Q&A with CIO Tom Barnett, Part 3: “Always Focus on the Problem You’re Trying to Solve.’

There’s nothing “easy” about being a healthcare IT leader. But what many have begun to realize is that implementing the actual software that’s meant to change the game was the “easier” part. What has proven more difficult, of course, is the operationalization phase. Now, it’s about taking the next step: “How do you innovate? What slice of your time or your team’s bandwidth can you put toward that?” Like many CIOs, Tom Barnett is dealing with these precise questions. And although there are no simple answers, there are ways to begin to focus more on transformation itself, and less on the building blocks. Recently, healthsystemCIO spoke with Barnett about how his team at University of Rochester Medical Center is approaching their core objectives, how they’re organizing teams while maintaining collaboration, and the challenge of prioritization. He also talks about what he learned from previous roles, and what it takes to get IT to the table – really. Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 * Migrating affiliated hospitals to Epic * Using a “small, dedicated team to help map workflows” * His “extremely valuable experience” at NorthShore * Digital’s evolution – “It’s an exciting field. There’s just no shortage of things to do.” * Blockchain’s rising potential * The “balancing act” with innovation and security * From service provider to transformational partner LISTEN NOW USING THE PLAYER BELOW OR CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR iTUNES PODCAST FEED Bold Statements Rolling out the software out is the easier part. The harder part is figuring out the workflow, and getting operational understanding and awareness in the revenue cycle to understand how the system is going to be different. There are a lot of tremendous innovations going on, and a lot of new players coming into the space. We’re definitely keeping tabs on that and trying to figure out which ones make the right sense for us to implement. The smartphone is integrated. Everything works; the drivers are invisible to you; it’s a perfect form factor; and it’s becoming an incredible launching point for the medical world. Your job, first and foremost, isn’t to understand how the EMR is configured. Sure, that’s important. Understanding server backend structures is absolutely important. But your primary job is to be a healthcare employee. We’ve all been under so much pressure the last several years, particularly to get EMRs stood up and then to begin operationalizing. Now the question becomes, how do you innovate? How do you transform the organization? What capacity, and what slice of your time or your division’s bandwidth can you put toward that? Gamble:  You mentioned that the affiliated hospitals are on a multi-year plan to go to Epic. Can you talk about where that is right now? Barnett:  Sure. One of hospitals, Thompson Hospital, just went live on all things Epic, including revenue cycle and clinicals, in February of this year. That’s the first of our four affiliate hospitals. As we work through the rest, we have a smaller, dedicated team that’s like an advanced team to help us map the clinical workflows — here’s the typical type of build you’re going to receive, etc. We like to help prepare the organization from a change management perspective. As complicated as an EMR is — and I do not want to diminish that at all — rolling out the software out is the easier part. I won’t say it’s easy, but it’s the easier part.