CommUnityCare Health Centers is excited to announce the promotion of Dr. Karen Welch, MD, to Vice President of Health Informatics (VPHI), marking a significant step in strengthening system-wide integration of clinical care, technology, and data-driven innovation. 

In her new role, Dr. Welch will serve as the health informatics executive for the health system, with oversight of enterprise strategy, governance, and performance at the intersection of clinical care, digital technology, analytics, and operational transformation. She will lead the clinical informatics function across ambulatory, inpatient, specialty, and population health settings, ensuring that technology investments and digital innovation support quality, access, equity, workforce well-being, and value-based care. 

The announcement follows the recent unification of the CommUnityCare Health Centers and Central Health Epic teams into a single, integrated department designed to support a more coordinated, system-wide approach to Epic and clinical technology. 

“I’ve always loved the intersection of technology and care — how do we use it to help us all flourish? When health data is captured well and used thoughtfully, it becomes one of our most powerful tools for reducing disparities, supporting our teams, and building healthier communities,” said Dr. Karen Welch. 

Dr. Welch has been with CommUnityCare Health Centers since 2017 and most recently served as Director of Clinical Informatics. In that role, she led optimization of Epic and integrated clinical technologies to enhance patient care and population health outcomes, including the successful pilot and rollout of ambient documentation tools. 

Previously, as Director of Primary Care, she served as the ambulatory lead for the organization’s initial Epic implementation, guiding the transition from multiple legacy systems. She also played a key role in the rapid expansion of telehealth services at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and contributed to the development and optimization of the organization’s long-term care model strategy. 

A board-certified physician in Family Medicine and Clinical Informatics, Dr. Welch continues to practice clinically and is deeply committed to improving quality outcomes and the clinician experience. Her leadership has helped drive coordinated efforts across clinical informatics, Epic, and quality improvement teams, contributing to national recognition, including consecutive Epic Pinnacle Awards for user experience and the HRSA Silver Quality Badge. 

Dr. Welch earned her undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and her medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, where she also completed her family medicine residency. She has a longstanding commitment to medical education, having served as faculty at UTMB and currently as Affiliate Faculty at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin. 

Outside of her professional work, Dr. Welch enjoys spending time with her family, being outdoors, and working on creative projects, including renovating a salvaged caboose into a tiny home in the Texas Hill Country. 

Her appointment reflects CommUnityCare Health Centers’ continued commitment to leveraging innovation and technology to advance high-quality, equitable care for the communities it serves.