CNOs should partner with their technology leaders and IT departments, according to this ANO.
On this episode of HL Shorts, we hear from Sandy Alexander, associate nursing officer at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, about how CNOs can choose the right technology for their virtual nursing programs. Tune in to hear her insights.
The 2025 Virtual Nursing Mastermind program is well underway as participants brainstorm the future and potential of virtual nursing.
As healthcare technologies progress, virtual nursing is becoming the standard of care throughout health systems across the country.
In systems big and small, nurse and innovation leaders are making strides to integrate technology into nursing in ways that will benefit nurses, patients, and their families, while remaining cost effective.
The HealthLeaders Virtual Nursing Mastermind is now in its second year of the program. The participating health systems are meeting this week, from March 17-18, in Atlanta to discuss how far they've come in their virtual nursing programs and where they are going next.
Where it started
In 2024, according to the program final report, the goals of each health system were to improve the nursing workflows on a broader scale, and to address workforce shortages and burnout. Nurses are heavily burdened with administrative tasks that take away time spent with their patients, and virtual nursing can help remove many of those tasks.
According to the program survey last year, 72 % of the health systems reporting being in the early (36%) to mid-stages (36%) of their virtual nursing journeys, with only 27 % reporting being in the mature stage. The early stage is when a program is still in ideation and testing, the mid-stage is when there is some adoption and promising outcomes, and program maturity is reached when a program is becoming systemwide.
For most of the participants (91%) in 2024, virtual nursing had an impact on their medical surgical departments, followed by the ICU (64%), behavioral (18%) and chronic care (18%) departments, outpatient (9%), rehab (9%), and ED/follow up (9%).
The response was overwhelmingly positive from staff, patients, and leadership. While 89% of the participants reported less than 5% of the nursing budget being attributed to virtual nursing, 80 % of participants also reported they expect their health systems’ virtual nursing labor budget to increase between 10% and 25% over the next three years.
Where it's going
This year, many of the returning participants as well as the new health systems in the program are much further along in their virtual nursing journeys. While many began with carts, several have moved toward in-room technology with built-in cameras and televisions. The goal now is to consolidate technology to optimize the experience for both nurses and patients.
AI has a bright future in virtual care. The participants what to incorporate ambient listening technology into patient rooms for verbal documentation and, where possible, into the electronic medical record (EMR). AI has the potential to optimize tasks, such as searching for information in the EMR.
The participants also have plans to expand virtual care technology beyond just med surge units and nursing. Many want to expand into the emergency department, which has several roadblocks, as well as acute care at home programs. For the virtual nurses themselves, several organizations want to make working from home a viable option, rather than having all the virtual nurses in a centralized location.
There is much more to come from the 2025 Virtual Nursing Mastermind program, so stay tuned for more coverage.
The HealthLeaders Mastermind series is an exclusive series of calls and events with healthcare executives focusing on pain points that matter most to you. This Virtual Nursing Mastermind series features ideas, solutions, and insights into excelling your virtual nursing program.
To inquire about participating in an upcoming Mastermind series or attending a HealthLeaders Exchange event, email us at anorris@healthleadersmedia.com.
Today’s healthcare innovation landscape is chaotic, and the C-Suite needs to adjust to keep up. Are we ready for a Chief Storyteller or Chief Collaborator?
The chaotic pace of innovation is forcing CIOs to become a jack-of-all trades.
During a recent CHIME panel at ViVE 25 in Nashville, Andy Crowder, CHCIO, CDH-E, SVP, Southeast Region CIO and Enterprise Chief Digital Officer for Advocate Health Care, traced the evolution of the CIO back to the pandemic, when virtual care was all the rage and health systems were scrambling to be innovative.
“I think the role of the CIO or Chief Digital Officer … has been [as] a strategic advisor, part of the C-Suite, tied to strategy,” he said. “We put our feet on the accelerator, and nobody’s taken that off.”
“Because of those disruptions and because of that focus, now you’re a force-multiplier,” added Aaron Miri, MBA, FCHIME, CHCIO, Baptist Health Jacksonville’s EVP and Chief Digital & Information Officer. “It changed the lexicon of CIOs to be talking more like a CFO, or a COO, or a Chief Human Resources Officer. I spend part of my day looking at recruitment, part of my day looking at P&L [profit and loss], part of my day looking at futuristic digital transformations and what we can do [to be] disruptive, as well as strategically, where are we going as a health system?”
