Jose Ignacio Valenzuela

My name is Jose Ignacio Valenzuela and I live in Bogota, Columbia. I’m a doctor specialising in Internal Medicine and Health Management and I also hold an MSc (with Distinction) in Heath Informatics from City, University of London. I split my time between private clinical practice and digital health innovation. Currently, we are creating a master’s degree in Biomedical Informatics, the first of its kind in Colombia and Latin America. I also work in Medical Affairs for Bayer Andean Region.

What are your stand out memories of studying at City?

I have lots of memories of City and the UK, all of them very gratifying. I remember Northampton Square, where I used to sit and chat with my friends every day, the informatics labs, the interesting lectures and discussions with Professors Abdul Roudsari and Peter Weller on how things could be implemented in developing countries… the long hours at the library and the students’ club. Also, the talks with Kimon Kotronis at Ealing Hospital, where I took my master’s degree. So many memories come to my mind that it would be impossible to write them in a paragraph, but now I know that all of those experiences were shaping my life to come…

Where has the knowledge you gained at City taken you in your life and career?

Coming back to my country from the UK, I was a pioneer in the field of Health Informatics. I was lucky to be the first person formally trained in the field; afterwards, some other colleagues who also trained abroad returned, and we could advance with the progression of healthcare and medicine through digital technologies. I’m proud to share some of the exciting initiatives we undertook: we implemented the first Electronic Health Record in the Country, the first Centre for Telehealth at a University Hospital, we established Doctor Chat, the first virtual medical orientation service in Latam.

I also had the honour to contribute to some of our national and Regional (Latam) policies around eHealth. Now, we are establishing the first master’s degree in Biomedical Informatics, a huge and exciting challenge. Although winning awards was never our initial aim, I was awarded the 2008 Innovator Award by Healthcare Informatics journal in the US, and the 2018 UK Study Alumni Award by the British Council, which allowed me to return to the UK, share my experience and thoughts with the British Parliament, and find collaboration opportunities with important people and institutions.

Do you have any memories of City that you would like to share?

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