Q&A with CIO Lee Milligan, Part 1: “You Can’t Just Accept Statements at Face Value.”

It almost didn’t happen. Lee Milligan seriously contemplated texting the CEO in the middle of the night to say he had changed his mind about taking the CIO role at Asante. His doubts were completely understandable; not only did it mean leaving the CMIO position, which is a significant change, but it also meant filling the shoes of his predecessor, who had resigned after more than 20 years at the helm.

If that wasn’t daunting enough, a new CEO had just taken over.

Fortunately, Milligan never sent the text, having decided that the rewards outweighed the risks. But it hasn’t been an easy adjustment. “I had to be more honest with myself than I’ve ever been in my professional career in sizing up what I do well and in what areas I’m lacking,” he said in a recent interview, during which he opened up about how he was able to grasp the CIO responsibilities, what surprised him most during the first 6 months, the goals he has established for his team, and why he never takes metrics at face value.

Chapter 1



* About Asante (3-hospital system located in Oregon)

* Serving on the board as CMIO – “It was an awkward situation, but I learned a lot.

* Dramatic leadership changes

* “We didn’t see it as a negative; we saw it as an opportunity.”

* Help from mentors with budgeting & allocating resources

* CIO coach: “A lot of it is navigating politics and looking at how to frame things.”

* Using better metrics – “You have to understand your numbers & how they’re calculated.”



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Bold Statements

It was an awkward situation and one I probably wouldn’t repeat, but I learned a lot. Having to vote and read all the material and think through some of the strategic decisions has really helped me in my current position.

It’s a way to put fresh eyes on the work we’re doing. Let’s approach it that way. If we could do this all over again, how would we construct and frame ITS to better support the mission of the whole system?

I had to be more honest with myself than I’ve ever been in my professional career, to size up what I do really well and in what areas I’m lacking. I tried to seek input from people I know would be honest, and not just tell me what I wanted to hear.

My team collectively told me it was the best budget season they can remember. It’s usually a very painful experience, but we were able to navigate that really well.

Being able to reframe the argument, and actually having a relationship with the people you have to negotiate with — that combination can be powerful.

Gamble:  Let’s start with some background information. You’ve been with Asante for 19 years, correct?

Milligan:  Yes, it’s a lifetime.

 

Gamble:  It is, especially in this field. Can you provide an overview of Asante — what you have in terms of hospitals and other care offerings, and where you’re located?

Milligan:  Sure. We’re a three-hospital system located in southern Oregon. We have a multi-specialty medical group with about 300 physicians. Of our hospitals, the flagship has around 400 beds, the second largest has around 200, and the third largest has about 100. It’s a regional referral center, so we draw from nine counties.

In terms of revenue, we’re going to be crossing the billion-dollar threshold this year. So we’re still small, but not as tiny as we used to be. We have an ACO, a clinically integrated network that’s been up and running for a few years now called Asante Health Network. We’re about 20 percent into the journey of population health. A few years ago we had taken a broader step toward it but then pulled back. Now we’re doing it, but not quite as boldly.

We have most specialties represented; we do everything here from plastic...