What does innovation in health IT mean to you?
I love that question because, by pure definition, innovation is really the translation of any kind of creative idea into a new method or something more practical that can deliver a real solution with measurable results. When I'm thinking about innovation, I look through this lens or criteria: Is it novel and new? What is it going to take to execute? What value does it create? How will the value be measured?
I do think innovation can be a couple of different things. It can be the actual technology, or it can simply be a new process, like figuring out how you're going to get more agile at delivering a new project or solving an issue.
What inspired you to pursue a career in healthcare IT leadership, and how has your journey evolved in the field over the years?
My career path has been interesting. I started in healthcare as a medical technologist in the lab, and from the beginning, my goal was always to get into leadership. My journey eventually brought me to Tampa General Hospital (TGH), where I worked my way up from a night shift tech to a manager in the lab. One of my first responsibilities as a manager was implementing an IT solution. During that implementation, I really got a taste of what it was like to work with the IT team and bring a technology solution to life.
The second phase of the project was implementing the system in the emergency department (ED). It was the first time I had a vendor tell me, "No, you shouldn't do that." They explained that the version we were using wouldn't be suitable for the ED, and the vendor’s nursing experts felt adoption would be a challenge. That meant going back to two VPs (Lab and ED) to request a pause and additional funding. It wasn't an easy conversation, but it was the right decision, and the implementation was ultimately very successful.
After that, I was asked to join the leadership group responsible for evaluating EMRs and selecting the platform TGH would transition to. That's really when I got the ‘IT bug’. I remember looking at everything behind the scenes and thinking; this is exciting. It was almost like a "Wizard of Oz" moment — seeing the man behind the curtain and understanding the technology that made it all work.
Another thing that really drew me to IT was the opportunity to make a much broader impact on patient care. Instead of supporting one area, I could help improve care across the entire organization. In my current role, I support TGH’s entire ambulatory footprint, working closely with inpatient teams and operational leaders, and implementing solutions that support our growth, meet physicians' needs, and ultimately improve patient care.
What advice do you have for women aiming for executive leadership roles in healthcare IT?
My biggest piece of advice is to follow your own path, the one that’s right for your life. No matter how different your path is, accept it, work for it, and never give up your goal. Just because you can't do something right away, or your current path doesn't follow what you think is the norm, continue looking for opportunities that can propel you forward.
My first IT job application didn’t go as planned. After interviewing all the candidates, the hiring leader told me, “You’re a great candidate, but we have an Epic-certified candidate, and we’re going to offer the position to them.” They offered me another role, but I turned it down because I was focused on completing my fellowship with the American College of Healthcare Executives, one of my lifelong goals.
Six months later, the IT leader called me and asked if I would manage the Epic ambulatory team. I accepted. Two days into the job, after an intense status meeting, I was walking down the hall with our CIO at the time, Scott Arnold. He said, “I hope we’re not scaring you. You realize we’re five months behind on the first implementation.” For whatever reason, I looked at him and said, “I’m up for a challenge, with your help, we’ll find a way to get there.” And truthfully, we did.
Look for those people who will challenge you while supporting you. In my career, I have been blessed to have great mentors — people who encouraged me and weren't afraid to give me honest feedback. If you’re on the wrong path or doing something wrong, that feedback is an opportunity to grow. We learn more from our mistakes than we do from our successes.
How do you prepare your team for the future?
We continue to support different learning experiences for our team, but it really starts with hiring the right team members. Whenever there's an open position, our leadership team evaluates the type of candidate we can successfully onboard. We consider whether we have the capacity to train someone with strong operational experience but limited IT knowledge, or if the role requires a fully certified candidate. We also prioritize building a diverse team with a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives. During the interview and onboarding, the team makes it clear we are known for our ability to execute. When we commit to something, we work together to deliver on it. Second, we're not afraid to try new things — and we're okay with bumps in the road because the goal is to learn from them.
We encourage our team members to pursue certifications, keep learning, and bring new ideas forward. As a leader, I am comfortable with healthy, respectful debates on solutions or topics. I feel that if all my leaders are saying the same thing, we’re probably missing something. Like during our last IT re-org, we brought together two teams with very different approaches to help desk support. By involving both managers and the team members, we created a more efficient process. The 6-month metrics have shown this has been very successful.
What do you believe are the most pressing challenges currently facing healthcare?
One of the biggest challenges is the financial pressures created by the economy, rising supply costs, and the changing federal and state reimbursement laws. The current environment creates a difficult challenge for hospitals like TGH. We're the largest safety net hospital in the state of Florida, and our mission is to care for everyone. We never turn away a patient who needs help.
With the tight margins many healthcare organizations are facing, many hospitals cut staff and services. What is exciting is that technology can help provide solutions. I think AI has an important role to play but, at the end of the day, you'll still need knowledgeable IT professionals overseeing these technologies. In healthcare, you can't afford to have AI make mistakes that could potentially have a negative effect on patient care.
Another challenge is making smart technology investments. As AI becomes more prevalent, vendors may shift from traditional licensing and subscription models to pricing structures that increase costs. Organizations need to be financially responsible, investing in scalable solutions that deliver long-term value instead of ending up with eight or ten vendors doing essentially the same thing. With so much uncertainty around reimbursements from federal, state governments, and payers, healthcare organizations must be thoughtful about every technology investment they make.
What skills do healthcare IT leaders need today that weren't as important 10 years ago?
More technical, financial, and strategic understanding. As a leader, it’s important to be able to dig into contracts and vendor onboarding. It’s important to be able to discern “vendor speak” or promises from what the vendor’s service can really deliver. This means understanding your customers’ goals, having well defined success criteria, and asking the right questions. I believe authentic and transparent communication and collaboration are more important than ever.
Leaders today also must be comfortable adapting quickly. We've seen changes in federal regulations that require organizations to pivot within just a few months. You also must stay focused on your customers' needs. Our providers and care teams need technology that helps them work as efficiently as possible. At the same time, we're facing an aging population and a shrinking primary care workforce. As those challenges continue, leaders need to think strategically about the technology solutions they'll need not just today, but two, five, and even ten years down the road.
You have successfully implemented several remote patient monitoring programs. What factors have been most critical to their adoption, scalability, and long-term success?
One of the most important parts is working closely with customers throughout the implementation. Innovative solutions require ongoing support to make sure they're stable, and you must recognize that there will likely be iterations as programs evolve. Our remote cardiac rehabilitation program has evolved through that process and continues to be a successful initiative today.
Another successful implementation has been remote behavioral health within our primary care practices. So much of a person's overall health comes down to behavior; something medicine alone can't necessarily address. Having behavioral health resources available to help patients address their mental health needs, which in turn, can help build healthier habits, has brought high value to TGH’s primary care practices.
We're also continuing to explore additional remote patient monitoring and chronic care management integrations and have partnered with several of our primary care practices to support those efforts. Knowing there will be shifts along the way and staying flexible is key to long-term success.
What is the most rewarding part about being in the healthcare industry?
The most rewarding part is hearing patient stories; they remind me the goal of the technology is providing the best care possible. At TGH, the entire leadership team meets monthly, and the meeting is closed with a patient story. Hearing that behind our “Wizard of Oz” curtain, the IT pieces worked seamlessly to help that patient get the care they needed is incredibly rewarding.
I always leave those leadership meetings with a couple of tears in my eyes because we really do amazing things. TGH's vision is to become the safest and most innovative academic health system in America, and we're marching toward that goal every day.
