On Best Practices

The Next Chapter: Smarter Aging for You, Your Family, and Your Future

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I’ve been thinking about aging a lot lately. Birthdays are coming up for my husband and me – neither of us is getting any younger. Friends my age are losing older spouses. Friends my age are dealing with health issues of spouses. And younger friends are dealing with health issues of their elder parents. Extended family members are considering what level of services they may have to arrange in the near future or move into a more age-friendly situation.

And then there are the uncertainties surrounding Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid facing all of us. Not to mention the stock market.

Last week I wrote about the importance of social connection – especially as we age.

59 million people in the U.S. are 65 or older. Based on personal experience and decades working in healthcare, here is some advice on aging whether it applies to you or a loved one:

    • Keep active mentally and physically. Maintain social connections with family and friends. Embed yourself in a community to avoid isolation. Develop a new hobby that involves learning something new to avoid stagnation. Make it something you can do for years to come.
    • Be your own advocate with your healthcare providers or find a family member to help advocate for you.
    • If you have a clinician in the family, listen to them. They can advise and help interpret what might seem like confusing and overwhelming medical information.
    • If you have a non-clinician in the family who works in healthcare and knows how to navigate to get access to the right kind of care and specialists, let them help you.
    • Plan ahead and talk with your family about your plans. Make a retirement aging plan. Outline the decision points – for example, what would be the trigger that it’s time to move out of your house or apartment and into a care facility or to have services come to you. Maybe it is when you are unable to do stairs, have a significant fall risk, or are unable to do activities of daily living (ADL). Avoid having a reactive approach. Make the necessary changes when you want to and can, not when you are forced to.
    • Recognize when it is time to give up the big, too much to maintain, multi-story single family home you raised your family in for something smaller, simpler with single floor living.
    • Recognize when you need help and get it. It may mean having services come into your home or moving into a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) where you can progress from independent living, to assisted living, to memory care if needed, to skilled nursing care.
    • If you have family members who can help you with aging members of your family, figure out how everyone can play a role whether they live locally or not.
    • If you are a caregiver for a loved one, recognize when you need the help of others or services in your home.
    • Lastly, hospice is not just about the final days of life. There are varying levels of hospice care to consider and make use of when the time comes.

As for my husband and me, we moved from a big single-family home into a townhouse neighborhood in a planned community a few years ago. It is a multi-level townhouse with a master bedroom and bath on the first floor. How we use our upper and lower levels today (office space, guest bedroom, art studio, and family room) can change if stairs become difficult at some point. We will still have a guest bedroom for family and friends to visit and a family room for the grandkids to play in.

We have a will and family trust setup. We have advanced directives. We invested in long-term care insurance decades ago. We plan to review all this and our overall financial assets with our daughters in the near future so they are fully aware and don’t have to worry.

Do we have more planning to do? Yes. We will do it together and proactively in the years to come.

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Fostering Social Connection for Health and Well-Being

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Relationships and human connection matters. Whether it’s a best friend / BFF, a close work colleague, a neighbor, a roommate, or a long-term committed spouse or partner, relationships do matter. And they take time to develop, nurture and sustain.

Vivek H. Murthy, MD, former Surgeon General from 2015 to 2017 and again from 2021 to 2025, spoke at the HIMSS19 CIO Forum on the prevalence of loneliness in our society and its devastating impacts on health. His 2023 book, “Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World”, makes a compelling case that loneliness is a public health concern and offers inspiring stories of how individuals and communities are helping people realize they are not alone.

In 2023, HHS published “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation – The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community”. In Dr. Murthy’s opening letter of the publication, he said:

“Each of us can start now, in our own lives, by strengthening our connections and relationships. Our individual relationships are an untapped resource – a source of healing hiding in plain sight. They can help us live healthier, more productive, and more fulfilled lives. Answer that phone call from a friend. Make time to share a meal. Listen without the distraction of your phone. Perform an act of service. Express yourself authentically. The keys to human connection are simple, but extraordinarily powerful.”

My husband and I have lived in 7 different cities since we first met. That means many different jobs, neighborhoods and church communities.  I envy people who have close friends that go all the way back to grade school or high school. Continue reading →

Guardrails Matter: Protecting Ethics, Trust, and Stability in Health IT

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I don’t know about you, but my head is spinning these days. So much happening at such an incredible speed. While it may sound like I’m talking about the typical workday for health IT leaders in fast paced organizations, I’m referring to the bigger picture of our federal government under the new administration. I’ve not written a blog in several weeks – in part for loss of words and in part because I’ve had a partial work break spending time in warmer climates.

