This Week In Health It

May 8, 2025: Dr. Susan Ibanez, CIO of Southeast Georgia Health System, discusses the challenges and opportunities of being the organization's first-ever CIO at her health system. What does it look like to build the CIO role from the ground up? How do you balance addressing technical debt while simultaneously driving digital transformation at a smaller health system? Ibanez also offers valuable insights on the importance of professional certifications, networking, and the evolving role of the modern CIO—no longer just a tech job, but requires business acumen, strategic vision, and financial expertise.   Key Points: 06:18 Community and Regional Challenges 10:25 Addressing Technical Debt and Cloud Strategies 15:29 Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity 18:34 AI and Future Technologies 21:24 Professional Development and Certifications 24:14 Advice for Aspiring CIOs   X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

May 6, 2025: Matt Sullivan, CMIO of Advocate Health, and Alan Forster, VP of Innovation at McGill University Health Center, explore the transformative potential of increasing provider data access. What role does synthetic data play in balancing privacy concerns with analytical needs? Alan explains how this new data approach creates a virtuous cycle where clinicians better understand their data, documentation practices, and operational challenges. This conversation uncovers practical insights for organizations seeking to build a data-driven culture where decisions are based on self-generated evidence.Key Points:01:49 Self-Service Data Strategy03:10 Analyzing Synthetic Data 05:02 Real-World Applications 07:19 The Importance of Data X: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

May 1, 2025: Zafar Chaudry, MD, SVP/Chief Digital, AI, and Information Officer at Seattle Children's Hospital. Discover how Seattle Children's is changing traditional approaches to clinical decision-making through a new Google partnership, harnessing the power of a century of clinical writings. Is artificial intelligence a threat to healthcare professionals or their most powerful ally? Dr. Zafar offers his perspective, urging that the synergistic potential of human-AI collaboration is the future of healthcare. From transformative Gartner experiences to pioneering Epic implementations in the UK, this episode explores Zafar’s vision: the intersection of compassion and technology.   Key Points: 01:14 Career Journey and Mission 08:43 AI Pathways Innovation 17:43 AI: Collaboration Over Competition 21:07 Lightning Round   X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

April 30, 2025: Davin Juckett, Head of Experis Health Solutions, discusses Experis’ three decades of solving problems and supporting hospitals. What makes their team's remarkable retention rate—fewer than five voluntary departures in five years—such a critical differentiator in today's talent-starved healthcare landscape? Davin reveals how Experis is tackling healthcare's most pressing challenges through AI-powered clinical service desks, cloud security solutions, and supply chain optimization, while also managing massive EHR go-lives with thousands of at-the-elbow resources. As healthcare organizations struggle with clinician shortages, margin compression, and complex M&A integrations, what entrepreneurial approaches is Experis developing to help CIOs navigate these turbulent waters?   Key Points: 01:24 History of Experis Health Solutions 02:49 Current Service Offerings 06:26 Unique Challenges and Solutions 11:03 Future Directions 12:21 Lightning Round   X: This Week Health Link

April 29, 2025: Tracy Elmer, Chief Innovation Officer of TrueCare, discusses her approach to empowering the patient to reach a higher level of care. How is TrueCare’s digital literacy program empowering underserved communities to navigate technology? Tracy reveals the impact of mobile wellness units bringing medical services directly to underserved communities, witnessing how TrueCare's philosophy that "distance should not be a barrier to care" manifests in their expanding network of specialized health centers. Lastly, she dives into how community partnerships with organizations like Feeding San Diego address broader social determinants of health in their community.   Key Points: 01:22 Digital Literacy Initiatives  10:32 Mobile Wellness Units  16:48 Community Partnerships  21:16 TrueCare Future Initiatives 23:47 Lightning Round    X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

April 28, 2025: James Bowie, VP and CISO of Tampa General, explores the human side of cybersecurity leadership. Facing a fragmented IT team James reveals how a $20,000 investment in ethical hacking training eliminated millions in security risks in a single weekend. Then, how do healthcare security leaders balance life-and-death decisions when ransomware hits critical services? The conversation delves into managing AI implementation safely in healthcare settings, with James detailing their two-week governance turnaround that laid the foundation for all AI projects to come.    Key Points: 02:56 Building a Cybersecurity Culture  07:00 AI and Cyber Foundations 11:29 High-Pressure Situations 15:39 Bonus Round: Personal Insights and Advice   X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

April 24, 2025: Ryan Smith, SVP, Chief Digital and Information Officer at Intermountain Health, explores how healthcare organizations can balance innovation with mounting cost pressures. What does it take to maintain patient-centricity amid such massive digital transformation? Ryan reveals Intermountain's framework of organizing patient touchpoints as "moments that matter" across seven stages of the patient journey, while also discussing their deployment of over 4,000 automation bots and vision for "agentic AI." As clinician burnout and staffing shortages loom large across healthcare, how might Smith's approach to balancing governance with innovation culture help address these industry-wide challenges?   Key Points: 06:44 Patient-Centric Care 10:05 AI: More Than a BuzzWord 14:18 Cybersecurity in Healthcare 18:07 Operational Change Management 25:08 Future Challenges and Opportunities 29:17 Speed Round   X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: F

