At the intersection of quality care and patient satisfaction, hospital leaders find technology's grip on medicine expanding. But such advancements aren’t always coming up roses. In addition to developments like game-changing medical devices and software-informed life-changing procedures, the digitization of patient information has created vulnerabilities to cyber attacks and necessitated greater protection efforts.
Sidney Dixon, vice president and chief applications officer at Tower Health in Reading, Pa., spoke with Becker’s about how hospital IT leaders can support the entire healthcare system and the importance of understanding challenges before simply dishing out solutions.
Editor's note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: How can a great hospital technology leader be an asset to the entire C-suite and beyond?
Sidney Dixon: I think the most important skill to be a great leader in hospital IT is the ability to listen and learn from team members. We have experts in every department and service line, and everyone relies on one another, and on IT, to make our organization a success. Being open to feedback and suggestions can lead to improved efficiencies, patient care and employee satisfaction.
Q: What’s the biggest IT challenge facing hospitals today?
SD: There are a variety of challenges for IT in healthcare now. Maintaining the security and integrity of our IT systems against cyber attacks and hackers is a constant challenge.
And, similar to other operational areas, we are all dealing with supply chain disruptions and economic inflation.
IT teams must remain committed to providing the best service we can to support our organization’s high-quality care for patients and the community.
Q: What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?
SD: The best piece of advice I have ever received is that when approaching a problem, you have to start with understanding the goal you are trying to achieve. What problem are you really trying to solve? Many people jump straight to the solution without first understanding what they need to achieve.