#BreakTheBias

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That’s the theme of International Women’s Day (IWD) 2022 celebrated today, March 8. It is one to remember not just today but every day. Two weeks ago, as Black History Month came to an end, I wrote a post titled “2022 of the 1950s?” about systemic racism. March is Women’s History Month and when I see the assault on women’s rights in many states, I could ask that same question again.

While women have made great progress since I was growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, coming of age during the women’s movement shaped me both personally and professionally. I remember when International Women’s Day was something most people knew nothing about. Now it is more prominently highlighted in the media. You may have seen some “strike the pose” posts on social media in recent days and wondered what that was about. But International Women’s Day is not just a celebration of women, it is a focus on the historical and current struggles of women for true equality and a call to all of us to forge a gender equal world.

Themes in recent years have been:

#ChooseToChallenge – reminding us that we are responsible for our own thoughts and actions and that we can all choose to call out gender bias and inequality.

#EachforEqual – emphasizing the need to bring together people of all gender, age, ethnicity, race, religion, and country to embrace the values and actions needed to create a gender equal world.

What does this year’s theme #BreakTheBias focus on? From the IWD website:

“Imagine a gender equal world.

A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.

A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.

A world where difference is valued and celebrated.

Together we can forge women’s equality.

Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.”

What can you do? Continue reading →

Ukraine, what can you do?

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Posting pictures of sunflowers and the colors of the Ukrainian flag are all signs of support. And yes, the free world and the autocrats need to see that support. But there is more you and I can do. Here are two resources to check out:

Call to Action: How the Health Community can Help Efforts in Ukraine is on March 3, 11AM ET sponsored by HLTH – you can register here. Description of the webinar:

As healthcare professionals, we can help via coordinated effort with Ukrainian Ministry of Health and state enterprise Medical Procurement of Ukraine. By now, Ukraine used all of its available medical supplies; deliveries to the country situated in the middle of Europe are severely disrupted.

We are hosting the webinar on Thursday, March 3rd during which our panelists will be able to provide clear instructions of what supplies are needed and how to ship them to Ukraine, as well as answer any of your questions. You will hear from:

Moderator:
– Anna Levchuk –  Member Of The Supervisory Board, Member Of The Supervisory Board,
State Enterprise Medical Procurement of Ukraine
Speakers:
– Arsen Zhumadilov – CEO of Medical Procurement of Ukraine
– Graham Stewart – Head of Supply Chain Delivery at Department of Health and Social Care, UK
– Kateryna Babkina – an award-winning Ukrainian poet and a refugee who drove from shelled Kyiv to Poland with one-year-old in tow

Please join the webinar to learn how you can help. Share this information with your colleagues in patient access, social responsibility, and sales departments.

From the Global Citizen, “22 Meaningful Ways You Can Help Ukraine” by Khanyi Mlaba and Tess Lowery on February 24th.

The article opens with this statement, “While many of us might feel helpless when confronted with geopolitical machinations of this scale, we’ve rounded up some ways you can help the people of Ukraine right now.” It includes ways to donate, take action, and stay informed.

Babies being born in subways that have become shelters. NICU babies being cared for in a hospital shelter. Innocent people including young children being killed and wounded. These are difficult images to watch. But it is happening. The strength and resilience of the Ukrainian people is inspiring. As global citizens, the fight for democracy and freedom is one we all must support.

 

2022 or the 1950s? 

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February started with news that was both disturbing and disappointing to see in 2022. But unfortunately, not a surprise considering the long history of racism and white supremacy in this country. News programs the first few days of Black History Month covered bomb threats at many HBCU campuses, the Florida Anti-Woke Act, book banning, a neo-Nazi group protesting in front of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and another police shooting of a young black man, Amir Locke, in Minneapolis.

It makes one wonder if this is 2022 or the 1950s. Are we moving forward or backward?

When I touch on political subjects in my blog posts, I try to weave a healthcare perspective into it. The best I can do given these discouraging news stories is to reinforce that it takes each one of us to make change and create the kind of world we want to live in, work in and raise our families in.

As Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice”. Yes, but only if we pull it towards justice. So, what can you or I do to pull it?

I applaud Boston Children’s Hospital where I served as interim CIO last year for requiring “Bystander to Upstander” training for all employees as part of the health system’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This program raised awareness of microaggressions in everyday life and provided simple tools for each of us to use to move from being a bystander when we see and hear something to being willing to call it out.

I applaud the CHIME Diversity and Inclusion committee which I am a member of for their continued work to raise awareness amongst CHIME and CHIME Foundation members and AEHIS, AEHIA and AEHIT members. The newest offering, “DEI Dialogues”, kicks off this Friday 2/25 from 12-1PM ET. DEI Dialogues will be a dynamic series of virtual conversations around identity, belonging, equity and inclusion with a different lens of focus each month. The focus of the first one is Black History Month. Cletis Earle, SVP and CIO at Penn State Health, and Dr. Andrea Hendricks, Senior Executive Director & Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at Cerner, will moderate the discussion. For more information on CHIME Diversity and Inclusion and to register for the first DEI Dialogues, click here.

