Nemours Children’s Health: Building a Community of Innovators

The American Board of Imaging Informatics recognizes Nemours Children’s Health with the 2026 Excellence in Imaging Informatics Award in the employer category. Nemours, a national pediatric health system, has supported its Enterprise Imaging Informatics (EII) team in their outstanding commitment to excellence in health care through the Certified Imaging Informatics Professional (CIIP) credential.

When Kenda Fessock, MS, R.T.(R)(ARRT), CIIP, joined Nemours Children’s Health in 2018, she was the health system’s only CIIP. Eight years later, that number has grown to seven certified imaging informatics professionals in their EII department, with three more team members actively preparing for the exam.

That growth is thanks to investment by Nemours executive leadership in Fessock’s vision. Having earned her CIIP certification in 2013, she wanted to build a culture that encourages professionals to develop a broader understanding of healthcare technology, clinical workflow, leadership, and industry best practices.

“The result has been a more knowledgeable, collaborative, and engaged team capable of leading complex enterprise imaging initiatives and helping advance our strategic goals,” says Fessock, now Senior Director of Enterprise Imaging Informatics. The CIIPs at Nemours have contributed to enterprise imaging initiatives, workflow improvements, system optimization efforts, and strategic technology decisions, “enabl[ing] them to drive meaningful change across multiple domains.”

Continuous Investment, Collaborative Innovation

One of the earliest commitments that Nemours made in building this culture was offering access to the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM). For team members who complete their CIIP certification, Nemours funds yearly SIIM membership and the opportunity to attend the SIIM annual meeting, where they can access educational resources, connect with industry experts, and learn about emerging technologies.

Nemours invests in making CIIP certification achievable by building it directly into employees’ professional development goals, supporting certification throughout their entire professional journey—from exam preparation through regular credential maintenance. Fessock encourages CIIPs to volunteer on SIIM committees, mentor other colleagues pursuing certification, and practice skills together. The EII department embeds exam preparation into their regular team activities, like CIIP Jeopardy! sessions. One team member, after earning his certification in 2023, even developed a “CIIP Exam Coach” agent in Nemours’ Copilot AI system to quiz his colleagues as they studied for the exam.

For Fessock, it’s clear that her team has embodied a message: CIIP certification is more than a professional credential. “You’re part of a community once you’re a CIIP,” she says. “Certification has helped create a culture where our team members actively seek opportunities to enhance the services we provide to clinicians, patients, and families.”

She adds, "This award belongs to the entire team. It reflects the dedication of professionals who invested their time and energy into expanding their expertise and supporting one another throughout the certification process."