No Mission, No Margin: Balancing Financial Stability and Compassion in Healthcare Too often in my career, I’ve heard leaders in healthcare say, “No margin, no mission”. During my tenure at Texas Health Resources (THR), Doug Hawthorne, CEO, said during budget season in the Executive Council meeting, that he had embraced[…]
Leading Through the Storm: Strategies for Resilient and Adaptative Healthcare IT Approach
In the fast-paced and ever-changing world of healthcare, uncertainty is the only certainty. From global pandemics to cybersecurity threats, regulatory shifts, and economic downturns, healthcare IT leaders are forced to constantly navigate stormy seas. As an IT Leader, we must lead with confidence and compassion, demonstrate strength and understanding. Uncertainty[…]
Protecting Trusted Guardrails: The Perils of Removing Essential Protections
Guardrails – whether physical, organizational, or behavioral – are vital mechanisms that ensure safety, protect privacy, maintain standards, safeguard free expression, and shield individuals from both their own actions and the influence of those in power. They provide guidance across diverse contexts, from physical infrastructure and organizational governance to clinical[…]
Beyond the Status Quo: 16 Transformative Steps for Healthcare in the Digital Age – Part 1
It’s that time of year when prognosticators and futurists compile a top 10 list for the coming year. This blog focuses on healthcare writ large and healthcare IT (HIT) where overlaps are common. Given the increasing complexity of this shared environment, this top 10 list grew to 16. This is[…]
11 Steps to Prepare for 2025 – Big Challenges – Bigger Opportunities
If you’re fortunate enough to work in healthcare and IT, every year presents a significant mix of big challenges and even bigger opportunities. 2025 is no exception. One of HIT’s paradigms for approaching challenges is to focus on people, process, and technology – technology being the easiest of the three.[…]
Show the Strength of Wisdom: Choose Kindness
As new parents, we wanted to instill an important life lesson in our children. From a very young age, we often asked them the same question repeatedly: “What is the most important thing to remember?” Their answer was simple: “Be nice.” Over time, however, my children – wise beyond their[…]
Ring Theory – A Practical Tool for Dealing with Trauma and Crises
September is National Suicide Prevention Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about suicide prevention and promoting mental health. Suicide is very personal to me. My wife died from suicide. I wrote what started as a blog but became a longer story about my family’s experience with suicide and offered[…]
Is HIT Strategic Planning Still Relevant for Providers?
In the past there was little question about who owned the HIT Strategic Plan – the Chief Information Officer (CIO). That has changed in many organizations. Organizations are creating new C-suite officer roles – chief data and analytics (CDAO), chief digital officer (CDO or CDIO), chief data officer (CDO), chief[…]
An Effective Strategy for Valuing HIT Investments
Assessing the value of IT investments has posed a challenge throughout my 35+ year career as a healthcare CIO. With the growing demand for digital health solutions and the surge of interest in AI in its various forms, establishing a reliable IT investment valuation process has grown increasingly crucial. A[…]
Revitalizing Healthcare: Shaping Perceptions, Restoring Trust
At a recent healthcare conference attended by leaders from healthcare systems representing more than 19% of the total of 6,120 US hospitals, there were several presentations and many side conversations about the state of consumer satisfaction. An Ipsos survey published on February 27, 2024, was consistent with concerns expressed. Ipsos[…]