Q&A with Reid Stephan, Part 1: “There’s a Need for This Type of Experience beyond Covid.”

For Reid Stephan, however, that isn’t the case — not because he isn’t tuned into the threats that seem to lurk around every corner, but because he has “incredible team members and colleagues who are experts in that space.”

The biggest concern for Stephan is the culture and well-being of the staff, who had been accustomed to working side by side and engaging in water cooler discussions. As the pandemic dragged on, he worried that “the credits of good will and trust” team members built would start to fray at the edges. And so he has made it a key priority to ensure he has “the right touch points and a firm finger on the pulse to measure and assess the culture,” whether that’s done through cross-sectional group meetings, or simply asking managers to check in.

Recently, Stephan spoke with healthsystemCIO about the “incredible work” St. Luke’s has done throughout Covid to make sure clinicians have the tools and support they need, why he thinks it’s time to retire the phrase ‘work-life balance,’ how coming up through IT security has shaped him as a leader, and how he believes the CIO role will continue to take shape going forward.

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Key Takeaways



* The Covid-19 pandemic – and the subsequent rise in virtual visits – provided healthcare organizations with a chance to “validate the discussions we’ve had” around telehealth’s viability.

* By being able to push other initiatives to the back burner, St. Luke’s demonstrated that “we can accomplish a lot in a short amount of time, and be incredibly effective at it.”

* Stephan’s biggest worry as a CIO? Making sure team members are taking care of themselves, and finding ways to connect with colleagues and feel a sense of community while working remotely.

* Rolling out the Microsoft 365 stack prior to Covid proved extremely valuable, but it was still critical to learn “how to absorb this technology into our operations and establish expectations.”

* The phrase ‘work-life balance’ creates a false notion that can lead to disappointment and resent; what’s much more realistic is seeking to achieve work-life prioritization.





Q&A with Reid Stephan, Part 1

Gamble:  Hi Reid, thanks so much for joining us. Let’s start with some basic information about the organization — what you have in terms of hospitals and ambulatory services and were you’re located.

Stephan:  St. Luke’s Health System is a not-for-profit based out of Boise, Idaho. We prominently serve the Southwest Idaho area and a little bit of Eastern Oregon. We have eight hospitals; four larger hospitals and four critical access hospitals. We have a children’s hospital, and we have 200-plus clinics. We were founded in 1902; we’re the state’s largest private employer and a pretty visible brand and physical presence in the Southwest Idaho area.

 

Gamble:  And are those hospitals located in both cities and rural areas?

Stephan:  Yes. It’s a mix; we have urban locations in Boise, Meridian, Nampa, and Twin Falls. And then we have critical access hospitals in smaller areas, including McCall, Wood River, Elmore and Jerome that serve the rural population. As far as clinics, the majority are in urban areas, but then we certainly have some in rural areas.

 

Gamble:  Let’s talk about how Covid impacted the organization. What were your initial priorities when things first become serious?

Stephen:  We’re not unlike many other systems. As I’ve talked with peers, I’ve found a lot of commonalities in terms of what went through last March.