In the spirit of amplifying important messages from others, my re-entry to blogging is to share an important blog written recently by my StarBridge Advisors colleague, David Muntz – “Protecting Trusted Guardrails: The Perils of Removing Essential Protections”. David has firsthand experience working in the federal government. He left his CIO role at Baylor Health in 2012 to accept a White House appointment to serve as the first Principal Deputy National Coordinator and CIO at ONC (Health and Human Services’ Office of the National Coordinator) through the following year. He was a member of HHS’ Chief of Staff Council and Chair of the Federal Health Architecture and mHealth Councils.

The message in his blog is a strong one that health IT leaders can relate to.

Guardrails, whether physical, organizational, or ethical exist for a reason. They safeguard patient safety, data privacy, free expression, and public trust while ensuring that critical institutions operate with integrity and accountability. When these safeguards are dismantled or weakened, the risks to individuals, organizations, and society become profound.

David explores the vital role of independent oversight, regulatory protections, and ethical leadership, drawing on his decades of experience in healthcare, government service, and executive leadership. Recent mass firings and policy shifts raise urgent concerns about transparency, security, and long-term stability.

Key questions that apply to our work as health IT leaders:

  • What happens when critical oversight is removed?
  • How do we ensure ethical governance in a rapidly evolving world?
  • What are the long-term consequences of dismantling trusted institutions?

Now more than ever, we must stand for principled leadership, responsible governance, and a commitment to the greater good. We must uphold the values that sustain our institutions and protect our future.

I encourage you to read his blog and as always stay informed, vigilant and engaged.

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Staying Positive, Telling the Truth, and Defending Care: Timely Advice for Health Leaders

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In the weeks following the November 5th election, I significantly reduced my news intake, but I continue to read and stay informed as I encourage everyone to do. Objective perspective and advice on how to navigate the changes we are going through as a country is always welcome. I was struck last week by an insightful article that one of our best healthcare leaders wrote. I’ve highlighted his articles in the past in this blog. His latest is one of the best things I’ve read in recent weeks. You guessed it – I’m talking about Michael Dowling, President and CEO at Northwell Health.

On this 4th anniversary of what has become known as “January 6” or simply “J6” on social media, and as we watch the way a peaceful transition of power is supposed to be, Dowling’s advice to healthcare leaders is timely. In the article, “Michael Dowling: 6 priorities for health leaders in a new era of change and disruption”, published in Becker’s Hospital Review on January 2nd, he discusses 6 key areas to consider:

  1. Maintain a positive attitude.
  2. Tell our positive story.
  3. Be a conveyor of truth.
  4. Be supportive of new opportunities.
  5. Defend access to care.
  6. Values matter.

While they all resonate with me, #3 really strikes a chord as we consider some of the potential new faces who will be leading and influencing healthcare in the new administration. As Dowling says: “We must never waver from our responsibility to preserve credibility and trust in evidence-based science. Scientific discoveries and their resulting treatments have had profound, positive benefits in increasing the lifespan of people worldwide. We must not be afraid to denounce skeptics who promote misinformation and stoke public fears.”

The last point is also a powerful one for me, yes, values do matter. As Dowling says: “Now more than ever, we as healthcare leaders need to promote the values of decency, respect, integrity, honesty and trust. We must be positive role models who embrace a sense of unity, togetherness and community — not anger and resentment.”

Leadership is hard. Staying true to your values is hard. But we owe it to those we serve.

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Season of Gratitude: Balancing Joy, Grief, and Stress

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I started writing this last week on a windy, rainy day from my home in southern New England. It was 61 degrees. We won’t see that temperature probably again for a few months.

Our artificial tree with lights that comes in three parts is assembled and plugged in. I’ll get to the ornaments in the next few days. Our little funky display of holiday figures in our entryway is done. Our decorations are nothing compared to what I see friends post on Facebook or what you can find on Pinterest. That’s OK. It’s ours. And when I get to doing the tree ornaments, hanging the few handcrafted ones my adult daughters made when they were little kids will bring a smile to my face!

I put together my gift list for shopping and have one more present to buy. I mailed the out-of-town gifts to arrive in time.

My husband and I are practicing four choir pieces for our Christmas Eve church service. As part of the glee club in our community, we did three performances of the holiday concert a week ago. My favorite pieces from that program were Prayer for Shalom and Peace, Peace. Music truly is good for the spirit!

This season should be a time of joy yet for many it is a difficult time of grieving, especially when it’s the “first” holiday without a loved one. And for people who shop for a lot of gifts and people hosting family or friends, it can become a very stressful time.

