May 7, 2020: For this coronavirus field report we are joined by BJ Moore from Providence, where he is the Executive Vice President and CIO. BJ takes us through the initial phases of the pandemic at Providence and lays out the all-important reaction phase for the company. The early steps taken in this crisis have been so crucial and Providence is a great example of how a proactive approach can pay off. BJ also explains the processes that were already underway before the crisis hit, namely the development of a chatbot and the implementation of Microsoft Teams. In BJ's opinions these steps have really aided the center and its patients. We discuss priorities and what BJ is focussing on as a CIO before diving into our favorite topic of telehealth and the strides that have been made in the last two months. BJ weighs in on the idea of work-from-home, commenting on the sentiment he has noticed from the staff at Providence around the issue. For all this and more, listen in with us today on This Week in Health IT!

Key Points From This Episode:

• The reaction phase at Providence and early steps in response to COVID patients. 
• How moving to Microsoft Teams and the development of a chatbot has served Providence.
• CIO priorities moving forward; using the momentum offered by the pandemic response.
• The admission of virtual and telehealth and the permanent effects to healthcare delivery.
• Thoughts on the work-from-home model after the crisis and returning to the office.
• New projects for health systems and looking at the best technologies for the future.