For healthcare organizations, the ability to harness data and turn it into useful information can sometimes feel like moving mountains. But in Sentara’s case, it was more like moving buses – or more accurately, mobile clinics.
Tim Skeen, EVP & Enterprise CIO, Sentara Healthcare
Because of the enterprise data platform that had been put into place, the organization was able to identify areas with the highest need and “move those clinics accordingly to make the best impact on the community,” said Tim Skeen, EVP and Enterprise CIO at Sentara Healthcare. “It takes a lot of data to understand that you’re directing them in the right places.”
During a recent Keynote interview with Bill Russell, Founder of This Week Health, Skeen and fellow guest Peter Marks (VP & CIO, WakeMed) discussed their most pressing priorities and how their teams are leveraging data to move the needle.
For Sentara, that has meant pivoting away from brick-and-mortar locations and focusing more on mobile units, while in WakeMed’s case, it was expanding to include more services – specifically, offering mammograms to patients in underserved areas. “When you start talking about data, you really have to understand what the organization is trying to achieve,” said Marks. “We’ve been able to help a lot of patients – these are the stories that melt your heart.”
But before those stories can be told, a lot has to happen behind the scenes, as Skeen learned when he took on the CIO role in 2020. Although there were data lakes being utilized for basic reporting and analytics, data “wasn’t seen as strategic and valuable.” And so, one of his first objectives was to implement a roadmap for entering data into the environment. “Whether it’s homegrown or third-party analytics, you need an enterprise data platform that has a proper ontology and a proper cleanliness and quality to it,” he said. Doing so enabled users to leverage external data, including social determinants, to provide personalized care to current patients, while also allowing them to predict future care needs.
What this does, according to Skeen, is create a “data fabric” in which data are linked to operational stores to ensure interoperability across all platforms, internally and externally, while also allowing data to be ubiquitous in the environment. Getting that framework into place is “foundational,” he noted.
Also critical was the decision to form an architecture team and assign business data architects (BDAs) for each of the three main components: risk, population health, and ambulatory. “When you think about new ambulatory care models and how that blows up into a virtual care paradigm, these BDAs, along with data literacy, are going to level up quite a bit the conversation we’re trying to have as peers between the technologists and data science folks and the business,” said Skeen. “We recognize that part of the problem is with technologists assuming that people understand what they’re talking about. That’s a big piece of it.”
“That’s the driver”
WakeMed has also experienced challenges with wrangling data, according to Marks, who recalled the effort to “move the needle” about five years ago. Securing an investment, however, was going to require metrics, which they were able to show after successfully utilizing the HIMSS Analytics model.
Peter Marks, VP & CIO, WakeMed
The key for his team was having the right mindset. “Descriptive data is nice and we need to see it, but if we’re not moving the ball with outcomes, you have to ask, how much value are we getting from it? We have to be able to map the outcomes. That’s the driver,” Marks noted.
Increasingly, one of those objectives is around leveraging data to improve care at the community level, which entails capturing data from schools, churches, food banks, and other organizations.
“This is more than just clinicians taking care of folks. This is a village trying to take care of this population,” said Marks. “The more data you can glean about where they are in terms of food scarcity, where they’re living, and transportation issues – all those things allow you to support that population much more effectively.”
The data, however, are “massive and hard to wrangle,” he pointed out. And, like most health systems, WakeMed doesn’t have the resources to tackle it alone. “We’ve got to do this in partnership with vendors that are out there driving it.”
Gravitational pulls
Those vendor relationships, CIOs are finding, have become critical to many aspects of the role, including cybersecurity, a topic that’s “always top of mind,” according to Marks. But whereas in the past, the focus was primarily on securing the perimeter, now it's just as much about keeping open lines of communication with vendors about third-party breaches.
However, while it’s certainly beneficial to be aware, it’s important not to let security displace other pressing matters. “This is one of those gravitational pulls that we either can get sucked into and it can paralyze us moving forward or we can use it as an opportunity to drive where we need to be,” said Skeen. “Let’s think about other investments that allow us to recover and be more resilient,” whether that means cloud computing, segmentation, or application rationalization.
The objective, he added, should be on creating and maintaining “a platform and an architecture that’s resilient,” which, for most organizations, isn’t a reality yet. “We need to focus a lot more on that as opposed to letting some of the security components take up 80 percent of our time.”
And while it can be a difficult stance to take, particularly with growing pressure coming from the board to avoid cyber attacks, it has become mission critical,” Marks noted. “As a CIO and leader, we have the opportunity to stand up and say, ‘Listen, we're not ignoring this, but it’s important that you don’t forget about all these other pieces because it's really important to where the industry is going right now.’”
With the healthcare landscape shifting dramatically, and more demands being placed on IT departments, CIOs are getting a new look – but not in terms of scope. “The job itself may not have changed,” said Chero Goswami, Chief Information & Digital Officer at University of Wisconsin Health System, “but the level of influence of the CIO has changed.”
Donna Roach, CIO at University of Utah Health, shared his sentiments. “The role has definitely evolved” and “become much more strategic and insightful,” she noted, “It’s not about being the order-taker or caretaker of the data center and applications – it’s much more than that.”
Donna Roach, CIO, University of Utah Health
Today, being a CIO also means prioritizing wellness through communication, reclaiming architecture, and prioritizing environmental sustainability. During a recent Keynote hosted by Bill Russell, Founder of This Week Health, Roach and Goswami shared their perspectives on the continued growth of IT leadership positions, while also emphasizing the importance of going back to basics.
For Goswami, that growth is reflected in the seven departments that fall under his purview, in addition to IS and digital. And while it certainly comes with a heavier workload, it has also provided him with “tremendous experience,” and helped him stay attuned to the changing needs of healthcare organizations. “The way I’ve always looked at technology is through three Ws: how does it influence the workforce, how does it help workflow, and how does it improve well-being,” he noted. “If you can’t tie it back to one of those three, why are we doing what we’re doing?”
