Sidney Tucker

Senior Business Analyst
Laboratory Information Systems, Health System Information Resources (HSIR)

First UTSW job: Cerner Lab System Analyst for laboratories at what are now Zale Lipshy Pavilion and the James W. Aston Ambulatory Care Center.

Best part about my job: There’s always something important to do and something to look forward to. I’ve never been bored, and I’ve come to appreciate my purpose at UTSW.

How co-workers describe me: Capable, efficient, available, and full of opinions.

Recipe for success: If you have some ambition or aspire to a higher pursuit, educate yourself, acquire the skills you may need, and develop positive relationships with people who can vouch for you. When the time comes, don’t be afraid of change or sell your abilities short. Act decisively when the opportunity to advance yourself comes along. I was a third-shift computer operator for a hospital laboratory. The Lab Director came to my area at 7 a.m. one morning to say that my supervisor was going back to the chemistry bench. He wanted to know if I could manage the lab system. I replied, “I don't know, let’s find out.” Evidently, that was a good answer. He said, “Go home and get some sleep. Come back at 1 p.m. for a meeting and wear a tie. You’re in management now.”  That was 35 years ago. Those few moments changed my life.

Best UTSW memory: HSIR transitioning clinical applications one by one from Cerner to Epic. My role in this phase was to keep the soon-to-be-retired systems up and running as we transitioned to the new platforms. Although I excelled in this role, I came to realize I was becoming the manager of nothing.

I wish I were an instant expert at: Playing guitar well enough to get my wife to dance.

Hobbies: Landscaping; repairing and maintaining our family’s fleet of vehicles.

Surprising fact: I’m a Masters-level competitive swimmer. For the past 15 years, I have had a national top 10 time in the 1,500-meter freestyle for my age group.