September 23-27 is National Health IT (NHIT) Week. A time when our industry highlights the impact of IT in transforming healthcare and advocates for needed changes. This year’s asks revolve around population health, modernizing the public health infrastructure, access to broadband and telehealth, and Social Determinants of Health. In recognition[…]
A Recipe for Success: 3 Key Ingredients to Advance Your IT Career
By Catherine Iocona. One of the most rewarding things I’ve experienced as a healthcare IT leader has been guiding talented individuals as they grow and develop in their careers. I’ve enjoyed that so much that I recently followed that passion by transitioning to leadership coaching with a focus on supporting[…]
Who Belongs at the Center of Everything We Do?
Ask a healthcare system leader where they focus and the answer will generally be the same, “We put the patient at the center of everything we do.” Laudable, but examine how budgets are spent, where efforts are focused, and you’ll find that providers are more often at the center. This[…]
When an interim CIO makes sense
The demand for interim management in IT is high and takes many forms. When there is an unexpected vacancy in a senior IT leadership position and no obvious interim person to step up, the executive team must act quickly. They often start with their trusted network or turn to a firm that specializes in interim management[…]
Prepare to visit HIMSS2019 – Health IT’s Magic Kingdom
The annual HIMSS Conference is upon us. The big question is how to prepare. First step is to visit the HIMSS19 website to review the schedule. Next get comfortable shoes. Then make sure your personal fitness tracker will measure your steps and minutes of exercise for the purposes of explaining[…]
10 Steps to Prepare for 2019 – Big Challenges – Bigger Opportunities
The advent of a New Year finds the media filled with reviews of the past year and Top 10 predictions about the future from esteemed prognosticators. I’d like to join the other forecasters and warmly welcome 2019 with a call to action in a challenging, yet opportunity rich healthcare environment.[…]
Interim CIO: How to Optimize for a Successful Outcome
By Kirk Mahlen, Advisor To quote from a popular Farmers Insurance ad: “We know a thing or two because we’ve seen a thing or two”. The reality associated with unplanned / unexpected CIO turnover is that, while there may be themes, the number of possible scenarios is infinite and I[…]
No More Excuses: It’s time to invest in yourself
I was fortunate to work with an excellent executive coach several years ago. He helped me gain new insight into who I am and how I lead. I am a much better leader as a result of our year-long work together. I periodically reconnect with him now to bounce around[…]
8 Tips for Telehealth Success
Telehealth or connected health as some call it, takes different forms depending on the provider organization and their strategy. The primary driver may be extending geographic reach by providing services to rural areas. Or it may be largely a focus on consumer engagement. Regardless, there are common themes for successful[…]
Selective Sourcing vs Complete Outsourcing in HIT
by Rich Pollack, Advisor Unlike many other industries, complete IT outsourcing in healthcare provider organizations is a fairly rare bird. There are reasons for this, technical, financial and cultural. On the other hand, selectively outsourcing defined and limited subcomponents of a healthcare IT department can be both a successful and[…]