Technology, Goswami believes, should act as “the glue between the health system and patients,” but that’s only possible if leaders are focused on enabling value rather than taking orders.
This is where communication can make all the difference, according to Roach, who believes that creating “strong dialogue relationships” among departments can promote collaboration – and hopefully eliminate order-giving – while elevating the role of the CIO. “We’re sometimes the only one at the table who can really push the exploitation of technology and where we can go with it,” she noted.
The “First role”
Along with that influence, however, comes the responsibility of driving change at an appropriate pace and ensuring teams aren’t overburdened, according to both speakers.
“As much as we talk about technology, the first role of a leader is to take care of people,” said Goswami, who spends more than 60 percent of his time meeting with staff. “Behavioral health of our employees is a serious concern,” particularly as the line between work and home life has become increasingly blurred.
As leaders, “We owe it to our team members to take time to understand what they’re looking for,” he said, noting that it may just be acknowledgement of their hard work. “Empathy is what they need. We have to show our vulnerability and not just spend time talking about project status, budgets, and contracts.”
Hearing the message
But while Goswami believes remote work has had a detrimental effect on well-being, Roach has had a different experience. “My staff is constantly saying, ‘don’t take away hybrid,’ and I feel that’s actually my saving grace” to be able to accommodate those preferences. “What’s important is that you’re listening to your staff, you’re hearing the message from them, and you’re addressing their needs.”
At the same time, however, Roach believes it’s imperative that leaders respect boundaries and refrain from sending emails or messages during the evening. “I don’t want them to be on from 6 in the morning until 8 at night,” she said. “I need them to disconnect, and part of that is on me.” And so, unless there’s a true emergency, she has made it a policy to wait until the following business day to contact team members. Otherwise, “it’s not fair to the staff. They need to separate from work.”
Running IT Like a Business
Another critical aspect of the CIO is monitoring emerging technologies, deciding which tools to pilot, and helping to make informed decisions around adoption. In the case of ambient listening, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive at Utah Health. In fact, “I can’t take it away from physicians right now,” said Roach. “They absolutely love it.”
Of course, these types of tools come with a heavy price tag, which is why she’s asking some of the more influential physicians to help make the case to the board. “There’s a cost model we have to address, but they see value in it. They say it’s a game changer.”
Chero Goswami, Chief Information & Digital Officer, University of Wisconsin Health System
The same is happening at UW Health, where leaders are contemplating fast-tracking ambient listening. “There’s no going back,” said Goswami.
However, as more solutions are added into the mix – and attached to the network – more pressure is placed on the infrastructure. This, according to Roach, is where architecture comes into play. “A lot of people bring in bright, shiny objects and say, ‘let’s use this,’ but if it’s not architected into the framework we’ve created, it’s not going to work, and we’ll spend too much time and effort trying to make it work.”
It’s critical, she added, to put solutions through the microscope and make sure the components fit within the existing foundation. It’s a job that originally belonged to IT, but was “given away” somewhere down the line, according to Roach. Now, “it’s an opportunity to bring it back in, whether you call it architecting or platforming the direction – those pieces are owned by the IT shop,” she noted. “It’s running IT like a business so that we can plug things in and make sure they work.”
Sustainability & the CIO
What’s just as critical as having the right framework, according to Roach and Goswami, is ensuring sustainability – not just for individual organizations, but the industry as a whole. Fortunately, tech companies like Apple are developing devices that are far more efficient from a power standpoint, but there’s still a long way to go toward reducing the carbon footprint.
“Going back to the role of the CIO, part of it is being sustainable,” said Roach. “We should not be a junk warehouse of old devices and things that just are drains on our power grids.” Instead, “we need to incorporate sustainability into the digital strategy and make sure we’re bringing that to the forefront. It shouldn’t be creating an environment that now my kids or my grandkids have to clean up after us.”
Similarly, Goswami has added sustainability as a priority for the IS and informatics leadership teams, which now track environmental, social, and governance data. “With all of the conversations around AI, where’s the conversation about the impact of GPUs on the environment?” he asked. “We’re creating disruption, but not necessarily in a positive way.” Sustainment, he believes, is “the litmus test we have to hold ourselves to, because we can’t leave the world in a worse place than the one we inherited.”
As cyberattacks become increasingly sophisticated – and inflict more damage on health systems – an interesting trend is happening with IS leadership roles. Whereas in the past, it wasn’t uncommon for CISOs to “back into the role,” nowadays, the path is becoming much more linear, according to a panel of experts.
“The evolution and maturity of security as a discipline and as an industry means that we’re moving away” from situations in which CISO jobs are created and given to “the first person who raised their hands,” said Michael Meis, Associate CISO at University of Kansas Health System. Now, that’s no longer the case. “The CISOs of tomorrow are the ones who really embrace the role as an objective on their career path and intentionally build skills towards getting there.”
During a recent episode of Unhack the Podcast, Drex DeFord, President of the 229 Cyber & Risk Community, spoke with a panel of leaders to identify those key skills and discuss how aspiring leaders can develop them. Along with Meis, the group included Doug Fee (Moffitt Cancer Center), Dee Young (UNC Health), Aaron Weismann (Main Line Health), Hugo Lai (Temple Health), Jesse Fasolo (St. Joseph’s Health), and Shawna Hofer (St. Luke’s Health System).
Starting points
What DeFord learned is that because the CISO role is relatively new, there are myriad avenues that can be taken to arrive there. One of those, interestingly, is the help desk, which was the starting point for several of the speakers, including Fasolo and Lai.
“At that time in my career, there was no cybersecurity and there was no CISO,” Fasolo noted. “It was ‘turn it on and make it work, and shut it off when you’re done.’” There was, of course, the help desk, which afforded Fasolo the opportunity to learn about the various roles and departments that are critical to the success of a health system.
Lai agreed, adding that his time at the help desk paid off immensely. “That position allowed me to work with different stakeholders, understand IT infrastructure and the day to day operations, and put perspective into cybersecurity,” he said. “Cybersecurity is about concepts. How you put context into those controls makes a big difference to stakeholders.”
