Laishy Williams-Carlson, CIO, Bon Secours Health System, Chapter 2

It’s funny; sometimes the most pivotal moments in one’s career occur when least expected. For Laishy Williams-Carlson, the moment came when news of the Anthem data breach hit shortly after she was promoted to corporate CIO at Bon Secours Health, and she was asked to provide an update of her organization’s cybersecurity strategy. What she had realized, however, was that she wasn’t as equipped as she would’ve liked to address the issue. But instead of covering this up, Williams-Carlson chose to be honest with the board, and found that it helped build a level of credibility she may not have otherwise achieved.

In this interview, she spoke with healthsystemCIO.com about the major projects on her team’s plate, from the “never-ending” journey to implement and optimize Epic, to the “huge shift in thinking” required to move toward population health, and what she believes is a critical element when merging cultures. Williams-Carlson also talks about why she believes her finance background serves her well, what changed her feelings about the role female executives play in advancing other women, and why she believes diversity in leadership is so critical.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2



* Population health — “It correlates nicely with our mission.”

* Challenges with access to care

* Becoming corporate CIO: “It’s been the most challenging, fulfilling work of my career.”

* From finance to IT

* Addressing gaps in cybersecurity – “We weren’t as secure as wanted to be.”

* Her “defining moment” with the board

* “You gain credibility by doing what you say you’re going to do.”



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Bold Statements

The really nice thing about population health is it correlates so nicely with Bon Secours’ mission, which is bringing wholeness to the people we serve. Population health looks at social determinants and other societal needs in addition to strictly what has been traditionally defined as healthcare needs as a way to serve the communities that we’re in.

It’s been most challenging, but also the most fulfilling work of my career because IT moved away from just providing transactional systems that run the finances of the organization and drop bills, to truly supporting the heartbeat of the company.

Having that perspective of being in the field helped me have better empathy and compassion for my colleagues in the field when we’re rolling up something and it feels like a ‘thou shalt’ edict, or maybe something that’s not working at cross-purposes with what they’re trying to accomplish.

It was one of those moments where you realize, how I respond to this and how I conduct my interactions with the board is becoming a defining moment, whether I want it to be or not.

When you have a board chair who says in front of your CEO, ‘if you’re not getting the funds you need to do what you told us you need to do, please let me know,’ that’s a nice feeling.

Gamble:  Are you involved in any population health initiatives at this point?

Williams-Carlson:  Very much so. I think the really nice thing about population health is it correlates so nicely with Bon Secours’ mission, which is bringing wholeness to the people we serve. Population health looks at social determinants and other societal needs in addition to strictly what has been traditionally defined as healthcare needs as a way to serve the communities that we’re in. So we’re very excited about population health, and we’re doing a lot in that area. We still have a long way to go, but it’s really important work for us.

Gamble:  The trend we’re starting to see,