I’ve written a few blogs over the years during the holidays that are worth revisiting. Here are excerpts from a few of them:

Holidays aren’t fa-la-la for everyone

As you celebrate the joy and wonder of this holiday season, make room for those who are grieving. Find kindness in your heart for all around you but give special support and love to those who may need it the most at this time of the year. If you have experienced loss, let those close to you surround you with their love. Continue reading →

Finding truth post-election: staying informed, vigilant and engaged

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It has been over a week since the election. For some of us, an incredibly long week of processing our reactions and considering how we go forward. My first response was disbelief and dread. Then came the sadness. As the days go by, I am thinking more and more about how to continue to have a voice and make a difference. I won’t just sit by and watch. I want to help make a better future for our Nation and for the World.

Misinformation played a big part in our elections. As I said in 2016, we must stay informed, be vigilant and engaged. Separating the facts from fiction is more important now than in the past.

If you share my concern about the level of misinformation, I offer a few resources to consider adding to your reading or listening list.

Heather Cox Richardson writes a daily newsletter called, Letters from an American, which is also available as a podcast. For well over a year, I have made reading her letter my first “to do” with a cup of coffee each morning. As a history professor, she is a master at framing the events of the day in a historical context. The November 12th letter was a master class in “careful what you ask for”. It was downright chilling to read.

Joyce Vance writes a daily newsletter called, Civil Discourse. She is a former United States Attorney, currently a law professor and a legal analyst for MSNBC and NBC. She also co-hosts two podcasts, #SistersInLaw and Cafe’s Insider. As she says, “I believe that being a citizen is the most important work any of us can do. As citizens, a key part of our role is to educate ourselves and stay informed”. She focuses a lot on the legal issues, so I don’t always get through her newsletter but the one dated November 9th, “The Importance of Information” is well worth reading to understand the level and impact of disinformation in 2024.

Yes, you may consider these two sources liberal and want more centrist or both-sided sources, but I am looking for big picture context from fact-based, credible resources to inform and inspire me. If you have other recommendations, I’m open.

A friend and former colleague during my Michigan days recently shared on Facebook that she regularly reads Tangle. They self-describe as a “non-partisan politics newsletter giving a 360-degree view on the news – opinions from the left, right and center so you can decide”. As they say, “unbiased news for busy people”. I just subscribed to check it out.

And as social media platforms are evolving, I’m ready to make my move from X to Bluesky. It’s well past time for that given what X has become.

The future is what we make it. To stand idly by and watch is not in my nature. That’s why I use a wide range of sources, treating each with a bit of skepticism, working to develop a Truth that will help benefit the Greater Good based on facts and evidence supported by optimism. We can always be better – individually and collectively. I will continue to support organizations and political leaders who share my values and sense of purpose.

Cultivating a network that works for you and others

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My adult daughters have called me the “network queen” at times. They appreciate that I’m willing to introduce them to people who might be helpful to them and their careers in some way. It’s no secret that I do that for anyone who asks.

The value of having a broad network of people you can call on for different situations is priceless. And if you have nurtured your relationships over the years and given graciously of your time, when you ask, you can count on people responding quickly and with a sincere willingness to be helpful.

I had a couple examples of this in the past month.

As part of due diligence on a new business relationship, I reached out to a former colleague and friend who worked with them. She was quick to reply, gave me her input and suggested someone else I should talk to who we both knew. She made the re-introduction for me, and I was able to connect with that person a few days later for additional insight.

My StarBridge Advisors partner and I needed some business advice in an area we were unfamiliar with. We both knew who our “go to” person would be given our past experience with him. I reached out and we were able to do a very valuable 3-way call later that same day.

Someone I knew from my board service with a non-profit organization several years ago reached out to me for advice on a new opportunity she was considering. After catching up on family and life since we last talked a few years ago, I was able to provide useful insight on the organization and opportunity plus offered to serve as a reference in her continued job search.

As I worked on a proposal for services to a new client, I reached out to someone I worked with almost 30 years ago to see if she was still working in the same field that I needed help with. We reconnected and I learned about her new consulting services which I have already referred to someone.

Relationships involve give and take. Maintaining positive mutually beneficial relationships means being available to others when they ask. They are much more than a “connection” on LinkedIn.

As we go into the Fall conference season and have the opportunity to see colleagues in person and make new connections, keep in mind the value of your network to not only you but how your connections might help others. After all, you can probably name many people who have helped you along the way. Be generous with your time and willing to help others. It will pay off many times over.

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Championing DEI – personal stories and lessons from leaders

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We learn from our own experiences, and we learn from other’s experiences when they are willing to share their stories. The impetus behind starting this blog was to share and help teach others, especially next generation leaders.  I have shared lessons learned both professionally and personally over the years. And I have shared many stories along the way.