The other role that helped set the stage for his eventual CISO position? Doing consulting work, which helped him learn how to build relationships and gain an understanding of large enterprise environments, while being exposed to a host of different technologies. “That certainly helped me get to where I am today,” Lai added.
“The most qualified”
What's been just as (if not more) important as how leaders got their start, however, is what they did next. Fee, for example, never intended to enter the security realm; his aspiration was to be a mathematics professor. But when it became clear that wasn't going to happen, he surged ahead, pursuing a master’s in computer science and immersing himself in IT. And when an opportunity arose to become a HIPAA expert for the Department of Medicare and Medicaid Services at the State of Kentucky, he seized it, and eventually landed the CISO post at University of Kentucky HealthCare. “I loved it and I never went back from that point,” Fee stated.
Similarly, Weismann had a different inclination. Although he “always wanted to be in technology,” he found it difficult to gain expertise as an attorney. Fortunately, he had the foresight to earn a Master’s of Law in IT Licensing and Global Intellectual Property Law, which helped him land a job with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In that role, “I was able to interact with technology and our technical staff on a regular basis and I quickly became pretty much the sole attorney supporting our information security office.”
Doing so enabled him to build valuable expertise in a number of areas, including audits, which proved pivotal. “We were a heavily federally regulated organization because of all the federal contracts we had and all the federal programs we administered,” Weismann noted. “I was able to wiggle my way in by building out some of that audit function, supporting that audit function, and then later moving over into the technical side.” By the time he accepted the CISO role at Main Line Health in 2020, he was well-positioned to lead cybersecurity efforts.
Although the panelists certainly had diverging paths – and none actually set out to become CISOs right out of college – they all eventually reached that point by putting in the hard work and constantly striving to be better. “It’s interesting,” said DeFord, “nobody said, ‘I want to grow up to be a CISO.’ They meandered their way through their career, and at some point it became clear that, ‘you’re the person who’s probably the most qualified in our organization to take this responsibility.’”
Expert advice
Of course, each of the panelists were fortunate enough to have mentors throughout their journeys – and smart enough to listen to them. Below are some of the key pieces of advice they shared.
It can also discourage security teams from taking the types of risks that are necessary for continued growth. The key is “finding the right balance of wanting to do a great job but also being flexible and agile,” Hofer noted. “We have to learn and grow. You can’t do that when you're so focused on making everything absolutely perfect.”
The reality of being a CIO in today’s healthcare landscape is it can be isolating. “Leadership can sometimes feel like a very lonely place,” said Sarah Hatchett. “You don’t always know how people perceive you, or if you’ve done everything.”
As the list of tasks continues to grow – and expectations continue to mount, particularly at organizations like the Cleveland Clinic – it’s becoming increasingly important for CIOs to step into the light and rely on teams to “help fill in the gaps and hold you accountable,” she noted. Doing so, however, requires “open dialogue” built on a foundation of trust and respect.
During a recent Keynote with Bill Russell, Founder of This Week Health, Hatchett talked about what it takes to create that culture, as well as her team’s efforts around business transformation and resiliency, why she avoids the word ‘governance,’ and the philosophy that has guided her throughout her career.
Sarah Hatchett, SVP & CIO, Cleveland Clinic
Patients First
Despite the size and scope of Cleveland Clinic – which includes 23 hospitals and 276 outpatient facilities in locations across the world – the core objectives don't differ much from those of other organizations, with most of the focus on innovation, business transformation, and resiliency. What does separate it from others is the emphasis on putting patients first, a core aspect of Cleveland Clinic’s mission.
“I challenge my team to think about this every day,” said Hatchett. “We’re all caregivers; there are no employees. Every piece of technology that we do ties back in some way to patient care.”
Utilizing the term ‘caregiver,’ she added, “helps bring home the impact of IT initiatives,” and underscores the importance of ensuring that each project is managed as effectively as possible.
Having more than 80,000 caregivers, however, can make that difficult, particularly when IT requests come in from across the organization. “We have a very clear mission and vision that comes directly from the top down, but there's also a fair amount of latitude for business units to come up with strategies and OKRs for their specific areas that typically generate a lot of IT demand,” she noted.
Lightning rounds
This is where Hatchett’s team plays a key role, serving as “the glue” that brings groups together and shares information about projects that are already in progress, which has helped foster collaboration while preventing duplication.
“A lot of our key success factors are in trying to standardize and gain efficiencies across the different initiatives that we’re seeing,” she noted.
One approach they’re taking is to hold lightning rounds during which teams or individuals can showcase projects they’re working on. Doing so, according to Hatchett, creates a “line of sight” across teams that can help boost collaboration while also building excitement around new ideas. “It’s been a real value-add to the overall culture,” she noted.
Blueprint for M&A
It’s the type of environment CIOs strive to provide, but it didn’t come without a huge lift – one that started when Hatchett came on board in 2017, and was immediately tasked with standing up the Epic transformation program. Although Cleveland Clinic had adopted the system nearly two decades prior, the implementation was fragmented, and it became clear that a multi-year effort was needed to deploy “modules that were missing, infuse content into our system, and really get those integrations up and running in a way that benefited both our caregivers and our patients,” she recalled.
The other key advantage in having a centralized EHR was that it created a blueprint for organizations that join Cleveland through M&A activity, Hatchett said. “We now had a global design to roll out Epic in a standard way to the hospitals that we had most recently acquired, bringing them on to our platform in a rapid fashion. What started as an EHR transformation journey actually became an M&A playbook, which we now call our growth and global design program.” Not only does it ensure all facilities follow the same methodology – and move toward standardization, but it also helps “build up the internal muscle” needed to drive transformation.
Anti-governance
Having a unified platform can also enable the organization to better support innovation, which is “core to the mission” of Cleveland Clinic, and therefore requires a solid structure. “We want to create an environment where there's a lot of creativity and experimenting,” she said. At the same time, the lights need to be kept on and systems need to be safeguarded. “We want to make sure there’s an actual balance of these things.”
