CMIO Roundtable, Part 3: It’s All About Communication

It’s amazing. You can find four CMIOs (three currently in the role and one retired) from four very different organizations, but the primary goal is the same: to help accelerate EHR implementation and guide optimization to ensure that systems are being utilized to their full potential, all while seeking to prevent physician burnout.

It’s a rather lofty goal, and it requires an individual with solid interpersonal and communication skills, participating in strategic planning, a solid understanding of the business, and of course, a strong knowledge of both the IT and clinical departments. It takes a certain type to fill this role, and we found four of the best in the industry — Maia Hightower, Brian Patty, Stan Huff, and George Reynolds — to talk about the challenges they face as CMIOs, how the role has evolved, and the skillsets all health IT leaders will need going forward.

In this three-part discussion, we talk about why it’s critical to get to the root of physician burnout and dissatisfaction; the balancing act CMIOs have in working with vendors to determine where responsibilities fall; the need to act as a bridge between IT and clinicians; how the role of CMIO has gone from “checking boxes” to focusing on the health and well-being of patients; and it comes down to 90 percent communication, 10 percent technical.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3



* Care transitions — “It’s where the real opportunities are to do harm or add value.”

* Making decision support about “the health and well-being of patients,” not checking boxes

* Intermountain’s step back to move forward

* Innovation vs. “organizational creativity”

* Key attributes: interpersonal skills, emotional IQ & building relationships

* Being “best friends” with the CIO



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Bold Statements

The time is going to come when they’re going to say, ‘Okay, we’ve been good soldiers. We’ve shouldered some new responsibility in getting this installed and we’ve changed some workflows to accommodate that. Now can we get back to doing things that really help us?’

Everyone seems to have a sepsis algorithm these days; how about instead of just looking at sepsis, we look at operations and how do we understand our variation by using some of the new big data, network analyses, or machine learning algorithms?

We’re so good at getting the people who know how to use their smartphone and apps and Apple Watches to engage. The problem is, those aren’t the people with four different chronic healthcare problems that really need the help. We need far simpler, far more patient-friendly ways to reach those people.

So much of this role is change management and helping people deal with change. Sometimes it’s figuring out a good way to deliver bad news.

The power base of the CMIO is the medical staff.  If they’ve got your back, you have real authority and real influence in the organization. If they don’t feel you’ve got their back, you’re nowhere.

Kate Gamble:  George, based on your experience, does that sound about right just as far as that evolution that the role has seen?

George Reynolds:  I agree with everything Brian said. I think the role traditionally has been mainly more hospital-focused — or if it was a large physician practice group, then it would be ambulatory-focused — but there was this division. Now, the successful CMIO really is working the transitions. The transitions of care are where the real opportuni...