A landscape evolving health care means that the role of the IOC changes. A new Healthleaders exchange will examine this new hierarchy, where collaboration is the key.
The C-Suite suite is evolving, and no position resolves these changes better than the IOC. Formerly considered as a role -based role, focusing on the adoption and integration of DMEs, IOC – whether it is the main responsible for information or innovation (or both) – assumes more strategic and management tasks while the industry embraces new concepts such as digital health and transformation.
“Because of these disturbances and because of this orientation, you are now a multiplier of force”, ” Aaron Miri, Mba, Fchime, Chcio,, Baptist Health Jacksonville EVP and digital and information chief, said during a CIO panel in Carillon At Vive 25 last spring in Nashville. “This has changed the lexicon of CIOs to speak more like a financial director, a COO chief, or a director of human resources.”
“I spend part of my day watching recruitment, part of my day watching P&L (profit and loss), part of my day by looking at the digital futuristic transformations and what we can do (to be) disruptive, as well as strategically, where we are going as a health system,” he added.
Indeed, while EMR / DSE always occupies a large part of the C and efforts, the appearance of new technologies such as digital health, virtual care and AI
In a study in 2024 Supported by surveys of 51 managers of 33 health systems, the National Institutes of Health summed up the newly evolving IOC as having three roles:
- Allow strategic change and transformation;
- Develop technological talents and leadership; And
- Lead organizational culture.
“While health care continues to evolve, the role of the CIO should develop more, requiring a mixture of technical and strategic commercial skills,” concluded the article, written by researchers from the Health Management Department of the University of Georgetown and the University of Alabama in Birmingham, has concluded. “This development presents opportunities for health systems to improve their leadership development programs, preparing leaders for complexities in the contemporary health systems sector.”
In addition, health care leadership does not only redefine the CIO, but in some cases, reorganizing the C Suite C, either due to budgetary concerns, or by changing the face of the transformation of health care. The main strategy and partnership agents help to combat disruptors and extend the traditional imprint of health care organization, while the main digital health and transformation agents manage the growing integration of technology in patient care, especially since health care leaves the hospital and the house. Some organizations even establish a leadership role in AI development and management, with the idea that this technology requires full -time management.
At the Panel Vive, Tessa Springman, SVP and Digital Information / Health Manager at Lifebridge Health, noted that it had become more educator and facilitator.
“I am the person who is the glue of the organization,” she said. “I constantly educate my peers on what their peers do.”
“I spend most of my day thinking, ok, how will I improve this commercial function, how are we going to associate ourselves to bring this improvement, and will technology help this particular function or not?” She added.
Most of this development is that the IOC is called upon to work more closely with others in the executive chain, in particular because the new programs and strategies require the contribution of a wide variety of sources, including the CFO, the CMO, the CNO and even the CEO. The best position description of the future could well be “works well with others”.
To fight against this changing role, Healthleaders is launching a new exchange aimed at bringing together the best CIOs, the chiefs of digital health, transformation chiefs and others in network and discuss how the technological strategy changes their roles.
The main digital management exchange (CDEX) will take place from December 4 to 5 at the Meridian in Washington DC.
Recruitment is underway for this event. Please contact Ewicklund@healthleadersmedica.com For more details.
Exclusive sponsorship opportunities are also available. For more information, contact Sales@healthleadersmedia.com.
Eric Wicklund is the associated content manager and editor -in -chief of innovation at Healthleaders.