This is where governance – or a much less offensive term – comes into play. In fact, Cleveland Clinic has an Architect Review Board that looks at every new technology capability to determine whether it fits in the product roadmap, along with an Enterprise Technology Steering Committee and an AI Task Force. “We’re effectively trying to infuse those concepts to make sure we're allocating our time and resources to the things that matter most to our organization,” she noted, while also leveraging in-house expertise to make sure technology is being utilized responsibly.
Be comfortable with change
As emerging technologies continue to shape strategic planning, one thing Hatchett is careful not to do is position herself as an expert. “As a CIO, I’m not going to have all the answers. I'm not going to stay on top of what the technology innovations need to be for specific disciplines,” she said. Instead, she's focused on creating an environment that “enables innovation to happen” and empowers teams to create “the platforms and patterns that allow tools to plug in seamlessly.”
It’s a philosophy that has served Hatchett well throughout her career, and particularly during her rise from senior director to CIO at Cleveland Clinic. “It's been an amazing journey. I never thought seven years ago that I’d be in this position one day,” she said. And although there have been numerous factors in her success, one of the most significant has been her passion to “drive change and make a positive impact for the organization.”
And finally, her willingness to remain a student of the industry, the organization, and the role itself. “The myth is that when you get the CIO seat, you've arrived at something where you don't need to learn and grow and develop,” Hatchett said. The reality? “You need to be comfortable with change and be able to adapt and respond to change.”
“It doesn’t really matter how smart you are. It’s what type of team you can build and what type of culture you can create.”
Not what one might expect to hear from the CIO of a world-renowned institution like Penn Medicine. But as Michael Restuccia has learned during his 17-plus years with the organization, success starts with attracting and retaining top talent, which they’ve been able to achieve. Despite being located in the competitive Philadelphia market, the organization boasted a retention rate of 97 percent last year, a stat that he considers to be “world-class.” In fact, the ability to keep teams in place is what he’s “most proud of.”
The question is, how has Penn Medicine been able to buck the trend?
Michael Restuccia, SVP & CIO, Penn Medicine
It’s one of many critical issues Restuccia addressed during a recent Keynote with Bill Russell, Founder of This Week Health. He also discussed his team’s strategies when it comes to fostering collaboration in a remote world, cautiously moving forward with AI, and finding the right pace for growth.
Retaining Top Talent
One of the most critical pieces in a solid retention strategy is ensuring the right people are in the right seats, noted Restuccia. At Penn Medicine, the focus is on identifying individuals who believe in the mission of “the betterment of mankind, health, and research.”
Again, how?
During the recruiting process, candidates are asked to reflect on their personal and professional lives and cite examples of situations in which they’ve exceeded expectations or gone above and beyond, and how they plan to achieve the same results at Penn Medicine.
“That's not a question that most candidates are prepared for,” he said. For those doing the hiring, however, it can shed light on what makes people tick and how they confront difficult tasks. “High performers want to be around other high performers so they can elevate and exceed expectations.”
Connecting in a Hybrid World
Once the right individuals come aboard, the next step is fostering collaboration in a mixed hybrid environment. Within departments it’s fairly straightforward, as leaders leverage daily huddles and one-on-ones to keep a pulse on their teams. But when the integration and application teams, for example, have to connect with software developers, it can get tricky, especially when people are meeting for the first time through Teams or Zoom discussions.
While there’s no blanket solution to the problem, there are ways to encourage camaraderie, whether it’s through social channels focused on non-IT topics (like hiking or Philadelphia sports teams, for example) or holiday parties.
The Right Implementation Strategy
When Restuccia first started with Penn Medicine, the environment was fragmented, to put it mildly. Not only were there more than a dozen EHR systems, but 95 percent of IT services were outsourced. And so, right off the bat, he faced a two-fold mission of insourcing and building a strong culture, while also setting the stage for an Epic migration.
The process, however, wasn’t going to be rushed. Although some prefer the big-band methodology, that was never the plan for Restuccia’s team. “We do things in phases here,” he said, likening the big-bang approach to ripping off a band-aid. While that may have some advantages in terms of speed, it also comes with added risk, which he isn’t willing to accept.
“If you get it wrong, you don’t really have a chance to learn from it. You have to fix it on the fly,” he noted. On the other hand, with incremental rollouts, “if the first phase has challenges, it’s contained to a smaller scale. We’re able to adjust.”
Cautiously Embracing AI
Given the enormous potential of artificial intelligence, particularly when it comes to automating processes, adopting a wait-and-see approach simply doesn’t make sense. “We recognize advancement. We recognize discovery, but again, there are risks associated with that,” said Restuccia. At this point, “there are quite a few unknowns about how much utilization of AI will be embedded in our systems and in our applications, and what that cost will be in the short term and long term.”
What they do know is that, when leveraged properly, AI can help clear up some of the biggest bottlenecks for physicians and nurses by assisting with documentation and chart summarization. “Patients come to us with a variety of different documents, basically showing up with a folder of their history,” he said. “Anything we can do to help from a preparation perspective and help with overall efficiency.”
Advice for CIOs
Finally, Restuccia drew from his 30 years of industry experience to share some advice for other leaders. His biggest takeaway? Realize that establishing and maintaining a solid culture is job number one. “That’s where you spend the majority of your time. Find really good direct reports who understand infrastructure, technology, software development and applications,” he said. Doing so enables leaders to stay focused on “tying it all together, building a culture, and making sure people want to spend their careers at your place.”
For healthcare leaders, there’s perhaps nothing more validating than hearing directly from a user how a technology solution has improved their experience. But when it comes from a patient – or, in this case, the parent of a pediatric patient – it’s more than just recognition of a job well done. It’s affirmation that IT teams are doing precisely what they were created to do, according to Heather Nelson, SVP & CIO of Boston Children’s Hospital.
