Becker's Hospital Review

44 Health Information Technology At IntelliCentrics, we're on guard 24/7 to help keep your facilities secure. Our sole purpose is to protect the health and safety of your patients and staff. Our Reptrax™ system has quickly become the industry standard for vendor credentialing. Now, we're introducing staff credentialing, training, volunteer and visitor management solutions that fur ther simplify the world of regulatory compliance and drive even more costs out of healthcare. To learn more about how these new products and services can make your world safer, visit IntelliCentrics.com. PROTECTING WHAT MATTERS MOST L o c a t i o n c o u r t e s y o f T H E H E A RT H O S P I TA L B ay l o r P l a n o. 14-DEV-0002_IntelliCentrics_AOG_PRoom_Beckers_8.375x10.875.indd 1 4/7/14 5:51 PM Better Together: Building Productive Working Relationships Between IT and Informatics Executives By Helen Gregg S cott Joslyn and Harris Stutman, MD, have been colleagues and friends for the past 25 years. "We've had a variety of different relationships over the years, with both direct and indirect reporting structures," says Dr. Stutman. "We're very comfortable with each other's ap- proaches to decision-making." So when Dr. Stutman became CMIO to Mr. Jos- lyn's senior vice president and CIO role at Memo- rialCare Health System in Fountain Valley, Calif., their history allowed them to enjoy a productive working relationship from the start. "Because we've known each other for quite some time, there's lots of mutual respect," says Mr. Jo- slyn. "I know [Dr. Stutman's] experience both as part of MemorialCare and in his roles in the software and consulting worlds have given him a wealth of knowledge — he advises me, and I know his advice is sound and well-informed." Building the team It has only been recently that CMIOs have be- come a dominant force in hospitals' executive suites. According to HIMSS' annual leadership survey, about 22 percent of hospitals and health systems had a CMIO in 2012. That number rose to 40 percent in 2013 as population health initia- tives and value-based care arrangements increas- ingly demanded the use of data analytics both in patient care and overall clinical strategy. At Carolinas HealthCare System, based in Char- lotte, N.C., a growing need for informatics leader- ship led to the hiring of CMIO Brent Lambert MD, about three years ago and CNIO Nancy Olson, RN, PhD, in March 2014. The new positions were created to have clini- cians "help us make connections between medi- cal needs and what technology is able to deliver," says Craig Richardville, senior vice president and CIO of Carolinas HealthCare. "These positions marked our investment to deliver on the promises of technology, to help us use technology to create value in care delivery." Strengthening the team At Carolinas HealthCare, Mr. Richardville has created a team approach in which all of the ex- ecutives work together toward one goal — qual- ity care for patients. The CMIO and CNIO work closely with the clinical team and have defined roles, just like the IT executives do, but also have a big-picture idea of how their efforts are support- ing the overarching goal of improving the quality of care delivered throughout the system, he says. "We're a team, first and foremost," he says. "We're working toward the same goal." This team-based approach allowed the ex- ecutive leadership to quickly incorporate the CMIO and make the best use of his talents and perspectives, and is poised to do the same with Dr. Olson. "We have a well-defined executive leadership structure, and we know the patient always comes first," says Dr. Olson. "If you have that executive clarity about the system's vision and its strategic priorities, then you have the foun- dation needed to both work with [the CMIO] and the clinical team but also with the CIO and CTO to make the big decisions…that founda- tion is really what enables the executive team to work together." At MemorialCare, the reporting structures may be more clearly defined, but the trust and knowl- edge both Mr. Joslyn and Mr. Stutman have of each other's skills has allowed the division of la- bor between them to best reflect each individual's strengths. Currently, Mr. Joslyn focuses on over- seeing IT strategy, applications and operations, and Dr. Stutman, who reports to Mr. Joslyn, handles physician change management and infor- matics, including overseeing the system's progress toward meeting meaningful use objectives. Both executives see a clear division of labor and mutual trust as key to a productive relationship among IT and informatics executives, though nei- ther are developed instantly. "It all starts with clar- ity about roles and responsibilities, though this is something that often evolves over time," says Mr. Joslyn. "You have to meld the strengths, weak- nesses and frankly preferences among the profes- sionals on your team as far as what they want and what they can do well, and from all these factors, clarity will naturally follow." Dr. Stutman agrees these carefully selected but clearly defined roles have helped him and his colleagues work to the best of their abilities. "[Mr. Joslyn] has six direct reports, and the lines of responsibility are clearly drawn," he says. Because those responsibilities are based on expertise, Dr. Stutman and his colleagues know they can depend on each other for expert input while being able to focus on their stron- gest areas. To Mr. Joslyn, creating such an environment is part of his responsibility as CIO. "It's my job to create the kind of collaborative environment where we all work together collaboratively as a team with clear roles and responsibilities, which in turn creates a strong sense of trust, mutual re- spect and mutual accountability," he says. n SAvE THE DATE! Becker's Hospital Review CEO Strategy Roundtable November 5, 2014 Ritz Carlton Hotel, Chicago 40 Hospital & Health System CEOs Speaking Co-chaired by Scott Becker, Publisher, Becker's Hospital Review, and Chuck Lauer, Former Publisher, Modern Healthcare To learn more visit www.BeckersHospitalReview.com To register, visit www.regonline.com/ceoroundtable2014

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