This Week In Health It

March 24, 2025: Heather Costa, Director of Technology Resilience at Mayo Clinic, shares her journey of rebranding her team from "disaster recovery operations" to "technology resilience operations," emphasizing that cyber incidents require a fundamentally different approach than physical disruptions. The conversation delves into the challenges of communicating technical needs with clinical staff, with Heather explaining her philosophy of "meeting people where they are" and focusing on their work rather than the technology. As cyber threats continue to evolve, Heather offers insights into building resilient systems that minimize disruption to patient care.Key Points:03:43 Heather's Role at Mayo Clinic04:29 The Evolution of Disaster Recovery07:10 Engaging Frontline Operators 17:44 Building Blocks of Resilience20:52 Lightning RoundX: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

March 21, 2025: MEDITECH leaders Christopher Policano, VP of Sales, and Rachel Wilkes, Director of Marketing, sit down at HIMSS 2025 in Las Vegas. They explore how healthcare interoperability is evolving through their newly launched Traverse Exchange platform. How are these real-time data exchanges transforming clinical workflows beyond traditional fragmented files? The discussion reveals a company culture deeply invested in sustainable healthcare innovation while making advanced capabilities accessible to community hospitals.Key Points:01:51 Introducing Traverse Exchange05:36 AI Enhancing the EHR08:02 MEDITECH's Culture and MissionSubscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

March 21, 2025: Philipp von Gilsa, CEO of Kontakt.io, explores how next-generation real-time location systems (RTLS) are re-entering the healthcare space and creating rapid growth. Philipp reveals how his company's cloud-based approach is helping health systems drastically reduce equipment costs through enhanced visibility, with some clients seeing benefits in the first month after deployment. Don’t miss this discussion live from the floor of HIMSS.Key Points:03:47 Next Generation RTLS04:39 Implementation and ROI08:19 RTLS with AISubscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

March 20, 2025: Gary Chan, System VP/CISO at SSM Health and Security Mentalist, brings a refreshingly innovative approach to cybersecurity. Gary reveals how he transforms traditionally dry security training into memorable experiences through psychological techniques and mentalism performances, demonstrating live social engineering tactics that leave audiences both entertained and better prepared. As healthcare faces increasing cybersecurity threats, particularly with the rise of AI, how might the balance between technological defenses and human awareness evolve? Key Points:04:43 Security Mentalism10:04 Impact of Security Training15:41 Human Behavior and Social Engineering19:06 Future of Cybersecurity with AI26:45 Common Misconceptions and Personal InsightsSubscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

March 19, 2025: Jonathan Cook, CTO for Clearsense, explores how healthcare organizations can achieve immediate ROI through data enablement and application rationalization. Cook reveals how Clearsense has evolved from an archiving solution to a comprehensive data enablement platform that indexes, structures, and makes accessible data across disparate systems while providing a clear path to cost savings. Key Points:05:12 ROI Found Fast08:15 AI Enablement and Future Prospects11:24 Business Continuity and Disaster RecoverySubscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

March 19, 2025: Tony Douglas, RVP of US Healthcare from Palo Alto Networks, explores solutions to the current vulnerabilities in healthcare security. Tony unpacks their "platformization" approach, consolidating multiple security functions into a single platform to combat breaches. How are healthcare providers balancing the benefits of AI with the risks of data exposure? The conversation highlights their new Unit 42 service offering remote SOC management with real-time zero-day threat intelligence.Key Points:02:23 Platformization: Simplifying Security04:13 AI Inconsistencies 07:51 Unit 42 and Global Threat IntelligenceSubscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

March 18, 2025: Today on TownHall, Sue Schade, Principal at StarBridge Advisors, talks with Sonney Sapra, SVP and CIO at Samaritan Health Services. Sonney discusses his nearly four-year journey at Samaritan Health, detailing the organization's focus on technological innovation, financial sustainability, and population health. Why move to a fully cloud-based infrastructure? How can AI and ambient listening technologies transform healthcare? Sonny shares insights into these questions and more, including integrating health plan data to improve patient outcomes. He also delves into workforce management in a remote and hybrid environment, and emphasizes the importance of understanding organizational needs in vendor partnerships. Finally, Sonny discusses his future role as a TownHall moderator in 2025 and his passion for sharing knowledge within the CIO community. Subscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