During a recent Keynote with Sue Schade, Nelson recalled a “heartwarming” story in which a patient’s mother sent her a thank-you note – something that rarely happens to CIOs. But in this case, the ability to easily access information using the newly implemented MyChildren’s Portal was a difference-maker. “For a family to recognize what technology did to enable her to care for the child” was powerful, noted Nelson, who immediately shared it with her team. “This is why we’re here. This is why we do what we do.”
Heather Nelson, SVP & CIO, Boston Children's Hospital
That type of validation can go a long way toward demonstrating the value of IT, which can be challenging considering it’s often perceived as a cost center. “We’re never going to be a true revenue-generating department,” she said, especially within large organizations.
What IT can do, however, is help move the needle when it comes to adopting digital tools.
Playing in the Sand
At Boston Children’s, Nelson’s team is doing just that by leveraging a “sandbox” to generate excitement around AI – so far, the results have been extremely positive. “We’ve got people coming to us with use cases,” she noted. One of those is MedTutor, a tool that utilizes GenAI to “provide learners with the scale, personalization, and on-demand access for medical cases.”
By providing the opportunity for experimentation, leaders are able to determine the potential of a concept, while also preventing shadow IT, according to Nelson. “If you don’t give people something, they’ll go buy their own,” she said. “Putting those guardrails in place has built trust in the organization where they’re now willing to sit down and talk through the potential.”
Of course, creating this type of environment isn’t possible without collaboration across departments, said Nelson, who works closely with John Brownstein (Chief Innovation Officer), Peter Laussen (Executive VP of Health Affairs) and others to position initiatives for success.
A Foundation for Success
Another key component? Ensuring a solid foundation is in place, which Boston Children’s has addressed by migrating to an integrated EHR system and rolling out a new mobility platform. The ultimate goal, said Nelson, is to “improve experiences – not only for our care teams and researchers, but also for our patients and their families.”
Transitioning from a hybrid system (Boston Children’s utilized both Cerner and Epic products as part of Mosaic) is never simple, but in this case, it has been an especially massive lift. Fortunately, the organization has made serious progress, going from more than 400 apps “that were bolted together or standalone” to less than 190. It’s “more interoperability and integration than we’ve ever had,” Nelson said, adding that she’s “really proud” of the progress that’s been made so far.
A significant factor in that progress has been the implementation of a 5G private cellular environment across the enterprise, which has been a game-changer for frontline workers. “We were getting a lot of complaints on our WiFi network when it came to mobility,” she noted, which isn’t acceptable in any organization – particularly a children’s hospital. By involving nurses in the selection process, leadership was able to understand their challenges and find a solution that fit into their workflow. “They were excited,” Nelson said. “They didn’t understand what 5G mobility meant, but they knew their calls weren’t going to drop.”
The Next Steps
Of course, when it comes to creating a better experience for the staff and patients, the job is never done. For Boston Children’s, the next step is modernizing the ERP, which in some ways, is “bigger than the EHR,” she said. “It’s going to be a very complex project. ERP touches every single employee in the organization.”
Although they’re still in the due diligence phase, Nelson’s team fully expects to incorporate lessons learned from the EHR migration, especially when it comes to resource allocation. “We need to make sure we’ve got the right resources and they can be pulled 100 percent into the project, and not a fraction of an FTE,” she said. “When you start doing that, you can't get momentum.” On the other hand, by keeping as much of the initiative in-house as possible, leaders can remain in the driver’s seat, which she believes is critical. “At the end of the day, it's ours to support and to care for and feed.”
Finally, with the enterprise tools in place, her team can focus on operating “in a way that’s meaningful and measurable for patients,” and ensuring they’re leveraging their investments. “We need to innovate from a workflow perspective and think about how do we things differently, because the technology now allows for and enables that.”
This Week Health and Bluebird Leaders Announce Partnership to Empower Women in IT and Healthcare IT Through SOAR Conference
Midtown Atlanta to Host Premier Event for Aspiring Women Leaders in Technology
Atlanta, GA, June 7, 2024 – This Week Health and Bluebird Leaders announce their partnership for the upcoming SOAR Conference. Scheduled to take place from September 18-20, 2024, in Midtown Atlanta, SOAR aims to elevate women to executive excellence in IT and Healthcare IT through leadership development, mentorship, and networking opportunities.
Building on the success of its launch in 2022, SOAR has become a must-attend event for women aspiring to leadership roles in healthcare technology. This collaboration between This Week Health and Bluebird Leaders promises to create a transformative experience. Combining industry expertise with innovative programming will foster growth and development among female leaders.
“What I appreciate most about this partnership is that Bluebird Leaders continues to SOAR due to the camaraderie, curiosity, and commitment we all have to our industry and one another as leaders to make the world around us better every day,” said Sarah Richardson, 229 President of Executive Development at This Week Health. Combining the strengths of This Week Health’s extensive reach and Bluebird Leaders’ dedication to mentoring and developing women in IT and healthcare IT, “We are committed to supporting initiatives that drive transformation in our industry, and SOAR is a perfect example of our shared mission to empower and uplift IT leaders.”
SOAR 2024 will take place in the vibrant heart of Midtown Atlanta. Participants will engage in dynamic sessions, interactive workshops, and inspiring keynotes from women who have paved the way in IT and healthcare IT. This event is designed to foster genuine connections and collaborations and provide attendees with actionable strategies to achieve their professional goals.
“Bluebird Leaders' partnership with This Week Health brings SOAR to a broader audience,” said Rebecca Woods, CEO and Founder at Bluebird Leaders. “Our goal is to support and elevate women in IT and healthcare IT, and this event will provide the platform, resources, and community needed to make a significant impact.”
The SOAR Conference also offers organizations unique opportunities to support women's advancement in IT. Sponsorship packages are available at various levels, providing brands with visibility, engagement, and the chance to align with a meaningful cause. By sponsoring SOAR, companies can demonstrate their commitment to diversity and inclusion while connecting with industry leaders and decision-makers, playing a vital role in the event's success and women's empowerment in healthcare IT.