With the promise of AI on the doorstep and against a backdrop of declining workforces, quality and cost problems, razor-thin margins and an uncertain federal response, CIOs and their colleagues are in a tough spot. And many are eager to accept the challenge.
“We want to be that first-stop shop” for innovative ideas, Miri said. “We want to help you co-develop, and more importantly, imagine the art of the possible.”
At a time when healthcare organizations are looking to cut costs, and in some cases culling their C-Suite, the idea of a fluid job description for the CIO might seem like job security. But at a time when innovation needs a hard and fast ROI, it’s incumbent upon CIOs, Chief Transformation Officers, Chief Digital Health Officers and Chief Strategy Officers to gain a better understanding of what it takes to push through a good idea.
And it’s not limited to CIOs. CFOs and those in Revenue Cycle Management need to better understand the clinical side of the organization to develop tools and strategies that benefit both the patient and the purse strings. CMOs want to work with CNOs—and vice versa—to create better relationships between doctors and nurses.
Collaboration has become a necessity, as health system and hospital leadership looks for new ideas that address more than just one pain point or niche problem.
During the CHIME panel, Tressa Springman, SVP and Chief Information & Digital Health officer for LifeBridge Health, said CIOs can’t just sit at their own desks and wait for things to come to them. They have to be storytellers, understanding the environment and the competitive landscape of vendor relations, looking beyond the shiny new toys and hype to assess whether something really will transform healthcare.
“I see myself as the educator,” she said. “I am the person who is the glue in the organization. I am constantly educating my peers on what their peers are doing.”
“I spend most of my day thinking about, OK, how am I going to improve this business function, how are we going to partner to make this improvement, and will technology help that particular function or not?” she added.
This is where HealthLeaders is headed with its new Chief Digital Executive Exchange, scheduled to take place December 4-5 in Washington DC. Designed to bridge the gap between CIOs and their counterparts, this event aims to give digital and information executives the knowledge they need to collaborate and give new ideas the best chance for sustainability and scalability.
Recruitment is underway for this event. Please contact me for details.
Exclusive sponsorship opportunities are also available. For more information, contact Sales@healthleadersmedia.com.
Nurse leaders need to focus on getting nurses engaged early in their careers, according to this CNO.
Dr. Amanda B. Shrout is a seasoned nursing executive with extensive expertise in clinical care, evidence-based practice, and leadership.
With a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Ohio State University, Dr. Shrout has led efforts to improve nursing outcomes through evidence-based initiatives, policy development, and a collaborative leadership style.
In the nearly 10 years she has been a part of the team at LifeBridge Health, Shrout has taken on roles of increasing responsibility, including clinical nurse specialist, director of clinical excellence, director of emergency departments and observation, and most recently, interim chief nursing officer.
Now, Shrout serves as vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at Sinai Hospital & Grace Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. There, she has driven significant advancements in patient care and nursing leadership.
On our latest installment of The Exec, HealthLeaders sat down with Shrout to discuss her journey into nursing, and her thoughts on trends in the nursing industry. Tune in to hear her insights.
In Alaska, where access to specialist care is challenging and emergency transfers can be harrowing, providers are using AI to speed up diagnosis and improve treatment
Healthcare access and treatment issues in rural and remote areas can mean the difference between life and death for people suffering a stroke. Every delayed minute of care costs roughly 2 million brain cells.
That’s why a consortium of healthcare providers in Alaska is investing in AI to improve the diagnosis and treatment of strokes, which kill about 140,000 people a year.
“There's a lot of time that gets lost and a lot of time that is essentially burned unnecessarily because the standard way that we're used to doing things in medicine is very linear,” says Lucy He, MD, FAANS, a neurosurgeon with Anchorage Neurosurgical Associates and physician sponsor of the Alaska Stroke Coalition, a non-profit established in 2023 to boost care coordination and outcomes in the nation’s most rural state.
In late 2024, the coalition partnered with digital health company RapidAI to launch the Rapid AK Project, a three-year initiative aimed at integrating AI technology at six of the state’s largest hospitals (four other hospitals already have the technology installed). On this platform, specialists at these hospitals can more quickly analyze data sent in by rural providers on stroke victims, improving a care process that saves lives.
Lucy He, MD, FAANS, a neurosurgeon with Anchorage Neurological Associates and physician sponsor of the Alaska Stroke Coalition. Photo courtesy Anchorage Neurological Associates.