March 17, 2025: Dr. Donita Brown, Business Professor and Host of The Management Minute podcast, explores the fascinating shifts in workplace motivation across generations. Donita shares powerful insights on the demographic cliff affecting higher education and the potential rise of micro-learning formats like "micro MBAs." Through stories about family vacations, workplace dynamics, and lessons from her father, Dr. Brown offers listeners quick insights into generational leadership and career development.Key Points:03:50 The Power of Listening09:29 The Future of Higher Education20:48 Mastering Mutual Gains Negotiation29:35 Lessons from Writing a Book33:29 Staying Relevant and ThrivingSubscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

March 14, 2025: This is the sixth episode of the Zero Trust Hospital Series. Tamer Baker, Healthcare CTO at Zscaler, explores the critical aspects of promoting a zero-trust culture in healthcare organizations. How can healthcare leaders effectively communicate the strategic value of zero trust to their boards? What approaches yield the best results when tailoring messages to different stakeholders like CNOs and CMOs? The conversation delves into the transformative impact of zero trust on mergers and acquisitions, potentially reducing integration time while enhancing security. Want to get your copy of the new book "Zero Trust Hospital: The CXO Vision" by Zscaler? Pre-Order nowDon't miss our webinar after all six Zero Trust Hospital Series episodes! Register now: www.thisweekhealth.com/zerotrustKey Points:01:03 Communicating Zero Trust to the Board03:34 Engaging Internal Stakeholders09:32 The Avalanche Effect of Zero TrustSubscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDo

March 13, 2025: Tracy Donegan, Chief Information and Innovation Officer at MLK Community Healthcare, shares her approach to solving seemingly insurmountable problems through creative thinking and scrappiness, pushing beyond conventional limitations. The conversation explores MLK's commitment to health equity through innovative programs like their street medicine team and the upcoming empath unit for psychiatric patients. Tracy offers insights into the importance of fostering partnerships built on shared mission and reducing clinician burnout, all while maintaining a deeply personal connection to the community she serves.Key Points:01:48 Tracy's Professional Journey07:08 Digital Innovation and Patient Engagement10:11 Community Impact and Health Equity16:50 Lessons from the Pandemic23:49 Speed Round: Personal InsightsSubscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

March 12, 2025: From the floor of HIMSS 2025 in Vegas Colin Banas, CMO of DrFirst, and Thomas Wells, Medical director of Piedmont, explore the evolving landscape of healthcare technology. How might AI transform physician-patient relationships rather than diminishing them? What would need to change for true interoperability to become reality instead of remaining an endless talking point? The physicians discuss Piedmont's vast Georgia network and their innovative approaches to telehealth, virtual specialists, and the pressing need to address behavioral health through technology. Key Points:03:52 Interoperability and EHR Systems05:55 AI in Medication Management10:01 Telemedicine and Behavioral Health11:24 Closing Thoughts and Fun QuestionSubscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

March 11: In this episode of TownHall, Karla Arzola, Chief Information Officer at Campbell County Health speaks with Jay Millar, Client Director at World Wide Technology and author of 'Be a Hero in Your Home’. Jay shares his compelling journey from a challenging upbringing to becoming a mentor and leader dedicated to helping others succeed. How does one turn personal struggles into strengths? Why is mentorship crucial, especially for men facing unique societal pressures? Jay discusses the importance of finding mentors, being vulnerable, and taking intentional actions to improve one's life. He also highlights the significance of creating  spaces for open, honest dialogue. This episode is perfect for anyone looking to understand the transformative power of mentorship and the steps to cultivate meaningful, supportive relationships both personally and professionally. Subscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

March 7, 2025: In this Interview in Action live from ViVE ‘25, Bill talks with Patience Phillips, Senior Director Information Technology at St. Luke’s University Health System. They dive into Patience’s role overseeing IT physician services, various service lines, access centers, and project management offices. They discuss St. Luke’s transformation of their call centers, highlighting the shift to remote agents and standardizing processes. How does a healthcare network prioritize and execute strategic initiatives such as EPIC modules and ERP implementations? Patience explains her project management approach, including the use of hybrid agile methodologies. Patience also touches on her robust process for construction, mergers, and acquisitions, emphasizing rapid deployment, security, and standardization. How do they integrate new facilities effectively? Subscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