This Week Health is a premier media platform that delivers insightful content, executive development, and high-caliber events for healthcare technology professionals. With a mission to transform healthcare through technology and leadership, This Week Health reaches a broad audience of industry influencers and decision-makers.
Bluebird Leaders empowers women in leadership roles within healthcare IT. Through innovative programming, mentorship, and community-building initiatives, they support women in their journey to executive leadership, fostering a culture of growth and development.
Registration for SOAR 2024 is now open. To secure your spot at this premier event, please visit [Bluebird Leaders]. We offer a range of sponsorship packages for organizations interested in supporting women's advancement in IT and healthcare IT. To explore these opportunities and align your brand with a meaningful cause, please visit our [Sponsorship Page].
Media Contact:
For more information, visit Bluebird Leaders.
As digital transformation continues to reshape industries across the globe, its impact on healthcare is profound and multifaceted. In an insightful conversation with Jeff Sturman, the CIO of Memorial Healthcare System in Florida, we delved into this transformative power, the opportunities it brings, and the challenges health systems face.
Jeff Sturman, Memorial Healthcare System
There was a time when IT in healthcare was perceived as a black hole—an area of mystery, challenge, and, often, immense cost. Jeff Sturman, however, begs to differ. He believes digital transformation is not just about technology today—it's a strategic focus. "We really have to shift the way we think about IT," he observes. This new view is helping create immense value in patient care, operational efficiency, and even new revenue streams. One area where digital transformation pays dividends is opening new revenue streams such as remote patient monitoring. The ability to monitor patients remotely has significantly reduced hospital readmissions and improved outcomes, especially in a value-based care context.
Sturman brings an interesting perspective on how digital transformation can contribute to the optimal utilization of high-cost equipment like MRIs, CAT scans, and robots. He points out, "When we start using data in an analytical way, we could find ways to optimize the utilization of these high-cost equipment pieces." Indeed, effective data analysis can aid in making better decisions, reducing waste, and improving care delivery.
The role of AI in digital transformation cannot be overstated. "Let's bring AI into the consumer experience," Sturman suggests. Artificial Intelligence can enhance clinical guidance and prediction with its ability to identify secondary diagnoses, such as lung nodules, in imaging studies. These benefits extend beyond just diagnostic support, improving patient interactions and experiences.
The focus on consumerism is not new in healthcare but gains new dimensions with digital transformation. Omnichannel communication strategies are becoming increasingly important. "They can chat with us, they can text with us, they can email, they can call us," says Sturman, emphasizing the need for diverse communication modes to cater to different patient preferences.
Despite the numerous benefits, digital transformation does not come without its challenges. Sturman points to pushback against automation and AI, indicating the importance of incremental implementation rather than trying to "boil the ocean." He warns against doing too many things simultaneously, highlighting the need to focus on targeted areas for initial wins.
Perhaps the most illustrative example of this philosophy in action is Memorial's recent implementation of an automated appointment cancellation, rescheduling, and confirmation system. "We just went live. With the ability to cancel, reschedule, and confirm your appointment in an automated way," Sturman shared. While this might seem commonplace in other industries, it's a substantial step forward in healthcare, signaling the incremental but impactful progress digital transformation can bring.
Digital transformation, while not a panacea, holds immense promise for healthcare. The conversation with Jeff Sturman underscores the need for strategic focus, incremental implementation, and an unwavering commitment to improving patient care. Sturman says, "It's strategic and process improvement at its best." With leaders like him at the helm, the digital transformation journey in healthcare continues to evolve, promising a future where technology and healthcare seamlessly intertwine to offer the best patient experience.
In the ever-evolving healthcare landscape, strategic leadership is essential in delivering quality care to patients. A recent in-depth conversation with Luke Olenski, SVP & CIO for Main Line Health, highlighted the interconnected aspects that drive modern healthcare delivery. Through his rich and valuable insights, several key themes emerge; the centrality of patient experience, the role of digital strategy, the importance of vendor partnerships, and the critical impact of prioritizing employee experience. These themes collectively represent the crucial intersections where healthcare meets IT, forming a complex matrix that underpins successful health service delivery.
The growing interdependence of healthcare and information technology is undeniable. The digital age has paved the way for an unprecedented synergy between these two sectors, resulting in numerous benefits, from improved patient engagement to streamlined operations and enhanced decision-making. In the wake of these advancements, healthcare providers and institutions must adapt and align themselves strategically to navigate this new reality effectively.
Luke's candid conversation underscored how this integration of healthcare and IT plays out in real-world scenarios and its profound influence on the overarching healthcare journey. As we delve deeper into the discussion, we will explore how harnessing digital strategies, cultivating fruitful vendor partnerships, and bolstering employee experience can contribute significantly to the end goal: enhanced patient experience and better healthcare outcomes.
When delivering quality care, understanding the patient's journey is paramount. Luke's insights reveal a keen focus on patient journey mapping, describing it as "a significant piece of work that involves understanding not only what we are doing today, but where we need to be in the future."
Patient journey mapping is a strategic process of capturing and analyzing the patient experience. It spans various touchpoints in their interaction with the healthcare system, from when they engage with a provider to post-treatment follow-ups. This comprehensive understanding facilitates identifying opportunities for improvement, contributing to a seamless and practical care experience.
As part of their digital strategy, Luke’s organization employed Epic MyChart and an SMS approach to boost patient engagement. The dual-pronged approach of integrating a digital health platform with a readily accessible mode of communication like SMS can significantly enhance patient engagement. It allows for streamlined communication, better health information management, and, ultimately, more proactive participation from patients in their healthcare journey.
Luke's conversation emphasizes a comprehensive, end-to-end patient journey, underscoring the necessity to enhance the patient experience at all touchpoints. He said, "It’s not just about technology. It's about the experience we're trying to create for patients from when they decide they need care to when they are home recovering." This perspective stresses the need for healthcare providers to view their service delivery through the patient's lens, ensuring that every interaction aligns with their needs and expectations.