When it comes to understanding our own biases and working to end racism, we are each on our own journey of self-awareness and action. Together we can be the change and move forward not backward.

Resources and Related Posts:

Here’s the story behind Black History Month – and why it’s celebrated in February

How Sharing Our Stories Builds Inclusion

One year later – an increased focus on diversity, equity and inclusion

At the intersection of racism and healthcare

New year, new health goals, new tools

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On Tuesday, our new trackers arrived. I’ve used a Fitbit since late 2013 and still had the Fitbit One device. It served its purpose as a very basic step tracker. When it started getting less reliable during our January vacation, I decided it was time to up my game with newer tracking technology. Plus, I realized my device was discontinued a few years ago so forget about just replacing it. My husband, Tom, was ready to start more serious tracking as we focused on new health goals in 2022. He had recently downloaded a free step tracker app to his iPhone, but it was only useful if he always had his phone with him.

We carefully compared the different Fitbit devices reading specs and watching the videos. Doing the comparison shopping together on my laptop had me in tears laughing with him. Tom has never been athletic and hated gym class as a kid. We were doing the main feature compare between the Luxe and the Inspire 2. But we thought we should check out the Charge 5 before we called the question. Part way through the short video for the Charge 5, Tom said, “It’s scaring me, it’s like gym class on your wrist”. I told you, I had tears I laughed so hard at that. We each placed an order for a Luxe and the Premium Membership.

Once we had the devices charged and he downloaded the software for the first time, we quickly figured out the main features and how to navigate. We are constantly comparing our stats. I know that will wear off. But there is a new motivation in our house to get in better shape and get out walking longer distances each day. Continue reading →

The “Great Resignation” at the micro level

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We hear a lot about the “Great Resignation” at a macro level. It is usually coupled with advice to employers on how to retain people and address the reasons people are resigning at such record levels. Behind the statistics are real people and everyone has their own, unique story. For some it just happens to be a good time to rethink their career options.

My LinkedIn newsfeed may be an indication of the talent shortage and the number of opportunities out there.  Several times a week I see a health IT leader posting about an open position and opportunity to join their organization.

I’ve recently been contacted by several individuals interested in making a career transition – looking for their next opportunity and challenge. People who have reached out include:

  • A physician who has worked largely in industry, most recently in Asia, but wants to return to the U.S. this year. He is looking for insights on the market and to understand the potential for someone like him moving into a hospital/health system CIO role eventually.
  • A well respected, former colleague who has been at a very successful health IT vendor for several years and is considering what his next level challenge might be. He is looking for advice and connections.
  • A consultant who a colleague introduced to me as he thinks I’ve been a great mentor and advisor for others. The consultant is starting to make a transition and wants to understand potential opportunities.

I am committed to helping next generation leaders so of course I make time to talk to people when I get these requests and introductions.

I listen to where they are at and what they are looking for next. I ask a few probing questions. Then I tailor my input/advice to their situation the best I can. I often suggest other people for them to talk to and offer to introduce them to recruiters if they don’t already have those relationships.

What do all job seekers have in common? Continue reading →

Considering a coach in 2022?

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It’s a new year. Time to reflect. Time to set new goals for yourself. If you have ever used a coach or considered doing so, you know the value of investing in yourself. I have provided leadership coaching and career coaching for many health IT leaders in recent years – all at different stages of their professional development and career. Over the years, I’ve written on the value of coaching and professional development. Here is a short list of posts worth revisiting:

When to use a career coach

Investing in you, the value of a coach

Confidence matters as much as competence

Being valued, doing meaningful work

Welcoming feedback

Note – I am taking a short break from writing new posts in January. With all the blog posts I’ve written over the past 7 plus years, I’m using this break to share some of my “classics”. Thank you for being a subscriber – I hope you will encourage your colleagues to subscribe in the coming year.

Leadership revisited

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It’s a new year. Time to reflect and look ahead. Whether you are a leader or an aspiring leader, there is always room to develop your own leadership skills and find ways to help others develop. Over the years, I’ve often written on leadership. Here is a short list of posts worth revisiting:

10 Tips for next generation leaders

7 Ways to develop the next generation of leaders

Leading through a crisis

What we should expect of leaders

Inspiring and developing new leaders – learning from the best

Lead by example

Leader as conductor

Note – I am taking a short break from writing new posts in January. With all the blog posts I’ve written over the past 7 plus years, I’m using this break to share some of my “classics”. Thank you for being a subscriber – I hope you will encourage your colleagues to subscribe in the coming year.

