Q&A with CIO Christopher Timbers, Part 2: “Technology Isn’t the Challenge.”

“People will find a way to use technology, whether we sanction it or not.” It’s a harsh reality health IT leaders face on a daily basis. But it’s also an opportunity, particularly if you’re CIO at an independent health system residing in a sea of large IDNs. At least, that’s how Christopher Timbers chooses to view it. If NorthBay wants to remain competitive, it’s not enough to merely offer the latest tools and technologies — it must be done in a way that “truly enhances” both the clinician and patient’s experiences. Recently, healthsystemCIO had a chance to speak with Timbers about how his team is working toward its goal of making NorthBay “an easy place to practice medicine,” which means communicating effectively with users and responding quickly to issues that arise. He also talks about the pros and cons of being a longtime Cerner shop, what he learned from his mentors Dr. Michael McCoy and Stephanie Reel, and why he relocated across the country (again) to come to NorthBay. Chapter 1 Chapter 2 * Creating a “mature & well-established governance process for IT.” * GetWellNetwork’s Interactive Patient Care System * Improving mobility for nurses – “We’re looking to completely redesign our workflows and processes around these tools.” * Video visits * Beta partnership with Cerner * Mobile devices in the clinical setting: “Screen real estate becomes an issue.” * Balancing usability with data security * “People will find a way to use the technology whether we sanction it or not.” LISTEN NOW USING THE PLAYER BELOW OR CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR iTUNES PODCAST FEED Bold Statements We have nursing leadership that’s looking to completely redesign the process around these technologies. And so, rather than just say ‘this is the way we’ve done it in the past in the surgical unit,’ they’re thinking ahead and looking to implement new technologies. We discovered that the technology component of it is pretty easy. Of course, we had a few hiccups in the beginning, but for the most part it works really well. Embedding it into day-to-day operations, however, has been a challenge. We see what other places are doing well, and so we feel a big push for us to figure out how to do that, as well as a lot of other things that are more patient-facing than what we’ve traditionally done in healthcare IT. People will find a way to use the technology whether we sanction it or not. It’s on us to make sure that we’re getting out technology that’s really designed for the clinical setting and meets all the compliance requirements of HIPAA as well as other security needs of the organization. Gamble:  I’m sure there are different committees in place that work as the go-between to make sure users are getting what they need, but not to the point where it’s breaking IT’s back. Timbers:  We’re very fortunate in that we have a pretty mature and well-established governance process for IT. We look to that group to help guide where we make our future Investments and how we prioritize some of the short-term changes and modifications we need to make. I think it helps stay us aligned with the overall strategy of the organization, as well as the day-to-day business and clinical operations. That has been one of the things I would point to as having been very successful.   Gamble:  What are some of the other priorities on your plate right now? Timbers:  The really big thing for us is happening next summer. We’re going to be opening a new wing with 22 new inpatient beds and 8 operating rooms. We’re moving all of our diagnostic imaging services into ...