Health IT Influencers: Former CIO Craig Richardville, Chapter 1

Few arguments have sparked as much ire (and eye-rolling) than the comparison between the healthcare and banking industries when it comes to consumer engagement, and it’s understandable. Healthcare is extremely complex; the mere suggestion that the same strategies used to manage finances can be used to manage care is ludicrous.

But what if we looked at it in a different way? What if patients were given tools to help diagnose and treat conditions that don’t require an in-person visit? What if, rather than being directed to a message during peak hours, patients can use an automated system to make an appointment? The banking industry has empowered consumers to perform certain tasks, while also establishing parameters and proving human assistance when needed. Craig Richardville, former CIO at Carolinas HealthCare System (now Atrium Health), believes they’re onto something.

In this interview, he spoke with healthsystemCIO.com about the key lessons learned during his 30-plus years in the CIO role, why he believes taking a sabbatical can be extremely beneficial, and his thoughts on where the industry is headed. Richardville also provides advice for CIOs on a number of issues, from the importance of collaborating with leaders outside of healthcare, why IT steering committees should be eliminated, and why optimization “never really ends.”

Chapter 1



* 20-plus years with Carolinas HealthCare (now Atrium)

* Significant growth through M&A and management contracts

* Large-scale implementations without the “rip and replace.”

* Change management hurdles: “one step forward, two steps back”

* Never-ending quest for optimization

* Collaboration with leaders in energy, finance – “It’s the same consumer, just a different vertical.”

* Flipping the script with consumer engagement



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Bold Statements

It was always to our benefit to be aggressive and to accelerate the execution of our plans, because we know there are going to more things coming up down the road. And the more we can get things off our plate, the better we’re able to handle the changing environment.

To me, it was important to preserve the investment from a business standpoint; try to reduce change management as much as we could, because we knew there was going to be more coming down the road; and do what’s right for the patients.

There were some growing pains that came along with it. It’s hard to change processes. It’s hard to change people, especially those who may have been practicing a certain way for a couple of decades.

It’s time to corroborate and collaborate with others. It doesn’t have to be either you or me. I think there are ways that everybody can share in the healthcare aspects of what we’re doing and what we’re changing, and I want to be part of that change.

Gamble:  Thank you so much for taking some time to speak with us and take a look at your career, as well as where the industry is headed and what you’re up to now.

Richardville:  Thank you for the opportunity. It’s been quite a journey, and the journey certainly isn’t over yet. I’ve got about another decade to contribute and be part of the healthcare community. I’m really looking forward to it.

 

Gamble:  Great. Let’s talk about the time you spent in the leadership roles with ProMedica Health System, and then Carolinas HealthCare System (now Atrium Health), which experienced significant growth during your tenure.

Richardville:  Sure. The nice part for me is when I came to Carolinas back in 1997, they had just become Carolinas HealthCare System. Most people probably don’t know this, but the healthcare system is actually a county facility called Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Facility,