Steve Carter, Cambridge Health Alliance’s new senior vice president of information technology and chief information officer.

By Tom Bannister

Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA has named Steve Carter as its senior vice president of information technology and chief information officer. Carter, who has served in various IT leadership roles at CHA since 2002, has more than 30 years of management experience in the healthcare delivery and IT environments.

Carter most recently served as CHA’s senior director of data and development and chief security information officer. He has developed critical and foundational elements of CHA’s IT infrastructure, including a comprehensive data warehouse, sophisticated reporting tools, and a robust intranet that offers over 100 custom applications and thousands of reports to enhance the quality of care and reduce expenses through greater efficiency. He has also established key safeguards to protect and secure patient data and currently oversees IT education efforts.

“Steve’s work at CHA has had a profound impact on the way our staff members use, access, secure, and generate information,” said CHA CEO Patrick Wardell. “He will provide thoughtful and forward-thinking leadership that will ensure we remain a cutting-edge model for health systems across the country.”

Prior to coming to CHA, Carter served as the director of operations improvement for Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates. In addition to leading operational efficiency initiatives for the organization, he was responsible for the analytic team and assumed an ongoing IT role for the administrative offices. He developed software that greatly improved the budgeting preparation process, for which he was awarded the prestigious Dorsey Award. He also helped open a new health center in Quincy and created the first intranet and public website for Harvard Vanguard.

Carter began his management career at New England Memorial Hospital in Stoneham, where he assumed responsibility for a number of departments including campus police, safety, telecommunications, and biomedical equipment. He holds a master’s degree in business administration from Northeastern University and a bachelor’s degree from Atlantic Union College.