Leveraging the power of for patients, medical professionals, and researchers.
Louisiana Center for Health Innovation leverages the power of public and private data science for the benefit of patients, medical professionals and researchers to improve health outcomes and save lives. LCHI is a part of the Informatics Research Institute at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette that contributes to the social good through research in data science to unleash the potential of Big Data in such areas as health, crisis response, community security & resiliency, and smart & connected community. Health informatics is the interdisciplinary field that studies the effective uses of clinical and public health data to improve health of individuals, populations and society. The center conducts research to collect, process, and analyze data with the goal to improve health as measured by such metrics as mortality rate, disease rates, life expectancy. Our data sources include clinical data, social media, prescriptions, insurance claims, health organization reports, and patient-generated devices or wearables. Center Goals
- Focuses on the future of healthcare
- Works with local and state partners including the Louisiana Department of Health to create health care innovation
- Tests and scales new concepts at the intersection of health policy and technology
- Conducts policy and program research relevant to business processes in need of improvement
- Reaches into the community to promote healthcare innovation through events such as the CajunCodeFest Health App Competition.
*The views and opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and they may not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.*
02/06/2026
Apply for TExBioMed Summer Institute 2026!
The TExBioMed Summer Institute is a 12-week summer research training program for UL Lafayette undergraduates interested in bioinformatics, health informatics, public health informatics, data science, or related STEM fields.
Program Highlights:
- Mentored research projects and presentations
- Academic and career guidance
- Peer learning networks
- Opportunities to meet leading researchers in industry and academia
- $7,200 summer stipend
Program Dates: May 13 – July 31, 2026
Applications close: February 15, 2026
LCHI was honored to attend UL Lafayette’s welcome of National Commander of the American Legion, Dan Wiley, during his visit to campus. We are grateful for the opportunity to stand with campus partners in recognizing and supporting our veteran and student veteran community.
12/15/2025
From all of us at the Louisiana Center for Health Innovation, we wish you a joyful and warm holiday season!
12/11/2025
The Louisiana Center for Health Innovation, in partnership with the College of Nursing and Health Sciences and the Louisiana HIMSS Chapter, recently hosted the Nursing and Health Sciences Informatics Boot Camp.
The course covered key concepts in nursing and health sciences informatics, including leadership, data management, human factors, and core principles of IT and data security.
A special thank you to Dr. Susan Newbold and Dr. Constance Berner for leading the sessions, to all attendees for their participation, and to the Louisiana HIMSS Chapter for hosting a social for Boot Camp participants and LAHIMSS members.
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11/27/2025
Grateful for a Year of Innovation and Impact 🍁
This Thanksgiving, we celebrate a milestone year at the Louisiana Center for Health Innovation (LCHI) — our first full year advancing research, strengthening workforce pathways, and expanding partnerships across Louisiana and beyond.
We’re thankful for our dedicated team, university leadership, and partners who make our mission possible: Better Together. Innovating Health. Empowering Communities.
We are proud to recognize our TExBioMed Alumni who recently presented at the Undergraduate Research Conference at UL Lafayette.
Parker Bristow, Konye Brown, Katie Hambrice, and Haylee Holt gave outstanding presentations that showcased their talent, dedication, and impressive research skills.
Congratulations to Katie Hambrice on receiving the Judge’s Choice Award for her poster.
We also extend our thanks to our research mentors for their guidance and support, and to Advance for providing this valuable opportunity for students.
student.research
11/17/2025
Spotlight on Our Research Team at LCHI
LCHI is proud of Research Scientist, Sadie Smith, for presenting her research at the 2025 American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Conference. Her presentation, “Cancer Incidence and Risk Associated with Air Toxins: The Role of Social Vulnerability Factors in Shaping Health Outcomes,” highlights important findings on how environmental exposures and community risk factors influence health outcomes.
Sadie’s presentation contributed to important conversations on environmental and public health and allowed her to connect with fellow researchers from across the country.
On this Veterans Day, we honor the men and women who have worn our nation’s uniform with strength, discipline, and courage. Their service continues to shape our communities and safeguard the freedoms we value.
At the Louisiana Center for Health Innovation, we are proud to work alongside in our shared commitment to supporting Veterans here at home. Our partnership reflects a straightforward promise: to understand Veterans’ needs and to advance practical solutions that make a difference in daily life.
To those who have served — and to the families who have supported them:
Thank you.
Your sacrifice is seen.
Your service will always be honored.
