Warner Thomas became CEO of Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health in late 2022 and since then has emphasized building a robust digital ecosystem to transform healthcare delivery.
He sees care outside the hospital as an essential strategy for future success of the $15 billion health system. Sutter will continue to grow its 22 ASCs and additional outpatient clinic locations, as well as virtual care and remote patient monitoring over the next several years.
"Organizations that are going to be successful long term have to have a physical asset platform that certainly is grounded with hospitals, but has a large ambulatory physician driven presence on a regional basis, primary care, and multispecialty oriented [care] to be successful," said Mr. Thomas during an interview with the "Becker's Healthcare Podcast." "But it needs to be coupled with a digital ecosystem that interfaces and allows people to move back and forth between the physical assets and physical locations we have and the digital ecosystem we put forth."
In other industries, consumers interact with companies digitally and then travel to physical locations to purchase products or enjoy experiences. People expect the same pathway for healthcare services, and that's what Sutter aims to provide within its digital ecosystem and enhanced digital front door capabilities.
The health system is also building a robust virtual care and remote patient monitoring service line. Digital technology can also bridge the access to care issues as more patients connect with their providers from home.
"Building this digital platform and connecting it to our physical assets is really exciting work, and I think a huge opportunity for our organization to advance healthcare," said Mr. Thomas.
But leading through dramatic change, like digital transformation, isn't easy. Mr. Thomas said it takes a cultural shift within the organization to truly maximize digital potential.
"The organizations and leaders that can learn the fastest and learn from other organizations – look at other organizations and look at their own organization and constantly learn, constantly reinvent, constantly look for ways to do things better – are the ones that will be more sustainable and strong over time," he said. "It is challenging to fight the status quo in healthcare, but we have to do it. We have to do it in digital and in how we rethink clinical care and the way we think about access in our organization."
Mr. Thomas leads with a culture of curiosity, which he added to the health system's values after revisiting Sutter's mission and vision last year.
"We want our leaders to be curious, to look outside of Sutter, to look outside of healthcare for new and different solutions of how we can do things and improve our organization," he said.