Show Notes

July 31, 2025: Bill Russell, Drex DeFord, and Sarah Richardson preview their upcoming show changes while tackling critical CIO challenges. They discuss "CIO escape rooms"—high-pressure scenarios such as your EHR vendor going out of business or handling a 3 AM security breach. How do healthcare IT leaders navigate the treacherous waters of CEO transitions, and what's the real difference between a wartime and peacetime CIO? The conversation turns to compensation strategy for a hospital system, examining whether geography or specific leadership "phenotype" should drive salary decisions. They explore what CIOs would prioritize with unlimited budgets, from infrastructure overhauls to real-time data platforms, while questioning who truly deserves the CIDO title in an industry where keeping the lights on battles against driving transformation. 

Key Points:

1. 03:45 CIO Challenges and Escape Room Scenarios
2. 06:52 New Podcast Channels and Formats
3. 14:03 Real-Time Data Governance and ROI
4. 15:51 Automation and Patching in Health Systems
5. 17:47 Hiring and Compensation for Health System CIOs
6. 20:56 The Role and Value of a good CIDOs

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