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Center for Biomedical Informatics
PURPOSE OF THE CENTER
The Center for Biomedical Informatics (CBI)
supports and provides leadership for the Institute for all
aspects of biocomputing through three branches that have overlapping
missions and work in close cooperation.
- Planning, Architecture, Communication, and Evaluation
(PACE) Branch
- Information Technology Resources (ITR) Branch
- Applications Development and Support Branch
CBI's objective is to build, over time, an integrated information
and knowledge environment supporting the full span of the
Institute's mission. This includes programs of extramural
and intramural research that are basic, clinical, or translational.
It also includes the planning and administration of these
programs, as well as education, dissemination, and outreach.
An integrated environment will provide individuals with all
the information and knowledge resources required to complete
complex tasks, even though these resources may physically
reside in different computer systems.
On a day-to-day basis, CBI supports the Institute's information
technology (IT), encompassing strategic planning, project
management, and developing enterprise systems. As part of
the IT responsibilities, it oversees the
continuous operations of the IT infrastructure, including
new network development, user and network support, and information
security. It also maintains IT systems and databases for tracking
and reporting of extramural and intramural programs, and when
necessary develops and implements new ones. CBI recommends
and implements IT policies and procedures; studies, evaluates
and tests new technologies (hardware, software, and information
systems); designs methods to communicate with all NHLBl stakeholders,
both internal and external; and develops new methods for managing
knowledge in addition to developing an information architecture
for the Institute.
Planning, Architecture, Communication, and Evaluation (PACE)
Branch
The PACE Branch will design the new integrated information
environment (and a new information architecture) and plan
all future IT activities, guided by information from a network
of constituency groups with members both inside and outside
the Institute. As part of this process, PACE will work with
the Applications Development and Support Branch to evaluate
and conduct usability studies for existing as well as new
IT resources and applications. In addition, this branch will
develop methods and procedures to manage all information,
from administrative procedures and policies to health information
and scientific knowledge, to allow fast, easy access to all
our constituency groups both inside and outside the Institute,
including (but not limited to) research scientists, administrators,
healthcare providers, patients, educators, and the media.
It will guide a complete redesign of the Institute's resources
on the World Wide Web and will establish standards for representing
information and knowledge.
Information Technology Resources (ITR) Branch
The ITR Branch provides access to the Institute's information
environment through network and desktop maintenance and support,
as well as security services. To this end, the ITR Branch
ensures that NHLBl personnel have continuous access to appropriate
network resources for computing and communication; installs
and maintains users' desktops, peripherals, and other computing
hardware; supports users in making best of use of a defined
basic suite of productivity tools; and ensures that all computers
and user practices are compliant with NIH (and NHLBI, where
appropriate) standards for information security.
Applications Development and Support Branch
The Applications Development and Support Branch develops
new software applications addressing high priority needs (as
delineated by PACE); provides application support using contemporary,
industry-standard software engineering methods, and documents
all application code to industry standards. In addition, it
maintains and improves applications based on formal evaluations
and user experience, and in response to evolving IT methods;
builds interfaces to coordinate with IT resources outside
of NHLBI; and educates and assists users so they can fully
take advantage of these applications.
For further information contact:
Center for Biomedical Informatics
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
ATTN: Web Site Inquiries
One Rockledge Center, Suite 6086
6705 Rockledge Dr. MSC 7994
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7994
Additional phone numbers are available in the Abbreviated
Staff Directory
May 2007
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