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Speaker 7: My name is Erica Williams, an executive leader with a 25 year career in the healthcare industry. The last 15 of those years, I've led IT teams for large health systems and currently serve as a market CIO in Texas. I'm passionate about developing the next generation of leaders and leveraging technology to improve the clinician and patient experience.

Welcome to This Week Health, where we host channels and events dedicated to transforming healthcare. One connection at a time. Our town hall podcast series, Road to Flourish, explores the inspiring career journeys of executives in healthcare. Whether you're starting out, seeking growth, or feeling stuck, this podcast aims to empower you.

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She has her doctorate in business administration from Walden University, specializing in leadership, strategic management, and organizational development. She's a certified chief information officer. Certified Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt, Microsoft Certified System Engineer, and certified HIPAA privacy professional.

So I'd love to introduce you to Dr. Kena Taylor, the CIO of Innovation Care Partners. Welcome. Thank you Erica. Thank you so much for the warm introduction. Yeah. So tell us about your current opportunity and where you are today with innovation

Kena Taylor: care partners. Sure. So I'm currently serving as the CIO for Innovation Care Partners.

Then most recently we launched a business and data intelligence vertical where we are spending a lot of time on IT transformation. Our organization actually has develop and delivers to our members a health information exchange which has been very successful. So we do have a team that support that HIE environment.

So we have, while a ton of data, we are certainly working to make sure that we're able to transform and leverage that data and for meaningful insights to drive our business forward. I enjoy the work that I do and with the teams that we're working on. So we have been engaged in several different areas within technology, whether it be embracing and launching efforts around artificial intelligence as well as some of our patient facing work around development applications that we've created in-house for supporting the value-based care populations that we serve.

What type of organization?

Kena Taylor: So our goal is really to help our members, our practices, our physicians and our patients that we serve within the community thrive. And we do that through leveraging technology and to help transform the healthcare delivery models. So as part of the ICP Clinical Integrated Network or accountable care organization.

We know that can also be very challenging. We're also looking at ways that we're able to support and align to the triple aim so that we're providing quality care managing the cost of those. Treatments and services that we provide to our patients. And helping patients really navigate, as I mentioned previously, the healthcare system.

Having been a patient myself it can be tough particularly for those that are have not, and do not have experience with patient navigation through our healthcare systems and services in the United States. So being able to have those team of care coordinators who are readily available to service and help those patients through those, aspect of their services that they're providing from the care coordination at the house has been very beneficial.

Kena Taylor: That's a very interesting question because I would say early on in my career I did not know that.

So I started my journey in my first forray into healthcare. I was a pre-med student at Tulane. So growing up in Louisiana, that was the thing. You're gonna do an engineer, you're gonna be a, something in the medical field, a doctor, right? So that was my upbringing. So when I started studies I realized early on that I did not want to be a physician Okay.

So things come full circle. So, my career started overseas in Okinawa really getting into healthcare with a company called SCIC at the time. And it was really going full circle from technology and bridging that experience that I gleaned from the military in it and with the goal of serving others in the healthcare space.

So it had really come full circle, and that's when I realized that this is what. I'm passionate about, I love solving complex issues. I love interacting with people. And I was able to do and fulfill the underscore the premise of what healthcare professionals do in a different manner, but still serving others.

Erica Williams: I love hearing people's journeys because they're all different. Some have a very personal healthcare journey and some, like myself, I think it's just my destiny. I ended up here is where I'm supposed to be, but it wasn't from a specific life event.

So thank you for sharing. How have you navigated a major transition or shift in your career where it was changing roles or moving to leadership positions or exploring new fields within the healthcare industry?

Kena Taylor: I would say one of the most defining moments for me in my career, certainly early on as a leader, was when I was with an organization where I was able to expand and grow beyond the CIO role or the technology space, if you will.

The new shiny toy, if you will. We had some operational challenges from a clinical standpoint. We're looking at how do we continue to grow our network and really expand our market reach. I asked our CEO 'cause we're having specific issues in the pharmacy at that time, looking at we had contracted services in the pharmacy.

It just really was not working to the benefit of the organization and certainly to the benefit of our patients. So I thought, let's bring our pharmacy services in-house. Our CEO at the time took a chance and was like. You have a plan, it's yours. You own it. So I was able to really get the additional clinical experience, business experience, overseeing that clinical department to bring those services in-house.

So it, it was really identifying and understanding the various aspects of the healthcare services. And then making sure that we are introducing appropriately technology to help drive performance, to help drive our goals for the organization forward. So, I still look back very fondly on that moment, in that time.

And that really set me up for other roles that I felt comfortable being able to pursue.

Erica Williams: you gave a really great example of a characteristic that I have shared with my team and others. It's solving a problem in the gap, which basically means you are diving in, you see something that needs to be addressed, you speak up and you solve for it.

Kena Taylor: Thank you. And it's something I share with others that I'm a mentor. it's like. Even Al Although we work in technology, as a CIO, whatever your role is, we are business leaders and we're in the healthcare space. So I always encourage people, regardless of what industry you're in, to really dig in and learn the business that you're functioning in and don't, put yourself in a box as solely a technology leader or a CIO or whatever your title is.

