. “Through digital transformation we will be well positioned to respond to our patients’ needs, both today and into the future.”
Couts holds an associate degree in nursing from Stark State College of Technology, a Bachelor of Arts in education from University of Akron and a Master of Health Administration from University of Phoenix.