April 23, 2025: Justin Marron, CEO of Strategic Venue Partners, discusses how his team brings hospital system infrastructure into the present and opens the door to innovation's future. What happens when hospital connectivity systems fail to meet the demands of modern healthcare technology? Justin illustrates how Strategic Venue Partners transforms healthcare for the ever-increasing data demands of AI and real-time patient care. This episode addresses everything from 5G implementation to CBRS private networks, positioning healthcare facilities for seamless clinical and operational workflows.   Key Points: 05:05 Enabling Future Innovation 08:36 Healthcare Wireless Upgrades 14:25 Client Success Stories 20:43 Future Aspirations and Industry Impact   X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

April 21, 2025: Michelle Moffitt, leadership coach, counselor, and author of "Cracked Open," shares her path from being trapped in a high-control religious system and a controlling marriage to finding her authentic voice and purpose. Michelle delves into the essence of resilience as more than just perseverance—it's about creating meaningful support systems and making incremental progress while honoring our whole selves. The conversation examines how leaders can foster psychological safety in workplaces, the power of emotional awareness, and the liberating realization that we're never truly stuck in our circumstances.   Read the Preview or Order “Cracked Open”   Key Points: 01:23 Michelle's Journey and Challenges 07:50 Challenges and Support Systems 15:02 Mindset and Resilience 19:59 Michelle's Future and Reflections 22:16 Lightning Round   X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

April 18, 2025: Jason Taylor, CGO from Panda Health, explores the pressing challenges facing healthcare systems in the uncertain economic landscape of today. How are health systems navigating potential Medicaid cuts and declining elective procedures while balancing innovation needs? Jason reveals how organizations are shifting from purchasing "cool new toys" to rationalizing existing budgets and application stacks without compromising patient care. The conversation delves into Panda Health's approach of democratizing knowledge across healthcare systems, connecting those with similar challenges to share lessons learned. Key Points:01:47 The Uncertainties of Healthcare04:16 Technology Implementation06:52 Pandas Social Intelligence12:20 Organizational Change Management X: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

April 17, 2025: Ryan Winn, CISO at AdventHealth, and Tamer Baker, Healthcare CTO at Zscaler, discuss zero-trust solutions and questions in this webinar recording. The conversation explores AdventHealth's remarkable four-month implementation journey and the surprising benefits beyond security they've discovered. They discuss practical approaches to medical device security, strategies for gaining organization-wide buy-in, and why framing security initiatives as business enablers rather than technical mandates leads to success. As healthcare organizations face mounting technical debt and evolving threats, this discussion offers a refreshing roadmap to simplification and a more secure environment.   Key Points: 08:48 Zero Trust Hospital: Concepts and Implementation 13:42 Challenges and Opportunities in Zero Trust 21:19 The Impact of Zero Trust on Patient Care 27:49 Implementing Zero Trust 33:58 Final Thoughts and Q&A   Want to get your copy of the new book "Zero Trust Hospital: The CX

April 16, 2025: Laura O'Toole, CEO of SureTest, and Robin Parkin, CIO of UVA Health, explore how SureTest automation revolutionizes healthcare IT testing. How are leading healthcare organizations reclaiming thousands of staff hours previously lost to manual testing? What unexpected benefits emerge when IT teams are freed from the burden of repetitive system validation? As UVA Health implements continuous automated testing, the conversation reveals how this approach prevents system errors before they reach end users and serves as a powerful recruitment tool in a competitive talent market. As the conversation closes the discussion extends beyond technology to address the critical issue of women in healthcare IT leadership.   Key Points: 01:27 Challenges and Solutions at UVA Health 04:41 Implementation and Impact of SureTest 10:49 Women in Leadership in Healthcare IT   X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

April 15, 2025: Erica Williams, Regional Technology Officer (CIO) Texas of Ascension, sits down with Kena Taylor, VP and CIO of Innovation Care Partners, who shares her remarkable journey from Air Force technologist to healthcare IT executive. How does someone transition from military service to leading technological transformation in healthcare? What qualities make for successful healthcare technology leadership in today's complex environment? Kena discusses the importance of being open to change, putting people first, and fostering team autonomy while maintaining a shared vision.    Key Points: 05:05 Dr. Taylor's Career Journey 07:26 Defining Career Moments 11:45 Qualities for Success 14:38 Humility and Ambition   X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

