Q&A with CIO Ryan Smith, Part 2: “We Need to Start Thinking About Vendors in a New Light.”

When Ryan Smith first started as a software engineer at Intermountain Healthcare, he probably wouldn’t have guessed he’d come back one day as CIO. But he did aspire to become someone who could “influence the direction of technology,” just as Larry Grandia (the organization’s first CIO) had. And he knew that attaining a leadership role at a “pioneering institution” like the Utah-based health system wasn’t possible without the right experience.

And so he went to work, taking on roles that enabled him to learn as much as possible about the industry while developing his skills as a leader. It was that experience, Smith said in a recent interview, which helped prepare him to step in as CIO at Intermountain, a role that “feels like coming home.”

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[Click here to read or listen to Part 1]

Key Takeaways:



* Evolving CIO role. A solid knowledge of IT is no longer enough; today’s CIOs must have “a fundamental business understanding of the transformation happening in our industry.”

* Rethinking vendor partnerships. If healthcare organizations want to succeed, the focus must be on forming relationships with vendors, rather than trying to “eek out every pound of flesh.”

* Filling Marc Probst’s shoes. When succeeding someone as well-respected as Marc Probst, the goal isn’t to try to fill his shoes, but rather to “continue the great work he has done” while bringing a new perspective to opportunities and challenges.

* Maintaining the momentum. If IT wants to continue to be seen as an influencer, leaders need to maintain the partnerships that have been established across the organization, and “make sure we’re doing all we can from an IT perspective to support this incredibly important mission.”



Q&A with Ryan Smith, CIO, Intermountain Healthcare, Part 2

Gamble:  When you look at how the CIO role has evolved, we’re seeing more emphasis on having strong relationships with business and clinical leaders, as well as vendors. What are your thoughts on that?

Smith:  I think for CIOs in healthcare today, a fundamental business understanding of the transformation happening in our industry is crucial. Understanding payment reform and understanding what’s happening coming down from the federal government in terms of quality measures and requirements is crucial. This industry is under intense pressure to transform itself. For CIOs to be relevant, you have to understand that, and you need to be able to partner with business and clinical leaders across the organization; to not just a glorified ticket taker as the rest of the organization comes up with strategies, but to be an integral part of that strategic decision-making process. CIOs need to help other executives across the company and board members understand the opportunities that we have to leverage data and technology to drive our growth strategies, to drive cost management initiatives, and to drive quality and operational outcome improvements, and ultimately, our patient and consumer experiences.

Technology and data are going to have such a massive impact on all of those things. It’s my job and it’s my team’s job to help enable the rest of the business to take full advantage of what those things can offer, as well as our own initiatives to transform ourselves.

You mentioned vendors. I’m a big believer of having fewer but more strategic vendor partnerships,