I served as a Managing Consultant with Encore. I completed multiple strategy, interim leadership roles, EHR selections, analytic engagements and projects to deliver IT process improvements. I performed interim work with Stanford as the Executive Director of Technology. I directed their outsourcing firm’s technical services delivery. I also assisted in the creation, evaluation and re-bidding of all outsourced IT technical services. I negotiated extensions for two remote data centers, with direct contracting to Stanford. The outcome: saved $4.3M. Led the preparation of the FY15 IT capital budget. The outcome: decreased storage budget from $17.8M to $4.4M. My CTO identified my contributions as a “godsend”. Performed as an interim Regional Director at Christus Health where I led the FY18 capital and operating budgets for IT. Worked to conduct a financial assessment of integrating Ambulatory practices into their EMR which resulted in the replacement of their EMR with Epic Connect. The Regional CIO also said that I was a “godsend” during her transition. I delivered several projects for a national for-profit healthcare organization who implemented Epic in partnership with an existing University-based Epic physician multi-specialty practice. My client described me as having "an uncanny ability to herd cats". There were 5 partners, each with their own agenda. Projects included: Designing and implementing a shared service desk system; Developing and implementing shared change control processes; Performing a full disaster recovery fail-over test. I was the Engagement Manager of an Application Profile Management Rationalization project for Atrium Health. Also performed an analytics assessment for a large health system in Louisiana that included recommendations for staffing, organizing distributed resources and developing IT Governance processes that delivered strategic outcomes for the organization’s analytic needs.

Hired as the CIO to assist the executive team in the evaluation of an affiliation selection process to find a “big brother” that ultimately led to Methodist’s integration into UnityPoint Health System. This was my second stint at Methodist. I served as the Senior Leader for Information Services, Data Communications and Telecommunications. Annual budget: $10.6 million, 50 FTEs and a $5 million capital budget. We developed and executed a plan to resolve data and network resilience issues that mitigated substantial risks within our EMR infrastructure and then brought MHSC’ EMR and clinical systems for Acute, Ambulatory, ED and OR up four releases levels during 2011 making us ready for Meaningful Use. This was followed by a plan for ICD-10 which was fully implemented in May of 2013 to complete all upgrades for revenue, billing, clinical and EMR systems. We also implemented a plan to automate a Clinical Documentation Initiative that combined with ICD-10, Computer Assisted Coding and Natural Language Processing to upgrade MHSC’ coding systems for Acute and Ambulatory coders. Finally, we implemented an RFID system that was paid for by buying 200 fewer IV Smart Pumps during an IV pump upgrade. These steps led to winning a “Most Wired” award for MHSC. MHSC was one of eight hospitals to receive a Baldrige site visit in 2010. We were a Lincoln Gold winner and a two time Magnet hospital with the 6th best nursing staff in the country according to US News and World Report.

I served as Senior Leader for the division that included Information Services, Data Communications, Telecommunications, Health Information Management, Project Management and the Call Center. Annual budget: $25.0 million, 170 FTEs and an $8 million capital budget. I reorganized Information Services from seven service lines to three to improve teamwork and organizational clarity; resulted in only a four percent turnover rate for the year. Designed and Implemented a Project Management Office (PMO) where we leveraged best practice and Microsoft’s Enterprise Project Server (EPS) to drive the PMO. Completed projects included a full upgrade of the Cerner EMR and a single sign-on project. This was the first time that Memorial was able to implement an effective Cerner upgrade. We also improved the Radiologist’s customer experience by replacing an aging PACS server, eliminating errors accessing near line comparison studies, upgrading all PACS workstations and assessing workflow processes between MHS and the twenty other hospitals within their regional network. Finally, we contracted for wireless IV pumps. A two-year option was negotiated with Cerner to purchase any BMDI applications and support at a substantial discount.