Healthcare innovation, according to Luke, often happens where IT meets the edges of patient care. "A lot of innovation happens in that spot. Where you're pushing us but also listening simultaneously," he reflects.
This sentiment suggests that healthcare institutions can drive innovation by pushing their boundaries while remaining receptive to feedback. The most significant strides in patient care can occur in this balance of proactive evolution and responsive adaptation. It's all about being bold, respectful, and always keeping an ear to the ground, listening to those at the heart of healthcare – the patients themselves.
Luke's insights during the conversation highlight the vital role that vendor partners play in the landscape of healthcare IT. The strategic association between healthcare providers and technology vendors bridges technical expertise and clinical knowledge, which is critical in modern healthcare. In Luke's words, "Having that constant communication, that constant collaboration with your vendor partners, it's a must."
Developing effective vendor relationships, according to Luke, is a dance that requires balance. It's about forming solid partnerships, actively listening, and exercising patience. He reflects on his experiences, saying, "It's a lot of give and take. It's a lot of listening. It's a lot of patience."
Understanding that each partner has the expertise and acknowledging that the path to innovation is only sometimes linear are significant in developing robust vendor partnerships. Change is inherent in technological evolution and is no different within healthcare IT. Luke emphasizes that pushing for change, being bold, and maintaining respectfulness in these pursuits is vital.
"It is okay to push us," Luke urges, "if we don't have the right operational leadership lined up, or if we don't have the technical expertise, don't shy away from that conversation. Be bold, but be respectful."
Vendor partnerships can pave the way for breakthrough innovation in healthcare IT, as evidenced by the multiple examples shared by Luke. True innovation can occur within this delicate balance of pushing boundaries and listening to feedback. Luke elaborates, "A lot of innovation happens in that spot. You know, where you're pushing us but also listening simultaneously."
His experiences reiterate the power of successful vendor partnerships in driving healthcare transformation through technology. From refining patient journeys to driving operational efficiency, these collaborations hold the potential to propel the healthcare industry into its technologically enhanced future.
Luke posits that the importance of employee experience should be noticed in the digital era of healthcare. Good technology can indeed enhance patient experience, but it can also play a significant role in improving the work-life of healthcare providers and staff. Luke underscores this: "You must put that same level of energy, importance, and priority into your employee experience."
Digital platforms aren't just for patient engagement; they can also be instrumental in improving employee experiences. By streamlining workflows, reducing administrative burdens, and fostering collaboration, digital tools can significantly enhance how healthcare employees perform their roles.
"We have to think about the tools that we're giving our employees, not just our patients," Luke points out, underlining the value of a balanced approach to technology adoption in healthcare. He suggests that the collaboration of different roles within a healthcare organization, particularly the HR and CFO, can lead to a more balanced, productive, and satisfying work environment. "Our CFO, HR leaders, they're thinking about what are those employee experiences," He mentions, shedding light on how these roles contribute to the overall employee experience in the healthcare setting.
ServiceNow, a digital workflow platform, is a tangible example of improving employee experience through technology. Luke highlighted this tool's significant impact on their operations, notably in service delivery and request management.
"We've taken ServiceNow and pushed it to its limits," Luke reveals. This push resulted in an integrated service delivery model that significantly improved their staff's work experience, further validating the role of technology in enhancing employee engagement and satisfaction in the healthcare sector.
In an industry as critical as healthcare, keeping IT infrastructure current is not just a requirement but an absolute necessity. Luke acknowledges this vital aspect of healthcare IT: "We have to ensure that we're staying current with our systems."
Interestingly, Luke suggests that healthcare IT leaders should adopt a risk-based approach to maintenance, prioritizing components based on their impact on healthcare delivery. This methodology ensures that essential systems are always up-to-date and ready to perform when needed. "Much of it is risk-based," he explains, "Really understanding what the risk is to the organization if a system goes down or a system isn't performing."
Finally, the role of healthcare IT leaders extends beyond technology management. They also need to be effective communicators, particularly with senior leadership. IT priorities must be communicated clearly and compellingly to ensure they receive support and resources.
"It's not a conversation about technology," Luke shares. "It's a conversation about risk and the importance of staying up-to-date." By framing the conversation around risk and impact, IT leaders can help senior leaders grasp the importance of infrastructure maintenance in a way that resonates with their broader organizational goals.
As our exploration of this enlightening conversation with Luke concludes, we see the undeniable importance of four significant facets of healthcare IT: patient experience, digital strategy, vendor partnerships, and employee experience. Together, these elements form a matrix that underpins effective healthcare delivery in our modern era.
Patient experience is no longer an afterthought but a strategic pillar, with tools like Epic MyChart and SMS playing a transformative role in patient engagement. Simultaneously, healthcare institutions are leveraging digital strategies to innovate on the edges, creating a more seamless and intuitive end-to-end patient journey.
The role of vendor partners must be balanced, too. By listening, being patient, and forging solid partnerships, healthcare organizations can harness the power of innovative IT solutions. Likewise, fostering a respectful and bold culture can lead to transformative changes in healthcare delivery.
Finally, enhancing the employee experience is a priority that healthcare organizations must pay attention to. Employees benefit from integrated service delivery through digital platforms as the backbone of healthcare delivery, leading to improved experiences and, consequently, better patient care.
We are witnessing a pivotal moment in healthcare delivery as it intersects with technology. As Luke's insights demonstrate, the balance of maintaining up-to-date infrastructure while continually innovating is a challenging but rewarding endeavor.
In the words of Luke, "If you can build that culture that helps you recruit and retain people, it ultimately helps you deliver a better product to your patients." This synergy of technology and human-centric care is where healthcare IT will shine, ultimately shaping a future where better patient outcomes and experiences become a norm, not an exception. The end of healthcare IT is bright, filled with immense opportunities to improve healthcare delivery significantly.
The world of healthcare IT is on the brink of a revolution. As health systems accelerate digital transformation, cloud technology has quickly ascended to the forefront, creating an urgent need for robust and efficient cloud security measures. This seismic shift comes with its share of challenges and opportunities, making it imperative for healthcare IT professionals to develop effective strategies for a smooth transition.
