Becker's Hospital Review

27 CIO / HEALTH IT Why Scripps hired a former FBI agent By Naomi Diaz A s healthcare organizations across the country are seeing an increase in cybersecurity incidents coupled with a rise in violence against nurses, physicians and hospital staff, San Diego-based Scripps Health has hired a new secret weapon to try to make the organization safer. Retired Special Agent Todd Walbridge was hired by Scripps as the new senior director for corporate and system safety and security. e decision to hire Mr. Walbridge was rooted in a long-standing collaboration between Scripps Health and the FBI. e retired special agent had previously played a crucial role in advising Scripps Health when it experienced a ransomware attack in 2021. Scripps Health President and CEO Chris Van Gorder told Becker's that it is important for healthcare organizations to have collaborations with law enforcement as incidents of workplace violence and cyber threats continue to rise. Mr. Van Gorder said incidents of workplace violence at Scripps' five hospital campuses surged by 31% in fiscal year 2023 compared to the previous year, totaling 2,335 incidents. But with Mr. Walbridge's law enforcement expertise, Scripps is upping its collaboration with local law enforcement agencies, creating a seamless interface to analyze and respond to security threats. One notable initiative, which Mr. Walbridge is a part of, is the establishment of a task force focused on workplace violence. e initiative, called the San Diego Hospital Workforce Violence Task Force, collaborates with hospitals, law enforcement agencies and the district attorney's office to try to mitigate risks and improve overall security in healthcare settings. "I'm chairing the workplace violence task force, but at some point when he [Mr. Walbridge] has been integrated with us long enough and oriented, I'll probably let him take it over for me," Mr. Van Gorder said. "He's already starting to build relationships with other law enforcement agencies for us. And unlike me, a hospital administrator trying to do law enforcement, Todd is able to connect with them and speak the same language." Beyond physical security, Mr. Walbridge is also exploring technological solutions, including the use of artificial intelligence in surveillance cameras to identify unusual behavior. "He's looking at everything from the normal securities but also looking at our staffing, training, technology, and interfacing with law enforcement — all the things that I would want a senior leader in security to be able to do," Mr. Van Gorder said. As the healthcare industry grapples with the escalating challenges of cybersecurity and workplace violence, Scripps Health's proactive approach in appointing a seasoned law enforcement professional underscores the growing need for innovative solutions and partnerships to ensure the safety of both patients and healthcare professionals. n The many hats of the healthcare CIO By Naomi Diaz T he role of a healthcare CIO has transcended its traditional boundaries, presenting both increased responsibility and exciting opportunities in 2024. "Serving as a healthcare CIO in 2024 comes with greater responsibility, yes, but also exciting opportunity," Saad Chaudhry, chief digital and information officer of Annapolis, Md.-based Luminis Health, told Becker's. "Since technology underpins nearly every operational function of a health system, CIOs now have a definitive seat at the executive leadership table. However, unlike other C-suite roles focused on specific domains, our role stretches across them all." According to Mr. Chaudhry, the COVID-19 pandemic acted as a catalyst, accelerating the imperative for executives outside of IT to gain fluency in the diverse systems that power a health system's operations. "With remote work and digital transformation rising out of necessity, CFOs, CHROs, CMOs, CNOs and others had to partner more closely with CIOs to understand and leverage the technology powering their departments and functions," he said. "This, consequently, evolved the CIO role further." Effective CIO leadership today, according to Mr. Chaudhry, requires deeper knowledge of workflows, operations and supply chain across the health system than it ever did before. It is also requiring CIOs to wear the "hats" of their C-suite peers to fulfill their roles effectively. "That makes this a tough role as it requires a leader who, while anchored in technology, understands the clinical and operational side of the business well," he said. "It should come as no surprise then, that this elevated role brings with it increased accountability. No longer is our digital foundation limited to maintaining technology infrastructure — it has now evolved to the marriage between technical platforms and the operational workflows associated with them within new, more modern venues of care." Looking ahead, Mr. Chaudhry sees the scope of accountability for the modern healthcare CIO to expand further, especially as innovative provider organizations take shape. Initiatives like General Catalyst's HATCo venture and Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente's Risant signal a new era, where CIOs will play a pivotal role in shaping the intersection between technology and the operational frameworks of cutting-edge care venues, he said. n

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