I served as a senior managing consultant within IBM/Healthlink, as a sub-contractor and then as an employee. I completed multiple strategy engagements, including engagements at some of the largest healthcare delivery systems in the United States. I worked to standardize delivery methodologies within the Advisory Services Division. Led an EMR selection project based upon a common vision created during the engagement. This system automated and connected all clinical aspects with a plan to ultimately provide services for independent community physicians. Led the development of a clinical portal at UCLA Medical Center. Provided consulting services for Partners HealthCare, concerning IT governance and IT organization structure. Led a project at Sutter Healthcare that evaluated their approach to clinical automation including the transition strategies, implementation timelines and economic factors. A “Best of Epic” strategy throughout Sutter’s diverse acute and ambulatory environments was the best path for a unified clinical record. I was part of a team at Sutter that recorded and analyzed the IT cost structure of corporate, regions and affiliates within 13 IT service categories for each operating level. The analysis identified high-value opportunities to improve IT service and control costs via right-sourcing between corporate, regions, affiliates and external service providers. Led a partnership assessment of a Siemens Soarian clinical implementation within Alegent Healthcare at the direction of the board. Assessments included corrections to staffing levels, changes to the IT org structure and partnership expectations of both parties. Contingency plans were developed, costs associated with dissolving the partnership were calculated and a timeframe for both partners to perform were presented to the board and then to an executive partnership meeting between Alegent and Siemens. The Board Chair commented on my ability to make the complex understandable.

WakeMed is a leading tertiary heath system located in Raleigh, North Carolina. WakeMed was named by AARP as the 20th best hospital and the 9th best Cardiovascular Surgery hospital in the country. I served as the Executive Officer with overall leadership responsibilities for Information Services, Data Communication and Telecommunications. Total budget: $10.8 million operating and $12.5 million capital - FY 2004. I led senior management and a clinical focus group in the identification of WakeMed’s medical information management needs. We created a web-based portal that brought together information from clinical systems throughout the organization into a new centralized clinical repository. The system had the ability to integrate data from internal sources and external partners through an Integrated Regional Master Patient Index. The system was accessible through the Internet and implemented in nine months. We implemented a PACS system in collaboration with the Radiology Director in a unique and risk-controlled fashion. An image capturing system using a Web-based open systems vendor was implemented. Ninety percent of all images were captured and viewable via the web-based clinical portal in nine months. We also implemented a fully automated Emergency Department system in one of the largest ERs on the east coast with full CPOE, quality reporting, result viewing, automated nursing documentation and physician charting. I transitioned a very technical IS staff into a customer-centered team that exceled in technology.

St. Joseph’s Regional Health System (SJRHS) is an Integrated Delivery System that includes seven hospitals, an inpatient psychiatric hospital, an MSO, a regional reference lab, two home health companies, an independent living facility, and two skilled nursing facilities. Net Revenue of $300 million with 4,000 employees.I served as the CIO with overall leadership responsibilities for Information Services, Data Communication, Telecommunications, Telephone Operators and Lifeline. I was responsible for the creation and the deployment of the Information Services strategic plan and meeting the business and clinical needs of the organization through automation and process change. Clinical information was unified through integration, repository and access technologies throughout SJRHS. Information available in the chart included: patient demographics, insurance information, guarantor information, emergency contacts, inpatient lab data, reference lab data, pathology reports, transcription reports, inpatient pharmacy medications, inpatient IV mixtures and microbiology. We implemented an Enterprise Master Patient Index (EMPI) through a partnership with SJRHS’ repository vendor. The EMPI allowed SJRHS to link independent systems using different medical record numbering schemes into an integrated repository which was viewable as a single electronic chart. We also Implemented Physician Access within SJRHS. Tens of thousands of patient records were accessed each month yielding improved care and efficiencies. I reserved "MyPatientRecord.com" in 1999 for SJRHS. Led the unification of MEDITECH data centers, network and IS staff within our remote Merced campuses, while linking both campuses into key Dignity Health and SJRHS systems and services. Implemented a voice-to-text dictation system in Radiology to eliminate “wet reads”, allowing each Radiologist to immediately sign and distribute reports via the electronic chart.

To plan, implement and direct the automation efforts of the Medical Center’s Clinical, Patient Care, Financial, Office Automation, Local Area Network and Data Communication systems. Total budget 1994: $3 million. Methodist was an early adopter of automation, being one of the first four sites to use McKesson's charge / clinical technology in 1978. We formed a funding and development consortium of Iowa Methodist, The University of Chicago, and Methodist Medical Center with some assistance from the Cleveland Clinic to develop a repository in approximately 1990. Methodist Medical Center leveraged the Repository, Access and Integration technology in the early 90's. Methodist had fully implemented this technology before I left in 1994.