According to He, when someone in a remote part of Alaska—about 97% of the state qualifies as remote—suffers a stroke, care providers send CT images to the nearest hospital with stroke diagnosis and treatment capabilities. That process of sending roughly 1,500 images takes about 45 minutes. Specialists then review the images to determine whether the patient needs to be transferred to the hospital for treatment, which usually involves the administering of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA).
In Alaska, that transfer may involve an ambulance, helicopter, and/or fixed-wing aircraft and take hours. Flight crews have 30 minutes to accept the transfer and another 30 to file a flight plan and receive clearance to fly. And after the patient is transported to the hospital, another round of CT images is taken to make sure the patient is still a good candidate for treatment.
Throughout this lengthy process, the patient’s health is declining, reducing the chances that tPA can halt the effects of the stroke and preserve brain function. In some cases, a patient who initially could be saved with tPA might not be saved by the time he or she reaches the hospital.
AI can improve that process, He says, by enabling CT scans to be sent in real time and helping specialists review the images.
“All of a sudden you’ve got an hour that’s been saved,” she points out.
Through the RapidAI platform, she says, care providers and specialists can collaborate and share data more quickly and effectively, analyzing a patient’s chances of recovery and giving everyone – care teams, specialists, transport teams and the patient’s family – a more accurate time frame.
“There's nothing worse than transferring a patient … and then they get here and it's like, no, they're not going to be a candidate,” He says. “Now this patient is far from their family [and] their family still has to fly on their own money down to Anchorage. So it's really about identifying the right patients in a timely manner to make a decision whether it's transfer or stay.”
From Hours Down to Minutes
According to Jeremy Hunter, CMO and CMIO of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC), one of the participating healthcare networks in the Alaska Stroke Coalition, the coalition sees roughly 150 stroke activations a year. Since joining the project, the amount of time needed to assess and begin treatment has dropped from about four hours to roughly 45 minutes.
Those are telling numbers for a population that can be hundreds of miles from the nearest hospital.
“Without a road system, without reliable connectivity in some places, some without running water in villages, it's fascinating delivering care up here,” he says.
Hunter says the AI platform gives local providers more confidence in assessing patients. He can use an app to more quickly share data with specialists. An AI interpretation of a scan, he says, can give emergency care providers some vital information on the severity of a stroke within minutes.
“With stroke medicine, I think it's definitely improving morbidity,” he says. “Even if there isn't an absolute mortality reduction, it's going to be hard to argue that we are not lowering morbidity significantly.”
Using innovative technology to improve stroke assessment and care isn’t exactly new. Health systems and hospitals across the country, from Chicago to Mississippi, have been using telemedicine and digital health tools for years to improve the process, establishing telestroke networks that connect rural care teams with specialists, even using specially equipped EMS vehicles in large cities to improve emergency diagnosis and care.
But while those advances get patients in front of specialists more quickly, AI tools are helping providers see the data they need to see to make critical decisions.
He says AI can drastically reduce the maddening gaps that affect stroke care, improving the chances that a patient will survive and reducing brain damage caused by those delays. He says AI can help providers understand how much of a patient’s brain has been affected by stroke and what can be saved through intervention. This includes a better understanding of whether a patient can be saved by intervention—a literal pain point when a provider has to decide whether to set up an expensive and stressful emergency transfer for a patient in the throes of a stroke.
An Ongoing Path to Better Care
But the technology also gives providers more data, enabling them to understand what causes a stroke and how different treatments work. This can fuel stroke prevention education and resources as well as fine-tuning stroke treatment protocols.
“Really, prevention ultimately is what needs to happen,” she says.
And then there’s cost. Healthcare organizations have little resources to spare on new tech, hence the formation of the coalition and the three-year grant to keep it going. Both Hunter and He say there’s an ongoing effort to sustain this partnership.
“We'll have financial conversations, but I think it is such a vital tool for improving stroke care that unless it's an astronomical number that we just simply can't afford, I don't see how we can go back to not having it,” Hunter says.
He agrees, saying the ROI for this technology should be measured not only in lives saved and emergency transport and ER costs justified, but in education and other resources that help people reduce their stroke risk and providers understand preventive care, diagnosis and treatment.
CNOs and other nurse leaders should be aware of these two pieces of legislation.
So far, 2025 has been a year of chaos for healthcare.
