Health policy has profound short and long-term effects on the health of our nation and the world. This blog explores one viewpoint on only one of them – Food is Medicine – and is not intended as medical advice or a universal truth. Readers are encouraged to consider multiple perspectives[…]
Mental Health Month 2025 – In Every Story, There’s Strength: Facing Mental Health with Compassion and Courage
May is Mental Health Awareness Month – a time to take action, raise our voices, and help raise awareness about the importance of mental health. This year’s theme, “In Every Story, There’s Strength,” could not be more fitting. My story began when I was just ten years old, exposed for[…]
No Mission, No Margin
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[…]
Beyond the Bottom Line: How DEI&B Drives Innovation and Growth
As we welcome 2025, it’s a time to celebrate the successes of the past year and set our intentions for the future. Among the priorities deserving renewed attention is the critical role of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEI&B). The corporate world has faced significant challenges in maintaining this focus,[…]
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[…]
Future Proof Your IT Environment: Strategies to Address Technology Debt
Addressing technology debt[i] in the health IT environment is crucial for ensuring patient safety, regulatory compliance, efficiency, data security, scalability, innovation, and cost efficiency. Healthcare IT professionals and their organizations must leverage technology effectively to deliver high-quality care while staying competitive in an evolving healthcare landscape. There are many factors[…]
Safeguarding Our Digital Foundations: The Case for Cybersecurity as a Utility
Cybersecurity is an international challenge. Cybersecurity threats are on the rise. Bad actors, including those that are nation-sponsored, focus on vulnerable targets and critical infrastructures. Healthcare has become a favorite target. The news media has been flooded by reports that the Change Healthcare cyberattack is having ‘far-reaching’ effects on providers,[…]
Technology Debt – when your infrastructure has been ignored too long
“What do you mean “there is an executive level downtime committee that meets weekly”? As I stated this, I must admit I was a bit incredulous. Although it was only my first week as CIO at a large academic medical center, I had never encountered in my prior 8 years[…]
Auditors Should be a Leader’s Best Friend
It’s January, a new beginning in many ways. It’s common as a New Year approaches to spend some time thinking about, hopefully celebrating, the past and planning for the future – from both a personal and professional perspective. That review sometimes elicits resolutions – to improve, to make a brighter,[…]