That provides you opportunities to grow and expand and perhaps do a lateral move. I've had opportunities to also work as a COO, CIO for other organizations, and it was not until that defining moment that I, Took a chance, not only in myself, but that other leaders took a chance on me to be able to grow and explore and, and kind of grow beyond the role of it that opened doors in future roles for me.

Erica Williams: I was I challenged early in my career to that point of learning the business, to view myself as a healthcare professional.

And at first that felt very awkward to me, because I'm an IT person. My degree is an MIS I am not a clinician. However, once it sunk in, it was game changing and was game changing for others who also embraced that I am not. An IT person that happens to work for a healthcare organization.

I'm a healthcare professional that happens to provide IT services. And that is so, so important from a culture and really embracing and being successful in it is just being a part of the team and it's all about patients. It's all about healthcare. Yeah, absolutely. So, what personal qualities or characteristics do you believe have been most important in helping you to succeed in your career?

So I think the characteristics for me and for anyone I really believe is being open-minded, being willing to take that chance or take that risk. Learning and being and accelerating your skill, whatever that may be, whatever your trait is. And this case for me is being that business leader that, to your point that provides technology services, but trying to aim to be the best in your field and being open to always identify what are those new and emerging.

Technology in this case, it could be, you know, any emergence ideations that's coming out of your field so that you can stay abreast on what's happening and being able to respond to changing your respective areas. So, being flexible, being open-minded, and wherever possible being that change agent.

Kena Taylor: I look for expertise in their field, of course.

I look for people that are team oriented as well as results oriented. I look for people who's able to navigate, and respond to change appropriately in healthcare, particularly in IT, that's a common part of our day-to-day is something that's always changing. We're always responding to challenges or issues that we're trying to solve.

So, I look for people that's innovative who embrace and enjoys collaboration. I look for people that care about people that put people first. It is very important for me that regardless of the technology or the field that we're in, that we are mindful about the people that we're serving and that who supports us.

Erica Williams: I think it's really important to share those types of things as people are early in their career looking to be you when they grow up, And just what are those things that you know, folks are looking for and how do I portray those things in the short amount of time I have in an interview? Or even more importantly, if you're in a large organization and there's opportunities, how do I make sure that those are the characteristics that, I'm sharing and making sure I understand what's important to my leader or other leaders. thank you for sharing those. Absolutely. How do you balance humility with ambition?

I think, 'cause I find you to be a very humble leader, but at the same time you are able to drive execution and spring change and successful execution for your organization. So how do you balance the two of those things?

Sometimes it truly takes a village. I am very appreciative of the team and the expertise that I'm surrounded with. my goal continues to be, to make sure that I am communicating what is the vision, what are we're hoping to accomplish, and making sure that we don't fit it at the core of it. That we're really trying to improve the care of our patients that we're serving, that's our foundation.

But I intend to make sure that the goals are understood, , that my team does not have barriers to their success that I maintain those professional connections. That we build upon those. And from that, I think is how I've been able to, and as a team, we've been able to execute and really deliver meaningful results for the organizations I've been a part of.

Feeling heard. People have a voice, they wanna feel heard and also having the autonomy, to really use their skills to deliver on a service or to deliver on whatever the goal may be, helps to drive us forward and help to drive the success of the organization and in essence, my success as a technology leader for ICP.

Erica Williams: Yep.

Kena Taylor: I love that.

Erica Williams: So finally, what message would you share with others that are either at the start of their career or maybe feeling stuck or unsure about their next step?

Kena Taylor: I would still go back to say, being open to something new, being open to change, not closing doors.

That's I didn't see that in my career path. But again, being willing to step out take that chance, take that risk and learn. It's really important. So continuous learning, figuring out how do I improve, how do I get better? Having that drive to continue to move forward is something that has served me well.

And I think for others that's coming up in the field that that excitement, that drive, that openness, that willing to take a chance is going to also hopefully serve others. And I would also add networking. That's something that is really important. Identifying and learning from people. What do people do well and there's things that they don't do well, so don't put that in your tool bag, right?

So being able to learn and network and build those collegial relationships, that's gonna help you move forward as well along your journey.

Erica Williams: I agree saying yes, and if you feel uncomfortable about something and it's outside of your comfort zone, that's exactly where you need to say yes because that's where you grow.

I may slip up initially, but I'm gonna get it. So I think that's a really important suggestion. So take

Kena Taylor: that first step and give yourself grace. To your point, you may slip up and give yourself grace to keep moving forward. That's really important.

Erica Williams: Yeah. Well, thank you so much for joining me today.

I think you provided us some really great lessons and sharing your journey and how you got where you are, and there are so many that want to be you when they grow up for sure. thankful that you gave us your time and, knowing you personally have so much respect for you and you're just a fabulous human and that's really what's most important.

Kena Taylor: So thank you. Thank you so much Erica. Likewise. So thank you for this opportunity. I've really enjoyed it.

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