Q&A with CIO Nicholas Szymanski, Part 1: “IT Really Does Touch Everything Now.”

So much of what IT organizations do – what leaders do to help remove barriers – is about processes. In fact, it’s second nature for IT folks to look at things in a consequential matter. Much of troubleshooting is rooted in knowing what steps to take to remedy a certain situation.

“Everything we do is a process,” says Nicholas Szymanski, who recently took on the CIO role at Richmond University Medical Center. That mindset enables teams to break a problem down, take a step back, and ask why it’s happening.

It’s a philosophy that has served him well, both with his current organization and in past lives. But it can’t happen unless leadership has established a rapport with individuals at all levels, and built trust. In this interview, Szymanski talks about how his team is working toward the ultimate goal of a unified platform, what they do instead of saying ‘no,’ and why he hates the word ‘interface.’ He also discusses what it was like to be RUMC’s first CIO, the importance of transparency, and why he’ll always be a sponge.

Chapter 1



* About Richmond University MC

* RUMC’s first CIO – “It was a learning experience for me and for the organization.”

* CIO as a business partner (not just the ‘IT guy’)

* Benefits of “bouncing around”

* Back to basics

* “IT really does touch everything now.”

* EMR optimization – “It shouldn’t be stagnant.”



LISTEN NOW USING THE PLAYER BELOW OR CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR iTUNES PODCAST FEED

Bold Statements

There was my perception and their perception, and organically, we met in the middle. But there were times where there was definitely a difference in terms of what that role was thought to be and what the responsibilities were.

I get to be the nudge, and hopefully, portray myself more as a business partner instead of just the ‘IT guy.’ That was a big change at first because historically, as a CIO, you’re IT — you’re the one they call if a computer is broken. That’s not what this role is anymore.

At the end of the day, it’s all about the patients. If IT can help solidify their support to the end users — the caregivers, that ultimately gets passed down to the patients, which is the end goal.

Whether it’s building a new wing, buying a new practice, or implementing anything, IT needs to be there. It should almost be instinctive that the first person you think of is IT. That’s what I’m trying to hammer home here.

Kate Gamble:  Thank you for taking some time to speak with us. I think the best place to start is by talking about the organization, Richmond University Medical Center, which is not located in Virginia.

Nicholas Szymanski:  It is not. It’s commonly believed that it is, but we’re actually in Staten Island, New York. We’re one of the two hospitals on the island.

 

Gamble:  What do you have in terms of hospital bed size and some of the other care offerings?

Szymanski:  We’re licensed for just under about 500 beds, and we offer a range of services, including behavior health, ER, pediatrics, and med surg. We’re a stroke-certified center as well, so we really provide the full gamut of services. Again, being one of two hospitals on the island, it’s pretty important that we offer those services, especially in the case of emergencies, and so we carry a wide range of services onsite.

 

Gamble:  Are you an independent hospital or do you have affiliations?  How does that work?

Szymanski:  Right now we are a community hospital, and that comes with its own unique challenges and benefits to a certain degree. But yes, we are a standalone — one of the few that are out there, and we are the only standalone on the island.

 

Gamble:  You took on the CIO role in November of 2017, and you were the first CIO the organization has had?