March 7, 2025: Dr. Andrew Gostine, CEO of Artisight, to discuss how Artisight is revolutionizing patient care with their integrated hardware and AI solutions. The interview focuses on their easy-to-implement hardware innovations. Shifting to software, Andrew highlights their AI’s ability to understand ambient video and audio, learning across thousands of hospital and operating rooms. Key Points:00:52 Artisight's Hardware Innovations06:11 Artisight’s Software Innovation08:07 Ambient Nursing DocumentationSubscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

March 6, 2025: Eric Smith, SVP and CDO at Memorial Hermann Health System, discusses how their health system successfully transitioned to Epic's EHR while maintaining patient satisfaction. Eric reveals the strategic approach that led to nearly 500,000 patient activations and details Memorial Hermann's innovative AI governance structure with specialized working groups. From expanding services into new communities to addressing healthcare affordability through standardization, Eric offers a compelling perspective on building a digital healthcare ecosystem that truly serves the patient.Key Points:01:23 Memorial Hermann's EPIC EHR Transition15:41 Innovation and Pilot Programs17:39 Value-Based Care and Cost Management23:08 Future of Healthcare Technology30:30 Speed Round: Personal InsightsSubscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

March 5, 2025: Scott D'Entremont, CRO from Parlance, explores how Parlance's conversational AI technology is transforming the often overlooked healthcare voice channel. D'Entremont reveals how their AI solutions handle everything from appointment inquiries to complex routing across thousands of destinations.Key Points:01:18 Conversational AI in the Call Center04:11 Challenges and Solutions in Call Management07:01 Standardizing Healthcare WorkflowsSubscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

March 5, 2025: Sebastian Estades, Healthcare Lead of Google Chrome, explores how Google is reimagining healthcare browser security. Sebastian reveals how healthcare systems can move beyond traditional operating systems toward web-based environments that don't compromise on security or integration capabilities. What possibilities emerge when healthcare IT leaders consider repurposing existing hardware amid Windows 10's approaching end-of-life?Key Points:06:20 Future Trends in Healthcare Technology07:31 Mobile Device Integration08:01 Windows 10 End of Life: A New OpportunitySubscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

In today’s TownHall, host Beth Cooper, Chief Technology Officer at Tivity Health speaks with Deborah Backus, VP of Research and Innovation at Shepherd Center about their efforts toward innovation and technology in rehabilitation. They discuss the challenges faced by individuals with paralysis, brain injuries, and other complex conditions in finding appropriate assistive technologies. Deborah shares insights into Shepherd Center’s pioneering work with various mobility and daily living technologies, such as modified wheelchairs with tongue drives, sip and puff controls, and eye gaze technology. How can robust data shape patient care? The conversation dives into the data-driven approach of the Shepherd Center’s Innovation Institute, including remote monitoring programs, AI, and large language models for personalized rehab solutions. Additionally, they explore how Burnalong’s platform provides on-demand wellness and training content to patients and beyond. How crucial is it to meet individuals where they are?

March 3, 2025: Dave Dyell, Managing Partner of Innovative Consulting Group, explores how healthcare organizations effectively rationalize their application portfolios in just 8-10 weeks. What strategies can CIOs employ to identify application overlap and recover significant cost savings through contract and SLA management? Dyell reveals how CIOs can secure executive support by demonstrating their organization's actual AI preparedness with tangible data rather than assumptions. Key Points:01:12 Application Rationalization04:12 Contract Management and SLA Insights06:16 AI Readiness ProgramSubscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

March 3, 2025: Kris Nessa, CTO of Healthcare at SHI, and John Kirkman, VP of Government, Healthcare, and Education at Island, explore Islands partnership with SHI at VIVE Nashville. As organizations face staffing shortages and cybersecurity threats, could Island's approach help democratize IT access across healthcare systems of all sizes? Join this discussion where practical technology meets healthcare innovation, and discover why these experts see AI integration as the critical next frontier in healthcare's digital evolution.Key Points:04:05 SHI and Island Partnership Insights06:51 AI: Opportunities and Challenges08:48 Building Partnerships and Future InnovationsSubscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer