In-house CIOs Are Necessary for Modern Healthcare Information Needs

NEW WAVE

Our roles as healthcare industry recruiters and consultants have given us a fantastic vantage point with which to see trends in the industry. None has been more dramatic lately than the changing role of chief information officers (CIOs), and information technology (IT) departments. The past decade has seen the mass digitization of healthcare information. In the past, IT leaders have been responsible for creating a vast framework and structure to house this information and digitize healthcare delivery.  Now they are being tasked with protecting this information, and effectively using it to contribute to the success of the organization. To this end we find more and more facilities are recruiting their own, in-house, CIO and IT teams.

PUT YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER

HealthCare IT News recently wrote about the role of a post-modern CIO and IT team. Gone are the days of the IT team being responsible for just getting your email up and running, and popping in when your computer crashes. IT teams are becoming think tanks that help drive hospital innovation. They posit that the CIO role is “evolving into a full-fledged executive charged with generating revenue and scaling the digital business.” An effective 21^st Century CIO will be intimately involved in the business aspects of the facility, and use the information and technology on hand to improve clinical and bottom-line outcomes. The role will require “transformational thinking, real-world innovation experience, and the ability to connect multiple pieces of strategy, technology and people together.” Hospitals, long-term, and acute-care facilities are finding that hiring an outside IT firm (that effectively just puts out fires), is insufficient for modern industry needs, and potentially detrimental given the increasing threat of cyber-attacks.

THE BEST DEFENSE IS A GOOD OFFENSE

Like viruses, the criminals who perpetrate cyber-attacks on healthcare facilities quickly adapt to new defensive measures. According to the Governance Institute’s 2018 E-briefing, the healthcare industry’s digital structure is particularly vulnerable to cyber-attacks due to wearables, medical devices, portals, data warehouses, etc. A vast amount of personal information is available, and breaches of these data are costly both in dollars and public relations. A recent article by Healthcare Informatics indicates having in-house IT experts to create and maintain an active cyberattack defense is well worth the investment.

TIME TO ACT

A good CIO will recruit and create a good IT team. However, finding a qualified C-level candidate can take time. LeaderStat can offer some tips on how to best begin the search for a CIO, but we can do even more than that. We have years of experience placing C-suite executives in positions that work well for all involved, and investing in recruiting help pays off handsomely in the long run. Almost 40% of C-level and executive leadership recruits leave within 18 months of hire, but 95% of the candidates we place are still there two years later.

With mountains of data and technology on hand, it’s time to use it (and protect it) to further the success of your organization. Give our recruiters a call to discuss modernizing your IT approach: 877-699-STAT.