My latest contribution in this sharing space is based on my ongoing commitment to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. As a member of the CHIME DEI committee for the past few years, I’ve come to know many colleagues in deep ways as we share our stories with each other and work to educate the broader CHIME community.

The newest offering from the committee is a video series called “Inclusive Insights: Personal Stories of Diversity in Action”. An insightful interview with Cletis Earle last month was the first in the series. Cletis is the CHIME DEI Committee Co-Chair and former SVP and CIO at Penn State Health and College of Medicine. I encourage you to view it here. He covered how DEI played a role in his career, why organizations should not turn away from DEI, how he advocates for DEI at work and in his community, and shares advice for colleagues trying to enhance diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in their organizations.

I’m honored to be the second person in the series to share my story – it is available here. I covered common myths and misperceptions about DEI, challenges I have faced in my career and how I overcame them, the role that mentorship and sponsorship play in fostering diversity and inclusion, the role of allies, and more.

When I first joined CHIME as a new CIO in 2000, the makeup of the group was very different from what it is today. There is far more diversity among health IT leaders today compared to back then. CHIME’s explicit commitment to DEI in recent years through the committee’s work and the programming at in-person conferences is encouraging.

We have made progress but there is more work to be done. We’re in it together.

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Timeboxing: balancing work and vacation without the stress

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I’ve written a few times over the years about the importance of taking vacations, having true down time, and the elusive work-life balance. Talking with one of my mentees this morning and one of my daughters last night, I was reminded of how important vacations and time away from work can be. Especially for young families where working parents are constantly on the go between their work, their kids’ activities, and basic home life. Packing and getting ready for vacation both at work and at home becomes one more stressor.

I’m a big proponent of taking a vacation where you shut work off completely and let others cover for you and delegate as much as possible. But I know that’s not always possible. And shutting off completely may cause some people even more anxiety. My approach and advice in those situations are to “timebox” an email session each morning (30-60 minutes max) before everyone else gets going for the day. Review the high priority/time sensitive emails and respond only if required. At a minimum, by reading them you will be aware of what’s happening. Don’t get into an email exchange that will carry into the day. Ignore the non-urgent or non-important ones. Delete what you can.

With you and your colleagues taking vacations at different times over the summer months, it can be difficult to keep certain projects and initiatives moving forward. Try not to have everyone dependent on you such that something must come to a halt until you return. In healthcare, we can’t shut the organization down for a week while everyone takes a vacation. I can understand why small companies who can do just that in fact do it – often around July 4th or between end of year holidays.

On this eve of July 4th, while I watch the news and worry about our democracy, I wish you all a happy and safe July 4th weekend and a fabulous summer vacation whenever you decide to take it!

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Maximizing health IT investments requires a holistic approach

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Evaluating the value of IT investments in healthcare is a significant challenge for health IT leaders and their organizations. With the growing demand for digital health solutions and the increasing interest in AI, establishing a comprehensive IT investment valuation process has become crucial for health systems both large and small. My colleague at StarBridge Advisors, David Muntz, recently wrote an excellent blog post describing what we call the VOI framework – “An Effective Strategy for Valuing HIT Investments”.

Traditional metrics like ROI, IRR, and TCO are often used to assess IT investments. While these financial measures are important, relying solely on them can be insufficient. As David outlines in his blog, StarBridge Advisors has developed a Value of Investment (VOI) framework that combines traditional financial metrics with additional elements that capture the broader impact of IT investments.

I encourage you to read David’s entire blog post where he expands on these core elements of the VOI framework:

    1. Flexibility: Modern IT solutions provide new capabilities, such as using smartphones to locate the nearest mobile imaging device or utilizing AI for image evaluation with high precision. This flexibility improves operational efficiency and patient care.
    2. Intangibles: Non-physical assets like clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and brand loyalty play a crucial role. Personal stories that highlight the human impact of IT investments often provide the most compelling evidence of value.
    3. Social Value: IT solutions that meet patient and family needs, such as enabling control over care environments or providing interpreter services, significantly enhance patient experiences and outcomes.
    4. Risk Management: Effective risk management is essential to achieving the anticipated value of IT investments. The framework identifies nine risk categories with targeted questions to help organizations determine acceptable risk levels.
    5. Accountability: Ensuring that those responsible for implementing and using the IT asset are accountable for achieving results that drive continuous improvement and better outcomes.

Additional analyses include stakeholder impact, capability-based assessment, market positioning, strategic alignment, and intellectual capital.

Evaluating IT investments requires a comprehensive approach. StarBridge Advisors offers the expertise and tools to help you develop and deploy a personalized VOI framework. David and I are happy to explore with you how we can help you maximize your investment.

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