Atlanta-based Emory Healthcare is uniting its IT operations with Emory University to foster a seamless ecosystem for innovation, research, and education.
A new division will be established to consolidate technology, data, and digital systems into a single IT group, with Alistair Erskine, MD, chief information and digital officer at Emory, leading the transition in his new role as enterprise chief information and digital officer. He told Becker’s the integration aligns with the hospital's vision of becoming a true learning health system.
"The main driver is aspiring to the learning health system model that many academic medical centers aim for but often lack the structure to support," Dr. Erskine said.
By breaking down silos between the health system, research centers, and university, Emory hopes to create a virtuous cycle where research fuels clinical care advancements and education — and vice versa.
The IT integration will also aim to address operational efficiencies.
"The healthcare and university sides each had service desks, trained teams, and budget managers," Dr. Erskine said. "Unifying these structures allows us to scale economies while ensuring consistency in service delivery."
To minimize disruptions during the merger, Dr. Erskine said his "playbook" includes one-on-one meetings with stakeholders to identify essential capabilities, recurring challenges, and "no regrets" projects — short-term initiatives that yield immediate value while long-term plans are implemented.
Another cornerstone of his strategy is fostering transparency and connection through "streaming rounds." These weekly sessions broadcast live discussions with department leaders and on-the-ground observations to hundreds of digital team members.
"It helps everyone understand the frontline challenges and successes, ensuring a cohesive approach," Dr. Erskine said.
Dr. Erskine emphasized that the transition is designed to inspire rather than unsettle IT staff. Emory plans to repurpose roles where duplication occurs, leveraging the merger to fill existing vacancies in the digital team.
"We're growing our team in a way that ensures everyone finds a place, especially those eager to learn and grow," he said.
Looking ahead, Dr. Erskine said he is particularly excited about the potential for digital health innovation once the merger is complete. For example, one area of focus for Emory is pathology. The health system is digitizing slides traditionally viewed under microscopes in order to make them accessible to both clinicians and researchers, fostering greater collaboration between healthcare and academic teams.
"This is just one example of how digitization enables research breakthroughs while advancing clinical care," he said.
By creating a unified infrastructure and fostering collaboration, the organization aims to set a benchmark for what a learning health system can achieve.
"We're not just merging IT functions; we're building a cohesive ecosystem where research, education, and patient care are interconnected and continuously advancing," Dr. Erskine said.