10/23/2025
Meet Dr. Constance Berner – Innovator in Nursing Informatics
Dr. Constance S. Berner is a Board Certified ANCC Informatics Nurse Specialist who has advanced nursing informatics across clinical and academic settings. She has practiced in various specialties, including SICU, ER, Med-Surg, and Flight Nursing, and began working in nursing informatics full-time in 2010. She has contributed to national initiatives, including her work with the Veterans Health Administration Office of Nursing Informatics.
She has shared her expertise at the HIMSS Global Conference, received the National HeRO Award for documentation standardization in the VHA, and remains an active member of ANA, AMIA, ANIA, and HIMSS. As Co-Instructor of Dr. Newbold’s Nursing Informatics Bootcamp, Dr. Berner brings deep expertise and a practical perspective on modernizing systems and improving care.
Join her at the Nursing and Health Sciences Informatics Bootcamp, November 20–21, 2025, at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Professional Development Day: Elevate Conference 2025
The LCHI team participated in the 2025 Elevate Conference, a professional development day organized by UL Lafayette Human Resources to support learning, growth, and collaboration across the University community.
The conference offered sessions across four learning tracks: Future Readiness: Professional Growth & Leadership, Living Well: Holistic Approach to Health, Tech Frontiers: Navigating New Innovations, and Ragin’ Cajun Essentials: UL Programs, Platforms & Processes.
Our director, Dr. Gabriela Wilson, presented “Leading Through Innovation: Cultivating a Mindset of Change and Creativity,” focusing on approaches to leading teams through change and innovation.
LCHI’s Health Innovation Research Scientist, Sadie S, also participated on the winning team in the Ragin’ Cajun Family Feud.
Thank you to Human Resources for hosting this professional development opportunity and to keynote speaker Hollis Conway, two-time Olympic medalist and motivational speaker, for sharing his message on growth and resilience.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
10/06/2025
Meet Dr. Susan K. Newbold – Pioneer in Nursing Informatics
Susan K. Newbold, PhD, RN, NI-BC, FAAN, LFHIMSS, FAMIA, is a pioneer in nursing informatics with a global reputation for advancing education, research, and practice in the field. She has taught and presented internationally, authored five books, and received numerous honors, including the AMIA Virginia K. Saba Informatics Award.
Most recently, she was awarded the Friends of the National Library of Medicine Nursing Informatics Award, recognizing her lasting contributions to the profession. As a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and HIMSS, Dr. Newbold continues to shape the future of healthcare through informatics.
Hear her insights at the Nursing and Health Sciences Informatics Bootcamp, November 20–21, 2025, at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
TExBioMed first-place winner, Katie Hambrice, represented the Louisiana Center for Health Innovation at the Gulf Coast Annual Regional Conference (GC3 2025). She presented her research, “Geospatial Analysis of Disparities in Access to Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARCs) Using Public Health Informatics,” with guidance from her mentor, Dr. Ravi Bhupatiraju.
Dr. Gabriela Wilson, Director of LCHI, introduced the Center to conference attendees, highlighting our mission to advance healthcare through research, technology, and collaboration.
GC3 2025 brought together healthcare and technology leaders from across the Gulf Coast for three days of keynotes, panels, and discussions on emerging trends.
We are proud of Katie for her outstanding presentation and grateful to Dr. Bhupatiraju and Dr. Wilson for their guidance and leadership. Congratulations to Katie on showcasing the exceptional talent of all TExBioMed Summer Research Institute scholars.
.student.research
Address
Abdalla Hall, 635 Cajundome Boulevard Lafayette, LA 70506
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Contact The Practice
Send a message to Louisiana Center for Health Innovation:
The center was created to leverage the power of public and private data science for the benefit of patients, medical professionals and researchers to improve health outcomes and save lives.
LCHI is a part of the Informatics Research Institute at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette that contributes to the social good through research in data science to unleash the potential of Big Data in such areas as health, crisis response, community security & resiliency, and smart & connected community.
Health informatics is the interdisciplinary field that studies the effective uses of clinical and public health data to improve health of individuals, populations and society. The center conducts research to collect, process, and analyze data with the goal to improve health as measured by such metrics as mortality rate, disease rates, life expectancy. Our data sources include clinical data, social media, prescriptions, insurance claims, health organization reports, and patient-generated devices or wearables.
Center Goals
Focuses on the future of healthcare
Works with local and state partners including the Louisiana Department of Health to create health care innovation
Tests and scales new concepts at the intersection of health policy and technology
Conducts policy and program research relevant to business processes in need of improvement
Reaches into the community to promote healthcare innovation through events such as the CajunCodeFest Health App Competition.