To help navigate this emerging landscape, we turn to seasoned industry professionals Robert Cantu, Director of Cybersecurity Operations, Inova Health System, and Todd Felker, Executive Healthcare Strategist at CrowdStrike. Their in-depth knowledge and practical experience offer a wealth of insights into the complexities and possibilities at the intersection of healthcare and cloud security. From understanding the evolving threat landscape to overcoming staffing and budgetary constraints, their perspectives shed light on the crucial steps health systems need to consider in their journey to cloud security.
Cloud-based solutions have begun to dominate healthcare IT. Critical systems, like Electronic Health Records (EHR), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and Customer Relationship Management (CRM), are transitioning to the cloud. This shift prompts the need for robust cloud security.
Cloud technology offers the healthcare sector agility, scalability, and cost efficiency. However, its adoption brings challenges, primarily the constant evolution of cybersecurity threats. As Todd says, "These adversaries are continuing to evolve." This statement underscores the growing necessity for IT professionals to stay ahead of the curve.
Data protection and patient privacy are significant concerns as health systems transition to the cloud. As Todd suggests, half the world's data could be in the cloud within a few years, underlining the need for scalable and adaptable cloud security solutions.
Transitioning to cloud-based systems brings obstacles, such as staffing, budgetary pressures, and problems with existing on-premise data centers. As Robert points out, many of these centers are in sub-optimal locations and risk physical damage. "Your data center is sitting in closets. It's getting in a non-conditioned space. You've got water pipes waiting to blow through 2 million worth of network equipment," he explains.
These challenges highlight the pressing need for a shift in strategy towards cloud security solutions. The journey is complex, but the rewards of security, scalability, and operational efficiency make it worthwhile.
As we tackle the challenges and embrace the opportunities in the transition to cloud security solutions, it's vital to have a comprehensive and forward-thinking strategy. Two fundamental elements underpin successful strategies: choosing a reliable partner and careful budget considerations.
Todd's perspective on partnership choice brings to light the necessity of adaptability in a landscape where adversaries constantly evolve. "What you're looking for is a partner that's going to help you adapt as the adversary evolves," he explained, underlining the need for a dynamic response to a fast-moving security landscape. "As the cloud usage grows, expanding to the other clouds and having your tools work in both...Azure, but also AWS and Google...is critical."
These insights underline the importance of versatility and flexibility in a cloud security partner. Given the pace at which technology and cybersecurity threats evolve, adapting quickly is essential to a successful cloud security solution.
The element of cost is equally significant in transitioning to cloud-based solutions. Robert provides a pragmatic approach to budget considerations, recommending an in-depth review of the costs associated with current data center operations. He suggests considering "what you're spending for power, what you're spending for cooling, what you're spending for that space. That is your data center."
Highlighting these often-overlooked expenses can be vital in making a persuasive case for the cost-effectiveness of cloud solutions. It also underscores the importance of a holistic view of the budgetary implications, considering the apparent costs of cloud services and the potential savings from moving away from on-premise data centers.
These insights provide a strategic blueprint for health systems transitioning to the cloud. It is clear that selecting the right partners and having a comprehensive understanding of the costs associated with current and future states are integral to implementing effective cloud security solutions.
While moving to the cloud brings about a transformative change in how healthcare IT functions, it is essential that this transition is both secure and economical. Robert's insights offer a roadmap for achieving this delicate balance, emphasizing the significance of partner selection in the process.
Robert stresses the importance of choosing partners who protect the system and help improve its state. "What I'm doing, what I think anyone in my position would do, is going out and picking the right partners that are going to A, help you protect, B, help you bring your system along and get it to a more secure state," he explains.
This statement speaks to the dual role that a good cloud security partner plays. First, they help bolster the system's defenses against cybersecurity threats. Second, they assist in the overall development of the system, ensuring it is robust, secure, and primed for future growth.
Moreover, Robert emphasizes the value of a partner who can seamlessly integrate into the existing IT ecosystem. "Three, they get along in the ecosystem so that you can maximize your investment," he adds. Such harmonious integration ensures that the chosen cloud solutions align with existing systems and processes, thereby improving overall efficiency and maximizing return on investment.
A crucial point that Robert highlights is the potential for cloud security solutions to limit staffing requirements. By selecting the right cloud security partner, healthcare organizations can reduce the need for extensive in-house IT teams, which is particularly significant in an era of staffing challenges and budget constraints.
"Limit the amount of stuff you have to bring to your premises so that you can achieve this in an economical, secure way," Robert suggests. This strategy allows healthcare IT professionals to tap into the expertise of their cloud security partners, enabling them to maintain robust and secure systems without the need for extensive personnel recruitment.
In essence, achieving economical and secure cloud solutions involves meticulous partner selection, prioritizing those who can offer comprehensive protection, facilitate system improvements, integrate effectively into the existing ecosystem, and help streamline staffing requirements. This approach ensures an optimized, cost-effective, secure transition to the cloud.
Healthcare systems increasingly turn to the cloud, requiring robust cloud security solutions. The insights from Todd and Robert highlight the complex challenges that healthcare IT professionals face and provide a roadmap for navigating this rapidly evolving landscape.
Strategic partner selection emerges as a critical theme. Todd believes the right partner will help health systems adapt to the ever-evolving cyber threat landscape. Robert provides a comprehensive view of what to look for in a cloud security partner, who should protect the system, help its overall growth, and smoothly integrate into the existing ecosystem.
As healthcare organizations migrate more data and systems to the cloud, the cybersecurity landscape in healthcare IT will continue to evolve. The need for reliable, adaptable, and cost-effective cloud security solutions will grow. As we chart the future of cloud security in healthcare IT, success lies in our ability to adapt, choose the right partners, and protect sensitive data. This journey may be challenging, but healthcare IT professionals can securely navigate this new frontier with the right strategies and partnerships.
© Copyright 2024 Health Lyrics All rights reserved
