Healthcare organizations spend millions on IT expenses each year, but technology cannot solve workflow problems or create efficiencies without thoughtful implementation. With health systems facing economic headwinds, it’s important that health IT leaders optimize their existing technology investments in addition to making smart investments in new solutions. Doing so requires collaboration among internal teams as well as strong partnerships.
Health IT leaders addressed cost optimization considerations at the CHIME23 Fall Forum, hosted by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives in Phoenix. They discussed how to streamline processes around existing technologies and new solutions that could help improve system efficiencies.
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Health IT Leaders Lean Into Technology and Cost Optimization
CalvertHealth is a rural health system in Southern Maryland. Melissa Hall, chief nursing officer, vice president of clinical affairs and a former CIO at the organization, said that her predecessor focused on technology. When she took on the CIO role, she focused on how to make the investments they had work better.
“We made sure to upgrade the [electronic medical record] to the highest level,” she said. “We focused on how we could make it so that nurses work better and smarter.”
Once she transitioned into her position as CNO, Hall encouraged nurses to try new tools before complaining about them. And with her previous experience as CIO, she’s able to collaborate with the current CIO to ensure that new technology investments make sense clinically.
EZ Niles, executive director of IT at Ozarks Healthcare, said that his organization had several EMRs before undergoing a project to consolidate to one. After partnering with several third-party vendors and working toward an improved patient experience, Niles said the organization spent a lot of money on technology.
“We have a lot of tools and toys, but I’m starting to look at the organization and say, ‘Okay, we have to start fixing the processes.’ Technology doesn’t fix everything,” he said.
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