Q&A with CIO Christopher Timbers, Part 3: “We Have a Direct Impact on Our Competitiveness.”

“People will find a way to use technology, whether we sanction it or not.”

It’s a harsh reality health IT leaders face on a daily basis. But it’s also an opportunity, particularly if you’re CIO at an independent health system residing in a sea of large IDNs. At least, that’s how Christopher Timbers chooses to view it. If NorthBay wants to remain competitive, it’s not enough to merely offer the latest tools and technologies — it must be done in a way that “truly enhances” both the clinician and patient’s experiences.

Recently, healthsystemCIO had a chance to speak with Timbers about how his team is working toward its goal of making NorthBay “an easy place to practice medicine,” which means communicating effectively with users and responding quickly to issues that arise. He also talks about the pros and cons of being a longtime Cerner shop, what he learned from his mentors Dr. Michael McCoy and Stephanie Reel, and why he relocated across the country (again) to come to NorthBay.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3



* Working w/ Dr. Michael McCoy in the 90s: “He was a brilliant strategic planner.”

* Learning ITIL & project management as a consultant

* First CIO role at Suburban Hospital

* Stephanie Reel’s “unrelenting drive” to achieve user satisfaction

* NorthBay’s appeal: “It checked all the boxes for me.”

* Benefits of having a financial background

* Increased focus on patients: “If you’re not innovating and interacting with customers, you’re going to become irrelevant.”

* IT’s impact on market share



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Bold Statements

I’ve always been interested in how to make a more seamless experience for the patient. NorthBay had all the pieces off the puzzle — it was a matter of making it all work together, with IT being a big component of that.

When I was sitting down with hospital directors in various departments, helping them put together the budget, it helped me understand what they did, at least from a business perspective. It helped me understand how those departments function, how they’re organized, and what they do.

Each stop on my resume was a critical building block to get me where I am today and to enable me to be successful in the role I’m in today. Each of them brought a great experience, either through the people or through the organization.

For a long time, CIOs have wanted to have a bigger presence at the executive table. We’re in an era now where we have that, and people are looking to us to help deliver the technologies that will make a difference for the patient’s experience.

Gamble:  You’ve been with North Bay for about four years?

Timbers:  Correct.

 

Gamble:  Looking at your LinkedIn profile, it looks like you had other CIO roles, but on the other side of the country. So what was it that made you interested in this opportunity?

Timbers:  I was very fortunate early in my IT career. I worked at a community hospital in Santa Monica, Calif., that was acquired by UCLA. As part of that, I got to work pretty closely with their CIO, Dr. Michael McCoy, in the mid-90s. He was a brilliant strategic planner. I worked with him throughout the acquisition and merger. That’s when I really realized that I wanted to position myself to become a CIO.

I was fascinated with the work he was doing. I was very impressed, and I remember thinking,