HealthLeaders’ newest Exchange takes a deep dive into technology and innovation strategy, and how the C-Suite maps out effective transformation.
Healthcare leaders used to think of technology as a kind of a necessary evil. Just tell the CIO to set it all up, plug it all in and sit back and let the clinicians do their thing.
But somewhere along the way, the industry realized it had to rely on new technology to effectively transform. The CIO – Chief Information or Innovation Officer – the Chief Digital Officer and the Chief Technology Officer evolved in their roles as digital health, AI and virtual care became a necessity rather than a luxury. These executives are now advocates, educators, ambassadors and strategists.
HealthLeaders’ newest Exchange, the Chief Digital Executive Exchange (CDEX), will address the changing role of the CIO this week. The two-day, invitation-only event, taking place Thursday and Friday in Washington D.C., will convene roughly 30 healthcare executives to discuss how innovation and technology are handled in today’s fast-paced healthcare environment.
The event will feature four panel discussions, each addressing a different aspect of the digital executive’s changing role:
Session 1: Health IT to Drive Financial Performance. This session takes a look at technology from a financial viewpoint. The panelists are Eric Kirkendall, MD, CIO and CMIO at Advocate Health, Abby Kral, Chair of the Mayo Clinic, and Vinh Nguyen, MD, CMIO and Medical Director of Information Systems at MemorialCare in California.
Session 2: Health IT to Drive Clinical Quality and Success. This session will explore how technology is transforming clinical care. The panelists are Pothik Chatterjee, Executive Director of the Digital Health Institute at Rice University and Houston Methodist, Robbie Freeman, Chief Digital Transformation Officer at the Mount Sinai Health System, and Claire Zangerle, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAONL, FAAN, CEO and CNE at the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL).
Session 3: Tech and AI as a Transformative Market Strategy. This session dives into how health systems are using technology to fine-tune their marketing campaigns. The panelists are Dave Lehr, System Chief Strategy Officer and COO at Maryland’s Meritus Health, and Bill Phillips, EVP and COO at University Health in Texas.
Session 4: Editorial Panel. This session explores how the roles and responsibilities of the chief digital executive have evolved, and how they’ve become key participants in planning and executing long-term technology and innovation strategies. The panelists are Brad Reimer, CIO (Information) at Sanford Health, William Sheahan, SVP and CIO (Innovation) at MedStar Health and Executive Director of the MedStar Institute for Innovation, and Praveen Chopra, Chief Digital and Innovation Officer at Wisconsin’s Emplify Health.
Are you an executive leader interested in attending an upcoming event? To inquire about attending the HealthLeaders Exchange event, email us at exchange@healthleadersmedia.com.
The HealthLeaders Exchange is an executive community for sharing ideas, solutions, and insights. Please join the community at the LinkedIn page.
Eric Wicklund is the senior editor for technology at HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Chief digital executives, including CIOs, are being asked to do more than just shepherd technology installation and maintenance. They’re now an integral part of a health system's strategic team.
Today’s executives are called on to advocate for new technology and innovation, educate their peers on the value of technology and help map out long-term strategies.