Tom Raz

Manager of Information Resources
Health Systems Information Resources

First UTSW job: I came on board as a programmer to help with custom reports for the financial management team in the MSRDP (Medical Service Research & Development Plan Department) via a language called “MUMPS.” This was back when we were using the IDX system for professional billing and ambulatory scheduling on “dumb terminals.”

Best part about my job: The people, especially those on our team. I admire the heroes who advance and maintain systems that help our users save and improve lives.

Unusual memory: Dec. 31, 1999. We had been preparing for “Y2K” for much of the year, and while friends outside the tech field enjoyed the last parties of the millennium, we were at work, preparing for the worst. A command center was set up, where upper leadership in suits watched the news and the countdown. The clock struck midnight. A few tests confirmed that all was well. I grabbed big handfuls of shredded paper from the copy room, darted into the command center, and hurled it over the leaders, wishing them Happy New Year!

Recipe for success: I like to think outside the box, questioning assumptions and considering alternatives. This provides a wider view of opportunities and ramifications – and an endless supply of puns.

Claim to fame: My team replaced my cube nameplate with “Darth Raz” when I wasn’t looking. Does infamy qualify as “fame”?

Hobby: Yoga every day.

Surprising fact: I’m pretty good at fire dancing (although not good enough to quit my day job).

Final note: I’ve been eligible to retire, but I keep putting it off.