Dr. William Bria, president of the Association of Medical Directors of Information Systems, has been named chief medical officer of Dataskill, a San Diego-based systems integrator. In his new role, he'll be charged with helping develop clinical decision-support systems that leverage the computing power of IBM's Watson data analytics system.

"It's a new generation of (clinical decision support)," Bria said. "It's to add analytics in real time to the care process with an engine that can do it.”

Bria previously served as chief medical informatics officer at Shriners Hospitals for Children in Tampa, Fla. Bria said he will maintain his residence in the Tampa area.

Bria, a pulmonologist, has been named to Modern Healthcare's Top 25 Clinical Informaticists list three times.

"It's an incredible opportunity for our company and him as well," said Nigel Hook, founder and CEO of Dataskill. "His clinical background, obviously, is stellar, as well as his background in informatics. What he's done with AMDIS over the years and his reputation with his peers will help us get the message out of how Watson can transform healthcare." Hook said Bria will work directly with company CIO Victor Bagwell on the Watson project.