Ask most successful CIOs what it takes to survive and thrive in the position, and it won’t take long before the word innovation is uttered. Going with the flow simply won’t cut it these days. Technology thought leaders have to do just that — lead, by looking for opportunities to carry out information processes across the enterprise in quicker and more economical ways. Improvements for the company and the individual can really only come about by embracing the concept of change.
Those same CIOs will add, however, that while the innovation path can lead to glory, it can also take a downward slope to failure if not trodden with care. To be an innovator is to be a risk-taker, and for many a CIO that can be a scary prospect.
Just ask Judy Middleton, CIO of William Osler Health Centre, which comprises three hospitals in Brampton, Ont. and Toronto. A former nurse who clearly understood the nitty-gritty aspects of what it took to deliver quality health care, Middleton stepped into the CIO role eight years ago with a clear vision for improvement. But implementing that vision meant introducing new concepts — which in turn represented a big risk for her and her career.
“People at the senior level wanted to compare [my ideas] with something else, but much of this was firsts. It doesn’t give them a comfort zone,” says Middleton. “At any one point in time, any piece could have failed, so you have to be strong enough to know that if failure happens, really, that’s the end of your career.”
In the face of such a challenge, however, Middleton meticulously put together a strategic IT plan that she believed would allow clinicians and physicians to access and use data in more effective ways and which would ultimately lead to improved patient care. Eight years on, she’s still the CIO and William Osler is a far different and much more tech-savvy outfit than it was prior to her arrival.
LEADING THE WAY WITH WEB PORTALS
One of the most innovative features of Osler’s improved setup is its use of the Internet to deliver information to those who need it most. A series of Web portals now makes it possible for hospital workers to get access to patient information, from prescription dose data to X-ray images, regardless of where they may be located.
“We are the only [health centre] in Canada that has automated all modalities of cardiology, so a report attached to an image will be presented in the portal,” Middleton says. Most of the newer technology deployed by Osler is appearing first at Brampton Civic Hospital, where “every piece of equipment” is IP-based and running over a Cisco Systems network. Other innovative technologies in use or soon to be in use include: pharmacy robots that automatically dispense medications; a wireless “computer on wheels” device that contains medications for a 24-hour period and associated data; and wireless handhelds for every clinician in the building.
“The biggest hurdle for most hospitals is moving clinicians to electronic documentation and utilizing electronic systems,” Middleton says about her industry. “We’ve done that for years, and now the systems are becoming much easier and more intuitive. The uptake is great. Even the anesthetists in the operating room don’t want to go back to paper; they are doing it all automated.”
To get that kind of buy-in on innovative technologies, however, Middleton stresses that a CIO must have a clear understanding of what users want and need. “They are very comfortable in their workflow practices. You really need to listen to them and engage them in the design and selection.”
CUTTING-EDGE ID SYSTEM
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