In the News: healthsystemCIO

Leading hospitals and health systems that have embraced technological innovation realize the value of IT teams in championing products, programs, and solutions that positively impact the customer experience in healthcare. Today, technology leaders aren’t simply responding to organizational requests. Instead, they are driving change across all business areas, from data center operations to care delivery and in between.

HealthsystemCIO hosted a webinar with Vik Krishnan, General Manager of TeleVox, Bradd Busick, SVP/CIO of MultiCare Health System, and Michael Elley, CIO of Baptist Health about how CIOs and other executives communicate the value of IT innovations to ignite change. And the fast-moving technology available today—especially solutions that drive better customer experience in healthcare settings—means hospital leadership teams must take a collaborative, cross-departmental approach when evaluating new initiatives.

This is especially true in an environment where many healthcare organizations are doing more with less. As one panelist explains, “you have to have a good sense of the work that’s going on whenever we adopt newer technologies and the impact it’s going to have on your teams.” So, when it comes to adopting new tools that are technology-oriented (like omnichannel virtual assistants and automated patient engagement workflows), the CIO may spearhead those efforts. However, according to Krishnan, most-adopted solutions have “…organically bubbled up from CIOs partnering with other business leaders after a problem has been mutually agreed upon as needing a solution.”

Sometimes, tools are tied to a variety of business areas. For example, TeleVox’s automated patient engagement platform can increase patient visits, reduce bad prep rates, and drive higher collections all by converting manual, human-centered processes into digital, automated ones. Another panelist explains that the role of the CIO, in cases like these, may shift away from technologist and more towards a businessperson that truly has to understand, and fluently speak, the language of other clinical or financial leaders. This type of cross-collaboration often results in improved customer experience in healthcare facilities that are attempting to balance financial benefit, patient care, improved outcomes, and operational efficiency, because multiple leaders have a seat at the table.

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The hour-long webinar is packed with more insights and engaging discussion about this topic. Watch or listen here.