The future of the industry seems uncertain, with large clinical staff strikes and a federal administration that pushes new executive orders on a daily basis.
Now more than ever, it's critical that CNOs and other nurse leaders get involved and advocate for nursing policy. Recently, two bills have come to the forefront: the PRECEPT Nurses Act, and the I CAN Act.
The PRECEPT Nurses Act
The Providing Real-World Education and Clinical Experience by Precepting Tomorrow’s (PRECEPT) Nurses Act is a bipartisan bill introduced by Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02), and it seeks to provide a $2,000 tax credit for nurses who serve as clinical preceptors to nursing students, according to a press release. The goal is to address the nursing shortage by increasing the amount of nursing students who can complete their clinical training under nurse preceptors.
“Mentors are the backbone of nurturing talent and shaping the workforce of tomorrow, and in nursing, preceptors fulfill this essential role,” said Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, president of the American Nurses Association, in the press release. “The PRECEPT Nurses Act is an important step in recognizing the invaluable contributions of nurse preceptors and ensuring they have the support needed to address critical workforce shortages, particularly in underserved areas.
The I CAN Act
The Improving Care and Access to Nurses (I CAN) Act is another bipartisan bill that would remove the federal barriers in Medicare and Medicaid programs that stop APRNs from practicing to the full extent of their clinical education and training, according to another press release. Representatives Dave Joyce (OH-14), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Jen Kiggans (VA-02), and Lauren Underwood (IL-14) and Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) introduced the bill with the goal of increasing patient access to healthcare while lowering costs and improving quality.
“The reintroduction of this bill is a critical step toward expanding health care access across the country," Mensik Kennedy said in the press release. "By removing outdated barriers, it empowers APRNs to provide the care they are trained for—especially in rural and underserved communities where they are often the primary providers."
Here is what CNOs need to know about these two bills.
A continuing resolution now before Congress would extend pandemic-era telehealth and Hospital at Home waivers for six months.
The up-and-down battle over Medicare telehealth and Hospital at Home waivers is on the upswing again, as a proposed bill to fund the government through September includes extensions for both.
But in typical good news-bad news fashion, those proposed extensions would only run to September, leaving health systems and hospitals wondering whether to keep those programs going or shut them down.
According to the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) and several others, the proposed Continuing Resolution unveiled on March 8 keeps in place pandemic-era waivers on key telehealth coverage and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCAH) program through September 30. Advocates say this would give Congress more time to negotiate a long-term deal, such as a five-year extension supported by the ATA and others.
“We appreciate Congress taking action to prevent a lapse in these vital telehealth flexibilities,” Kyle Zebley, Executive Director of ATA Action, the ATA’s lobbying arm, said in a press release. “While we would have preferred a longer extension, this step ensures uninterrupted access to telehealth services for patients and clinicians, as we continue working toward permanent solutions that reflect the needs of modern healthcare.”
But “uninterrupted access” is a bit of a misnomer. Many health systems and hospitals are relying on the waivers and using Medicare reimbursements to keep these programs going, and the constant battle over extensions is forcing executives to rethink their long-term strategies. Some have already rolled up certain telehealth programs, while others are delaying or cancelling plans to expand their virtual care platforms, figuring the money being put into those services could be best used elsewhere.
As with the stopgap funding bill passed by Congress last December, the new proposed bill would extend to September 30 the following telehealth flexibilities:
Waiving geographic restrictions on telehealth coverage and use;
Expanding the list of providers able to bill Medicare for telehealth services;
Allowing audio-only telehealth services;
Easing originating site restrictions on telehealth so that the patient can receive treatment at home;
Waiving the in-person requirement for telemental health treatment;
Enabling telehealth service for hospice care; and
Enabling Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) to use telehealth.
In addition, the bill would extend the CMS waiver for its AHCAH program, enabling the more than 350 health systems following the CMS model to receive Medicare reimbursement.
And like the December bill, several telehealth flexibilities supported by the advocates didn’t make the cut. They include:
First dollar coverage of High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs);
Support for virtual care providers in the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program;
Improved coverage for digital health in home-based cardiology and pulmonary rehab programs; and
The SPEAK Act (HR 6033), which paves the way for accessible telehealth services.
The ATA’s Zebley said the inclusion of the telehealth and Hospital at Home extensions indicate that Congress “has listened” to the intense lobbying effort by the organization and others. But he also acknowledged that “the path forward remains uncertain.” There’s no guarantee that Congress will approve a final bill that includes those provisions.
