David A Collins Email & Phone Number

Leveraging health IT as a tool to achieve improved outcomes for the patient experience has been my driving interest and passion since my early days working in the ED and as an EMS provider, knowing there has to be a better way. I followed a non-traditional path from my colleagues in graduate school, launching a new residency experience in health IT and quality improvement, blazing my own trail, mentored by both the CIO and the Medical Director of Quality Improvement at the Medical College of Virginia. My work at the Virginia Health Quality Center (QIO for Virginia) taught me the fundamentals of quality improvement, and I had the opportunity to work with providers across Virginia to improve wellness for Medicare beneficiaries, as well as promote the value of the use of EHRs.My appreciation for digital innovation was sparked through participating in over 35 site visits across the country evaluating HIMSS Davies Award candidates, learning model practices of the application of health IT to create efficiencies. I then lead the HIMSS connected health initiative developing resources for telehealth, remote patient monitoring, and mobile health.I chose to return to the hospital setting to have the opportunity to improve quality outcomes for the patient. I joined the Performance Improvement team and learned PQRS, led efforts for the CMS QPP program, was staff liaison to the Vizient TCPI program, and was program manager for our eCQM efforts. During my 3+ years as VCU Health Telehealth Practice Administrator, I worked closely with the Telehealth Medical Director, guided by the C-Suite, to operationalize virtual visits, tele-education, Tele-Stroke, Tele-ICU, and RPM. I’ve learned that technology is relatively simple; it’s the mapping of workflows, championship, and change management that make or break success.In my current role, I’m operationalizing a new Hospital at Home clinical model of care enabled through health IT. I have now come full circle and not only appreciate award winning health IT practices, but I've operationalized health IT and change management, seeing first hand the impact of improved processes and outcomes!