In recent years, the role of a CIO has changed from simply the head of the IT department to an increasingly indispensible member of a hospital's C-suite.
Below, three CIOs share the trait that is helping them succeed in this evolving role.
Michael Archuleta. Director of IT at Mt. San Rafael Hospital (Trinidad, Colo.).
One of my biggest strengths as a director of IT has been communication. I have made communication a main focus point and consider it to be one of my biggest strengths in my management skills. I have encouraged my team to prioritize communication very highly on their personal professional development list as well. I personally feel that the best leaders are first-rate communicators. Having open conversations and communication allows for a more hospitable and successful work environment. When colleagues feel as if their input is valued and that they are encouraged to communicate with you, while you also take the time to keep them informed, all levels of workflow improve.
Edith Dees. Vice President and CIO of Holy Spirit Health System (Camp Hill, Pa.).
I believe my biggest strength, and weakness, is the ability to see the bigger picture. This ability is valued when it selects the best long-term solution and creates a successful strategy to accomplish goals. It is a weakness when demands for short-term solutions threaten the bigger picture.
Ferdinand Feola. CIO of Pocono Health System (East Stroudsburg, Pa.).
The biggest strengths a CIO as an individual needs to tactically traverse the healthcare landscape today are a strong and well-rounded technical background, persuasive vendor management skills and regulatory, compliance and risk management insights. However, CIOs cannot succeed if they does not have an equally technical and enterprising team of leaders and staff to support them.
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