Towards a more civil society

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Healthcare is a people business. I’ve worked with many hospital CEOs and executives in my career. Leaders lead in everything they say and do. Hospital CEOs lead their organization and are considered leaders in their community. Some are considered national leaders as well. Leaders are “always on”.

There may be little behind the scenes moments when you get a glimpse of their personality. But there are many more public moments when you see how they lead and inspire. And for some, there are those moments where they publicly weigh in on societal issues others want to ignore. I saw one of those examples last week.

Michael Dowling is President & CEO of Northwell Health, the largest healthcare provider in New York caring for over 2 million people annually. He is one of the most respected and influential healthcare leaders in our industry. He is not afraid to tell it like it is and take a public stand on issues such as gun violence and immigration. His recent article, “A Call for Civility and Decency”, published in Becker’s Hospital Review on December 30, 2021, is no exception. He describes how the “internet has become a toxic stew of political hostility”. He talks about how the discord is a challenge to our democracy and quotes Abraham Lincoln who said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand”.

He outlines in detail his thoughts on basic steps we can all take to start the healing our country needs:

  • Respect others point of view
  • Choose your words carefully
  • Show empathy
  • Respect diversity
  • Be willing to compromise

In closing he says, “As we turn the calendar to 2022, let’s use it as an opportunity to tone down the rhetoric, reopen dialogue with each other and mend wounds caused by the worst pandemic of our lifetime and years of racial, ethnic and political divide that have worn away at the fabric of our society. It all starts with civility and decency. If we all embrace that behavior, we’ll enjoy a much happier new year.”

Last week I wrote about the importance of taking care of yourself during these challenging times paying attention to both your physical and mental health. This week as we begin a new year, let’s heed the advice of Michael Dowling and commit to work towards greater civility with one another.

End of year thoughts and advice for 2022

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We are entering the third year of this pandemic. Vaccines have been available for over a year – a turning point we anxiously waited for as 2020 came to an end. But 2021 was not the turnaround year we had hoped for. Over 840,000 people have lost their lives in our country since the start of the pandemic – the majority of people who died of COVID since this summer were not vaccinated. Anti-vaxxers proudly proclaim their resistance and misinformation continues to spread. Our health system and healthcare workers are under incredible strain. Hospital leaders are pleading with their communities to get vaccinated and boosted.

It is hard to be optimistic at times.

Those who can continue to work remotely. Kids are in classrooms and used to wearing masks with parents and grandparents viewing school holiday concerts over Zoom. Families cautiously gathered over the holidays or changed plans at the last moment.

We crave normalcy and getting out in the world to do the things we enjoy – spending time with family and friends. live music, sports events, travel and more.

We tend to look ahead to the new year with hopes and dreams of a better year. We ask ourselves how can things get worse? We make resolutions.

David Muntz, my StarBridge Advisors colleague, recently wrote a blog post, “12 Steps to Prepare for 2022 – Big Challenges – Bigger Opportunities” that was far more than just a professional health IT perspective and advice. As this year comes to an end, I leave you with a few excerpts from his steps 1 and 12: Continue reading →

Thoughts on the Oracle acquisition of Cerner

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Without question, the announcement yesterday that Oracle is acquiring Cerner for $28.3 billion is the biggest health IT story of the year. I won’t speculate on what I don’t know. I’ll leave that to others. But I can

source: www.hitconsultant.net

speak from experience as a CIO who has worked with all the big EHR vendors over the years including Cerner, Epic, Allscripts and Meditech. I’ve talked with and at times commiserated with many CIO colleagues who have experience with some or all of these EHR vendors.

While Cerner clients are trying to figure out what this acquisition will mean for them, good or bad, I’ll go back to the basics. Over the years I’ve written several blog posts on vendor management. They all seem pertinent and good reminders for health IT leaders trying to sort out how to work with Cerner going forward and how to manage within their organizations as they are faced with questions this week that they probably can’t answer.

12 tips for effective vendor management outlines what to look for in your current and future vendors. If I were a Cerner client or contemplating a switch to Cerner, I’d pay particularly close attention to these tips:

  • A good product roadmap
  • More service than sales
  • Excellent customer service
  • Executive level relationship
  • Long term value for the investment

There will be much speculation and commentary in the coming days on what this acquisition means to Cerner clients and the health IT industry overall. At the end of the day, we must keep the Quadruple Aim in mind in all we do to serve our patients and our communities: enhance the patient experience, reduce costs, improve healthcare outcomes, and improve the clinician experience. That has never been more important than during this pandemic. Will Oracle’s acquisition of Cerner help or hinder? Will Cerner provide a superior, more reliable, more integrated EHR in 2022 and well into the future? Only time will tell.

Related Posts:

12 tips for effective vendor management

Keys to successful vendor management

What to expect from your vendors

Vendor relationship management revisited