Tricia Julian, CIO, Baptist Health, Chapter 1

It’s one of those things that seems so obvious after the fact. But when you’re in the thick of it, it can be hard to see. Physicians at Baptist Health felt they didn’t have a voice in the decision-making process, which resulted in mounting frustrations. The solution? To create governance councils that help educate users about product functionality, as well as how customization requests can impact other areas. The result? An increased understanding of the need for communication, and why some decisions can’t move forward, says Tricia Julian.

In this interview, she talks about the organization’s aggressive strategy to move to an integrated system, how that initiative has enabled Baptist to build “key partnerships between operations and IT,” and how her team is navigating the tricky balance between customization and optimization. Julian also reflects on her first year as CIO, and how her previous experienced helped prepare her for the role.

Chapter 1



* About Baptist (8-hospital system spanning Kentucky & Indiana)

* Moving physicians to an electronic platform – “They knew it was necessary.”

* Decision to go to Epic

* “There wasn’t the interoperability available to support the care continuum.”

* Revamping governance to improve physician engagement

* “We didn’t have a centralized structure.”

* Epic build meetings: “There was no IT presence.”



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Bold Statements

There was some frustration from the physician community about not being at the table to understand what was going on, and not having a voice in selecting the vendor.

I had an obligation to be sure the project plan and the integrated testing that was necessary before going live on Epic were accomplished on time, so that we could remain on schedule with the go-live dates we had committed to, and remain within our budget.

We brought subject matter experts from each of the care disciplines to the table so that Epic could describe the options, and those who would be relying on the system for patient care could weigh in to make that decision. There was really no IT presence at those meetings — we would hear from those operational users about how it should be designed, and then we designed to those decisions.

It’s very beneficial today to have a structure where physicians and operational leaders are engaged to understand the need that exists — or quite honestly, are the ones who present the need, seek input from their colleagues, reach consensus about what the decision is going to be, and then carry that message back to their colleagues.

Gamble:  Hi Tricia, thank you so much for taking some time to speak with us. 

Julian:  You’re welcome. I’m happy to be here.

 

Gamble:  Let’s start by getting some information about Baptist Health System — what you have in terms of hospitals, other care offerings, and where you’re located.

Julian:  Baptist Health is an 8-hospital system spanning across Kentucky and Indiana. We also have employed physician groups throughout both states. Our care continuum is everything from primary care in a physician office setting to acute inpatient needs to home care needs and long-term care.

 

Gamble:  I imagine it’s a big geographic range you cover.

Julian:  It is. We really do traverse from the eastern end of the state through the western end of Kentucky. Right now we’re in Indiana, just across the river from our Louisville market.

 

Gamble:  In terms of the EHR environment, you have Epic in the hospitals — what about the ambulatory setting?

Julian:  Our journey with Epic started in physician setting with some pilot practices back in October of 2015. Starting in January of 2016,