Tag Archives: CIO

CHIME21 recap and CIO perspectives

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A few weeks ago, I wrote about FOMO – what I felt about not going to the CHIME Fall Forum this year. After all, I had not been to either HIMSS or CHIME to see colleagues since spring of 2019. Being in-person with colleagues I’ve come to know well, like a lot, and respect even more, was something I had looked forward to. So yes, I missed reconnecting in-person after all this time. But I am grateful to get some of the content and perspectives from the forum second hand through trusted sources.

It’s no surprise that Bill Russell has dropped a series of excellent podcast interviews with some of the leading healthcare CIOs as well as vendor experts in his Today in Health IT podcast special series he calls “Interviews in Action”.  It includes 10 interviews at CHIME, 8 at HLTH, and 5 from the Sirius Healthcare 2 Healthcare Event. Each one is no more than 15-20 minutes long so perfect for a brisk one-mile walk. Learn from CIOs such as Donna Roach of University of Utah Health, Stephanie Lahr of Monument Health, Dr. Zafar Chaudry of Seattle Children’s, and Scott Joslyn of UC Irvine.

Through the HealthsystemCIO.com recap of CHIME21, Kate Gamble covered several topics highlighting presentations from more of my favorite CIOs:

Whether you are a CHIME member who didn’t attend the Fall Forum or someone who just wants to learn from some of the best IT leaders in the industry, I encourage you to check out all these resources.

The evolving role of the CIO

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At the beginning of 2019, is your role as a Chief Information Officer what it was a year or two ago? Is that even still your title? Chances are the answers are no. Your role is possibly broader and more strategic canstockphoto2442956 (1) changing role of CIOthan it was.

Much has been written about the changing role of the CIO. There is talk about CIO 3.0. Some CIOs may feel pressure to take on new responsibilities, so they aren’t overshadowed by other new CXO leaders. But many more want to broaden their role as healthcare and technology evolves.

As John Glaser summarized so well in his article, “The Evolution of the Health Care Chief Information Officer”, many new CXO roles now interplay with the CIO role.

He talked about the five factors shaping the CIO 3.0:  the transformation of the health care business model; relentless innovation in information technology; shift in strategic emphasis; stepping up your skills; and IT leadership becoming a team sport. This last one is critical. The CIO and other evolving roles must play well with one another in the interest of the organization.

One of our StarBridge Advisors blogs in 2018 was by Avery Cloud, a former advisor and now CIO at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System (FMOLH).  The title of his blog post was “The C-Double I-O”, adding a second “I” in the CIO title for innovation. He challenged CIOs to become as conversant in innovation principles as they are in ITIL.

David Chou, Chief Information and Digital Officer at Children’s Mercy Hospital, suggests that CIO also must mean “chief influence officer”. In his article he emphasizes the importance of creating a strong culture that supports transformation, and thinking like a CEO.

In the most recent StarBridge Advisors blog, “10 Steps to Prepare for 2019 – Big Challenges – Bigger Opportunities”, David Muntz had some advice for CIOs in the coming year. In step #3 he encourages CIOs to do a self-assessment. Continue reading →

7 HIT blog and podcast recommendations

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I started blogging in 2014. It was a way to share experiences from many years as a health IT leader and to teach others. When I see the number of subscribers to my blog and 100,000 views to date, I think it’scanstockphoto58340963 (1) subscribe fair to say my blogs are having an impact. As long as that’s the case, I will keep blogging.

I was honored to see my blog named for the second year in a row to HealthTech’s Must-Read Health IT Blogger List. Here are some of the ones on that list that I plan to start reading more regularly:

Susannah Fox – She is the former CTO of HHS and covers a range of topics to help people and organizations navigate at the intersection of health and technology.

Inside the Mind of a Healthcare CIO by David Chou, Vice President / Chief Information & Digital Officer for Children’s Mercy Kansas City – I knew David was prolific on social media. I regularly read and share his content. But I didn’t realize that he was also writing a regular blog on a range of topics from his CIO experiences.

Health IT Buzz from ONC – This is a great way to keep up with what is coming from The Office of the National Coordinator and their perspective.

Health Populi by Jane Sarasohn-Kahn – I have met Jane at a few conferences in recent years and always find her insight and analysis to be very enlightening. She covers broad trends in healthcare. Something every IT leader should be tracking.

AAMI Blog – I may be biased as an AAMI board member, but I think all IT leaders need to be keeping tabs on what the issues are in the health technology management (HTM) world. Continue reading →

Tune in: recommendations for IT podcasts

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How do you keep up with industry news? Do you have a favorite online publication? Are you a reader or a listener? I find myself struggling to keep up with everything I want to read. But I’m doing better, now, with canstockphoto33796857 podcastat least tracking on the headlines and top industry news stories.

For all you busy multi-taskers who may be looking for an alternate way to educate yourself and stay current, 20-30 minute podcasts are a great option. Whether you’ve got a long daily commute, need something to listen to while working out at the gym or while walking the dog, consider listening to podcasts.

Here are some podcast series worth checking out:

This Week in Health IT – This is a new program launched by Bill Russell, CEO at Health Lyrics, focusing on news of the week and a topic of interest. He publishes online every Friday afternoon. I was honored to be on the program last week. We covered the Amazon, JP Morgan, Berkshire Hathaway announcement and the Apple health records app story. Both are examples of the disruptive forces we are seeing in healthcare. Bill and I also talked about the evolving role of the CIO and shared our favorite social media posts of the week.

HealthSystemCIO.com – Anthony Guerra and Kate Gamble have been conducting extensive one-on-one interviews with CIOs for several years. They publish them online as multi-chapter series. These interviews provide insight and experiences for everyone in health IT.  And if you’d rather read the interviews, they are also available as full transcripts. Continue reading →