CHS Names VP of Information Services

July 18, 2007

Alberto Kywi has been promoted to vice president and chief information officer at Cottage Health System. In his role, Mr. Kywi oversees the information technology, telephone communications and medical library functions for the three-hospital network which includes Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital and Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital. He manages a budget of $6.7 million and a staff of 40 employees.

Mr. Kywi has designed, developed and coordinated installation of local and wide-area networks, including wireless communication systems, laser, microwave, and fiber-optic technology to link multiple facilities. He also has been active in long-term and strategic planning for Cottage’s technology needs directing such initiatives as Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE); clinical documentation systems; electronic health records; the advanced picture archiving and communications system (PACS) that offers Internet access to radiological images along with audio reports; electronic signatures; digital dictation/transcription; pharmacy automation; and single sign-on solutions.

Before joining Cottage in 1995 as Chief Information Officer, Mr. Kywi served as Vice President of Information Systems and Chief Information Officer for Trinity Regional Health System in Moline, IL and Director of Management Services for Little Company of Mary Hospital in Torrance, CA .

He received his BS degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Southern California and his MS degree in Biomedical Engineering with a specialization in hospital systems, also from the University of Southern California.

Mr. Kywi is the author of numerous articles, publications and case studies on technology-related accomplishments in the workplace.