Preventing workplace violence takes a collaborative effort, says this CNO.
On this episode of HL Shorts, we hear from Linsey Paul, CNO for the Mercy Health Lima Market, about how CNOs can strategize to prevent workplace violence. Tune in to hear her insights.
Being a preceptor is more than teaching someone the tasks of the job, says this nurse educator.
Editor's note:Emily Berta, DNP, MSN, RN, is a nursing educator and professional development leader, serving as Director of Professional Development and Education at a community hospital and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Georgetown University School of Nursing. With a background in critical care, progressive care, and emergency nursing, she is dedicated to advancing nursing education and practice.
In my 23 years as a nurse, I’ve seen how the world of nursing has evolved — sometimes rapidly and, at other times, not quickly enough. One of the most pressing challenges we face is the transition of newly licensed nurses (NLN) into the workforce. These nurses, having entered the profession during or after the chaos of COVID-19, are often arriving with less clinical experience than their predecessors. It’s not their fault, of course. Their education has been shaped by a pandemic that upended traditional models. But now, the responsibility falls to us — nurse leaders and healthcare organizations — to bridge that gap and ensure these NLN’s are supported, prepared and confident as they begin their careers.
This is where preceptor training comes in. Being a preceptor is more than teaching someone the tasks of the job; it’s about mentorship and creating an environment where new nurses can thrive. And yet, all too often, we see NLNs being assigned to precept others. While it might seem practical, this practice can set up both the preceptor and the new nurse for failure. Nurses just six months into their careers are often still finding their footing. Expecting them to guide others not only undermines their own growth but also creates a potentially precarious situation for patients and the entire care team.
Structured programs -- such as Fundamental Skills for Preceptors from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) -- offer a solution to this challenge. These programs provide preceptors with the tools, knowledge and confidence to mentor effectively. They teach the art of preceptorship — focusing not only on clinical skills but also on emotional intelligence, communication and fostering a culture where learning is encouraged. Unlike many hospital-developed training programs that focus on policies and procedures, these programs prioritize best practices and human connection.
I’ve seen the impact of such programs firsthand. I recall one experienced nurse who had always been a go-to for clinical expertise but struggled in her role as a preceptor. Her approach, although well-intentioned, left NLNs feeling devalued and afraid to ask questions — a dangerous dynamic in any clinical setting. After participating in a structured preceptor training program, she gained a new perspective. She started to reflect on how her words and actions affected those she was mentoring. When her preceptees shared their feedback, she listened with humility, acknowledging the need to adjust her approach. The transformation was remarkable. She became a more empathetic mentor, and the unit’s teamwork and morale improved as a result.
These changes benefit more than the nurses involved. They ripple outward, improving retention rates, enhancing patient care and creating a stronger, more resilient workforce. When preceptors are well educated, they empower NLNs to navigate the challenges of the profession with confidence. Those nurses, in turn, are more likely to stay in their roles, provide high-quality care and eventually become preceptors themselves.
In today’s healthcare environment, where nursing turnover is alarmingly high, investing in preceptor education is a smart and necessary strategy. Replacing a nurse can cost tens of thousands of dollars, far outweighing the relatively modest expense of educating preceptors. But beyond the financial argument, this investment speaks to the heart of what nursing is all about: creating a culture of care, support and excellence.
Nurse leaders and healthcare organizations must recognize that structured preceptor training is not a luxury — it’s a cornerstone of sustainable nursing practice. By equipping preceptors with the skills they need to succeed, we ensure that new nurses enter the workforce supported and confident, ready to contribute to their teams and provide the best possible care for their patients. Together, we can build a future where every nurse has the opportunity to thrive.
Editor's note: Care to share your view? HealthLeaders accepts original thought leadership articles from healthcare industry leaders in active executive roles at payer and provider organizations. These may include case studies, research, and guest editorials. We neither accept payment nor offer compensation for contributed content.
Virtual nursing is becoming the standard of care, and nurse leaders must prepare for the next evolution.
In the latest edition of HealthLeaders' The Winning Edge webinar series, a panel of nurse leaders discussed what additional technologies can be integrated into your virtual nursing program, and how to optimize it to best support the bedside nurse and be cost effective.
The discussion included four key takeaways: how to individualize the program for the needs of your health system, get nurses involved, choose the right technology, and make the financial case with ROI metrics.
