By Beth Friedman, Sr. Partner, FINN Partners
LinkedIn: Beth Friedman
LinkedIn: FINN Partners
The College of Health Information Management Executives (CHIME) Fall Forum is well known for its unique format, abundance of health system CIOs, focus groups and educational sessions. I heard about Fall Forum in the past, but this was my first time attending in person. And the experience did not disappoint.
The CHIME team produced a timely and valuable conference. I want to give special thanks to Calli Dretke, Frank Cutitta, Steve Myers and Jane Bogue who helped me feel welcome and connected as a Fall Forum first-timer.
Among the event’s greatest assets is a friendly environment and numerous opportunities to hold casual conversations with health system CIOs, industry experts and other IT professionals. Here are eight direct take aways from three days of networking and educational sessions at CHIME Fall Forum 2024.
AI Is Relentless on Data Quality
Like other conferences this year, attendees were eager to hear best practices and proven outcomes with artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and robotic process automation (RPA). But there was a new focus among the attendees in San Diego. Attendees emphasized the need for data quality as a first step to AI success.
Rich Amelio, Vice President, e4health and former health system CIO, mentioned that AI’s success depends on accurate, high-quality data, which remains a challenge for CIOs, according to a recent survey the company conducted in partnership with CHIME. Results revealed tremendous gaps in data quality and challenges to secure sufficient funding for data improvement initiatives.
The survey also discovered that CIOs intend to place heavier emphasis on data quality as part of their AI strategic plans and budgets. Amelio predicts resources will shift toward cleanup projects as data integrity becomes an integral component of AI adoption.
Aaron Miri, SVP, Chief Digital and Information Officer at Baptist Health in Jacksonville, Florida, echoed Amelio’s focus on data quality during a case study session with vendor partner, Hyro.ai. Miri’s team has successfully implemented AI across several use cases with impressive results.
However, Miri reiterated that quality assurance is required to check data accuracy and continually improve systems. Data quality management is one of Miri’s five ongoing focus areas for AI adoption at Baptist Health.
Cloud Computing Benefits Go Beyond Cost Savings
The first focus group I attended at CHIME Fall Forum was hosted by CereCore, a KLAS-rated managed IT services company serving over 450 hospitals nationwide. The session, Cloudy with a Chance of Automation, included ten healthcare CIOs and CTOs who discussed the pros, cons and realities of cloud computing. Zach Grieshop, MBA, AVP Client Technical Services at CereCore led the session.
The first topic was cost. While cloud services aren’t necessarily cheaper—especially for always-on production workloads—cost isn’t the only factor. Speed, automation, and risk mitigation also make cloud adoption appealing, though proper governance is crucial.
The group concurred that as organizations tap into cloud services, partnerships with third-party vendors can facilitate initiatives beyond core competencies and resources. The group discussed the need for proactive security management with cloud providers, a shared responsibility that is often overlooked.
Finally, cloud and on-premises services can be similar, but decisions ultimately come down to business goals, objectives and sufficient resources.
Complex Interplay Exists between Technology and Patient Experience
Nearly every session included at least one slide defining health IT’s impact on patient experience. According to Stephanie S. Abbott, MBA, CLSSBB, FACHE, national author and advisor to Healthcare IT Leaders, systems that are misaligned or not fully optimized can hinder physician efficiency and disrupt care delivery. This leaves both patients and clinicians grappling with frustrations.
Participants in the company’s focus group shared challenges and brainstormed actionable steps to improve the relationship between technology and patient experience. With focus on physician adoption of new systems, the group offers five suggestions:
- Implement standardized methods to foster smoother adoption, and navigate cultural dynamics and barriers that may arise with physicians, such as innovations in online scheduling.
- Set strict scheduling standards to encourage the uptake of new methods, especially as veteran physicians transition out of the organization.
- Overcome end-user skepticism toward AI integration by allowing AI to efficiently handle 80% of processes, freeing experts to focus on the 20% of complex tasks that require specialized skills.
- Establish clear parameters for system optimization projects to ensure consistency across the organization, beginning with high-revenue service lines and gradually expanding to other areas.
- Align technology with human interactions to improve experiences for both patients and staff.
Community Connect Requires Ongoing IT Support
Another industry expert discussed the need for better IT support in facilities that use Epic Community Connect. Michelle Moran, Chief Growth Officer at HCTec, shared four considerations for success:
- Ensure a dedicated program and long-term IT support beyond go live.
- Upgrade IT equipment before implementation and set new standards across the organization.
- Assess data quality and establish information governance. For example, consider how the organization will collate data when needed for a unified view.
- Reinforce staff capabilities to continually monitor system security.
Hospitals Can Make a Positive Climate Impact
Perhaps the most innovative and practical session I attended was hosted by Dan Low, MD, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at the University of Washington, and Zafar Chaudry, MD, MBA, SVP, Chief Digital Officer and Chief AI and Information Officer, at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Dr. Low, also the Chief Medical Officer of AdaptX, began the session with a reminder that healthcare delivery contributes to environmental harm. Here are three facts to consider.
- Healthcare delivery is the 5th largest carbon emitter on the planet.
- In the U.S., healthcare makes up 8.5% of national carbon emissions.
- Carbon emissions directly contribute to disability and mortality.
Low and Chaudry set out to unpack their data sets at Seattle Children’s and address this issue. They discovered three categories of organizational emissions: direct emissions, indirect emissions and all others. Their team focused on what they could control—direct emissions—and identified anesthesiology as the largest contributor.
Desflurane is a gas commonly used in anesthesiology, and the worst culprit for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Switching anesthetic gases reduced Seattle Children’s emissions by 18X, showing IT can drive sustainability. Patient outcomes have been maintained with the change and, in some cases, improved—including pain score, patient and family satisfaction, and post-operative nausea rates. But they didn’t stop there.
The Saving the Planet by Reducing Carbon Emissions (SPRUCE) project has become a consortium of 12 hospitals, and keeps growing. Other member hospitals reduced emissions by 50% in ten weeks. Across the SPRUCE project, 3,900 metric tons of CO2 have been stopped from entering the Earth’s atmosphere.
This inspiring project is an excellent example of partnerships: physicians, IT, data and analytics. As stated by Dr. Chaudry, “The data we sit on has a huge amount of value, and we can mine that data to deliver tremendous benefits.”
Digital Health’s Most Wired Reception with KLAS
The highlight of my social experience at #CHIME24FallForum was attendance at the annual award ceremony to celebrate healthcare’s most wired facilities. In partnership with KLAS, the event highlights organizations driving technology adoption to elevate patient care and outcomes.
According to Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME, a record 26 organizations received Level 10 status in the 2024 CHIME Digital Health Most Wired (DHMW) survey, the highest level of recognition in the program. Winning categories at the reception included analytics and data management, administration and supply chain, security, and infrastructure.
I was inspired to see a small, community hospital recognized for advancements in digital health excellence. Often left out of award conversations, rural and community hospitals remain the frontlines of our healthcare ecosystem for many Americans.
Next Up for CHIME Is ViVE’25
CHIME Fall Forum delivered a thoughtful mix of education, networking, and dialogue among healthcare CIOs and IT leaders. CHIME’s focus now shifts to ViVE’25, which promises another opportunity for CIOs to tackle industry challenges head-on.