April 10, 2025: Justin Brueck, System VP of Innovation and Research at Endeavor Health, explores the balance of today's operational challenges with tomorrow's transformational needs. Justin discusses how healthcare systems are caught in a dichotomy—constantly putting out fires while trying to build a "fireproof house" through strategic innovation. How will healthcare address the looming workforce crisis as the "silver tsunami" approaches, with 42% of physicians between 55-65 years old? The conversation weaves through personalized medicine via genomics, the role of AI beyond the hype, and the critical importance of building trust when implementing new technologies. Key Points:03:55 Current Landscape of Healthcare Innovation07:22 The Role of Genomics in Healthcare17:34 AI and Its Impact on Healthcare27:40 Leading Organizational Change and InnovationX: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

April 4, 2025: Dr. Blake Anderson, Founder and CEO/CTO of Switchboard, MD, shares his journey from practicing physician to healthcare tech innovator, revealing how his dual background in medicine and computer science led to creating solutions for overwhelmed clinicians. The conversation delves into critical questions about data quality, bias in AI systems, and the balance between technological efficiency and maintaining personal doctor-patient relationships. As healthcare faces demographic challenges with an aging population, how will technology help clinicians manage increased demands without sacrificing personalized care? Dr. Blake emphasizes the importance of problem-first approaches and thoughtful change management when adopting new healthcare technologies.   Key Points: 05:40 Ensuring AI Usability and Trust 08:23 Future of Clinician-Patient Relationship 13:07 Advice for Healthcare Leaders   X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for

April 3, 2025: Branden Fini, Partner at Allumia Ventures, discusses the world of healthcare from the view of an investor. How should entrepreneurs approach product-market fit, and why does Branden insist that solving clear and simple pain points trumps the latest technology? The conversation delves into critical investment inflection points, the importance of leadership teams, and the challenging balance between clinical validation and commercial traction. As healthcare faces provider shortages and ongoing consolidation, what emerging opportunities are on the horizon, and how might the changing political landscape reshape investment strategies in healthcare technology?   Key Points: 01:02 Investment Philosophy and Strategies 10:04 The Importance of Leadership in Investments 19:10 Navigating Early-Stage Investments 23:46 Clinical vs. Commercial Validation 33:35 Future Trends and Closing Remarks   X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation

April 1, 2025: Jill McCormick, EVP of Design and Product Development at Pixel Health, reveals how experience serves as the great equalizer in healthcare facility planning. What happens when decades-old buildings meet modern patient expectations? Jill guides listeners through the sprint process that transforms stakeholder insights into human-centered designs, challenging traditional approaches by focusing first on desired experiences, not buildings or technology. As technology rapidly evolves, Jill emphasizes the need for flexible designs that can adapt quickly, creating seamless patient journeys from home to hospital.Key Points:04:01 Human-Centered Design in Healthcare06:39 The Sprint Process for Problem Solving13:52 Navigating Resistance to Change15:16 Measuring Success in Facility Design17:15 Future Trends in Healthcare Facility PlanningX: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

March 27, 2025: Deborah Proctor, Retired CEO of St. Joseph Health, explores the intricate tapestry of healthcare leadership. What does it truly mean to build a mission-driven culture that permeates every aspect of an organization? Deborah shares her remarkable journey from bedside nurse to system CEO, revealing how the Sisters of St. Joseph's charism of unity and reconciliation shaped her leadership philosophy. The discussion delves into innovative approaches to sponsorship, where leaders take personal ownership of their team members’ success and examine the courage required to make decisions that may not win popularity but honor organizational values. Key Points:05:19 The Importance of Mission and Values14:25 Building a Mission-Based Culture18:25 Values in Action and Pilgrimage23:11 Sponsorship and Leadership 29:15 Prioritization Challenges38:50 Courageous LeadershipX: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

March 26, 2025: Julie Johnson, Executive Director of the Center for Research Informatics at the University of Chicago, explores the current state of healthcare data and advancements aiming to transform patient care. How can organizations democratize data while maintaining appropriate governance? Julie shares insights on her partnership with MDClone, describing how this tool helps clinicians and researchers "fail fast and pivot quickly" rather than waiting months for critical information. Key Points:01:57 Data Utilization and Governance03:44 Addressing Data Bias and Sourcing05:26 Future Prospects and Innovations08:23 Navigating HIMSSX: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

March 25, 2025: Albert Villarin, VP and CMIO of Nuvance Health, interviews Dr. Mark Weisman, CIO and CMIO of Tidal Health. Mark candidly discusses the difficulties of implementing AI solutions, emphasizing the critical importance of proper AI governance and education for healthcare professionals. As AI tools increasingly write clinical notes and suggest diagnoses, what skills should future clinicians develop—memorizing facts or critically evaluating AI outputs? Mark envisions a future where ambient AI transforms nursing workflows, allowing healthcare professionals to focus more on patient care than documentation, while acknowledging the challenges of building trust in these emerging technologies.Key Points:03:10 Challenges and Successes with AI06:23 AI Governance and Education14:22 Adoption and Trust in AI18:48 Future goals for AIX: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer