Thomas Jacob Wessel, Jr., MD, ABFP
 
Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System
101 East Wood Street
Spartanburg, SC 29303
(864) 560-6000
 
EDUCATION & TRAINING
 
College:  Furman University, Greenville, SC
  September 1975 - June 1979
  Phi Beta Kappa
  B.S. Chemistry, Magna cum Laude
 
Medical School:  Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 
  June 1979 - May 1983
  Family Practice Student Association - member
 
Internship & Residency:  Family Practice Residency Program,
  Greenville Hospital System, Greenville, SC
  July 1983 - June 1986
 
Board Certification:  American Board of Family Practice Diplomate
Certified:  July 1986 (1986-93)
Re-certified:  July 1992 (1992-99)
  July 1998 (1998-2005)
  July 2004 (2004-2011)
 
Medical Informatics:  Medical Informatics MBL/NLM Course Fellow
  Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA
  Sponsored by the National Library of Medicine
  Certificate, Spring Course, 2006
 
PRESENT POSITION
 
Medical Information Officer
Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System
January 2003 - present
 
 
MEDICAL INFORMATICS EXPERIENCE
 
Physician Lead, Software Designer, RxReconcile (Computerized Medication Reconciliation software)
Information Services, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System
October 2005 - present
 
Physician Lead - Computerized Physician Order Entry project (McKesson Horizon Expert Orders)
Information Services, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System
April 2003 - present
 
Physician Lead & Project Manager - Enterprise PDA Results System (MercuryMD MData)
Information Services, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System
May 2006 - present
 
Physician Lead - Cardiology PACS project (McKesson Horizon Cardiology)
Information Services, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System
May 2007 - present
 
Physician Lead - Lab project (McKesson Horizon Lab)
Information Services, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System
September 2005 - June 2006
 
Physician Lead - Cardiology PACS project (Phillips Inturis)
Information Services, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System
December 2004 - April 2006
 
Physician Lead - Radiology PACS project (McKesson Horizon Medical Imaging)
Information Services, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System
January 2003 - December 2003
 
Physician Analyst - Clinical data repository project (SMS LCR)
Information Services, Greenville Hospital System, Greenville, SC
September 1995 - September 1998
 
Programming experience with JavaScript, HTML (including CSS, DHTML), Visual Basic, Visual C++, Microsoft Access and other PC databases, CodeWarrior for Palm OS, Satellite Forms
 
PC Applications developed: 
  • "Attach to Hand for MS Outlook" - automates loading MS Outlook email attachments to Palm Powered devices.  Available at http://www.tlasoftware.net/A2h.zip
  • Resident procedure tracking system
  • Rotation schedule for all medical education interns
  • Inpatient database
  • Computerized adult health maintenance reminders
  • General algorithm for generating reminders based on practice guidelines (in progress)
  • Residency applicant scoring system
  • Referral tracking system
  • Local physician database with mailing labels
  • On-Call schedule
  • Conference schedule
  • OB patient database
  • Nursing home patient database and schedule
  • Ambulatory medical office computer system (demo model)
Handheld/PDA Applications developed: 
  • "Attach to Hand Mail" - syncs PC desktop email messages and attachments to Palm Powered devices.  Available at http://www.tlasoftware.net/Athmail1.zip
  • Automated import of resident rotation schedule, call schedule, code coverage schedule, conference schedule, and contact numbers from PC to Palm OS device
  • Resident procedure tracking system with automated export from Palm OS device to PC
  • Inpatient database from PC to Palm OS device
  • Automated export of patient charges from Palm OS device to PC for reporting
  • Nursing home patient database and visit schedule from PC to Palm OS device
  • Obstetrical patient list from PC to Palm OS device
  • Quality audit tool for Michelin Retread Technologies
Development of batch interface between Sunquest Lab server and Windows server
Development of batch interface between Sunquest Lab and PC platform
Reflection Basic and OS/2 REXX scripts to perform application automation and file downloads
AS/400 queries
HLLAPI scripts to run mainframe and AS/400 applications
IBM Mainframe queries
 
 
CLIENTS
 
Michelin
Greenville Memorial Hospital, Greenville, SC
Center for Family Medicine, Greenville, SC
 
 
CURRENT PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
 
American Medical Informatics Association (1993-present)
American Academy of Family Practice 
 
 
PUBLICATIONS & RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
 
Wessel, Thomas J. Weight Loss.  DxR Clinician Web & CD-ROM.  DxR Development Group, Inc., March 2001. 
Wessel, Thomas J. Computerized Reminders for Diabetes Care. 
Poster Presentation for GHS Research Recognition Day, May 1997.
Wessel, Thomas J,
Strossner, Mary L.		 Computerized Health Maintenance Reminders. 
Poster Presentation for GHS Research Recognition Day, May 1996.
Wessel, Thomas J. Prepare Your Practice for Computerized Patient Records.
Family Practice Management 1995;2(6):69-72.
Wessel, Thomas J. The R:BASE Compiler: Not Dead Yet.
R:VIEW 1992;6(1):1-5.
Wessel, Thomas J. Customize a Schedule for Your Practice.
Physicians & Computers 1991;9(6):28-33.
Wessel, Thomas J. Using R:Base to Create Calendar Schedules in a Family Practice Residency Program.
R:BASE Exchange 1990;7:38-40.
 
Site Coordinator SC Family Practice Research Consortium study,
"Women’s Health Promotion Project"
 
Site Coordinator SC Family Practice Research Consortium study,
"Resident Psychological Health"
 
Site Coordinator MUSC Student Computer-based Learning Program
 
 
PRESENTATIONS
 
Wessel, Thomas J. "Medication Reconciliation and Beyond"
2006 Insight Conference, Nashville, TN
Wessel, Thomas J. "Usability Factors: A CPOE Example"
Primary Care Informatics Working Group
2005 American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) Annual Symposium, Washington, DC 
Wessel, Thomas J. "Clinical Content: How Do You Manage it?"
2004 Insight Conference, Atlanta, GA
Wessel, Thomas J. "Delivering Medications Safely"
2003 Insight Conference, Nashville, TN
Wessel, Thomas J. "Delivery of Current, Clinically-Relevant Information to the Point of Care"
Panel: Bringing Clinical Information to the Point of Care Using Information Technology
2000 American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) Annual Symposium, Los Angeles, CA 
Wessel, Thomas J. "Automated Handheld Computing in a Family Practice Residency"
Technical Showcase
1999 Annual Workshop for Directors of Family Practice Residencies, Kansas City, MO
Wessel, Thomas J. "Computer-Generated Health Maintenance Reminders"
1996 Patient Education Conference, Nashville, TN
Snape PS, Wessel TJ. "Management of Family Practice Resident Information via Handheld Computers"
Innovative Ideas Showcase
1999 Annual Workshop for Directors of Family Practice Residencies, Kansas City, MO
 
 
FAMILY PRACTICE FACULTY EXPERIENCE (1986-2003)
 
Associate Director of Family Medicine
Family Practice Residency Program (CFM), Greenville Hospital System (GHS), Greenville, SC
July 1986 - 2003
 
Associate Professor of Family Medicine
USC School of Medicine, Columbia, SC
 
Associate Professor of Family Medicine
Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
 
GHS CFM Director of Research: 1993-2003
 
GHS CFM Director of Clinical Computing: 1986-2003
 
GHS CFM Quality Improvement Committee, Chairman: 1991-2003
 
GHS CFM Director for Sports Medicine Curriculum: 1990-1993, 1997-2003
 
GHS CFM Director for Geriatrics Curriculum: 1988-1989
 
 
COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIPS
 
Current Committees
 
SRHS Physician Technology Committee
      chairman: 2006 - present
      member: 2003 - present
 
American Medical Informatics Association
      Family Practice/Primary Care Working Group
      chairman, membership committee: 1998-1999
      member: 1993-present

      Knowledge In Motion (KIM) Working Group
      member: 2002-present

      Clinical Computing Working Group
      member: 1993-present
 
SRHS Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee
2003 - present
 
SRHS Clinical Effectiveness Council
2006 - present
 
SRHS Operating Room Advisory Committee
2003 - present
 
SRHS Health Information Committee
2003 - present
 
Past Committees
 
SRHS Medication Safety Committee
2004 - 2006
 
GHS CFM Quality Improvement Committee
Chairman
1990-2003
 
GHS Credentials Committee
 
SC Statewide Family Practice Research Consortium
 
GHS Ambulatory Computer-Based Patient Record Project Committee
Chairman
1997-1998
 
Lifetime Clinical Record (GHS Clinical Data Repository) Design Team
Chairman
1995-1998
 
GHS Executive Information System Steering Committee
GHS Quality Improvement Committee
Quality Improvement Committee, GHS Medical Center Clinics
GHS Patient Care Information Technology Team
GHS Medical Education Computing Committee
GHS Software Standards Committee
GHS Point-of-Care Information Systems Committee
GHS Medical Records Research Committee
Medical Care Committee, Greenville Memorial Hospital
SC Statewide Curriculum Committee for Core Clerkship in Family Practice