An eye-opening view at the frontlines of care

Everything means more on the frontlines. The front lines are where the real pain is felt and where real progress is made, the place where theoretical notions don’t exist and “this might work” isn’t good enough. Everything is in sight, and there’s very little room for error. This is where the next move matters.

My first foray into healthcare well over a decade ago found me in just that place, but from a different seat than that of battle-scarred caregivers and patients. I was an analyst and researcher observing the comings and goings of innovation, technology, and implementation infused into a generation’s old way of delivering care. The frontline struggle was real and, in many ways, still exists today for those who haven’t learned the lessons of the past.

I spent many hours talking with the technology and clinical leaders about how the newfound technology was proving itself. This was 2012, the launch of the HITECH ACT and meaningful use. Over the next seven years, I would record a fair share of “meaningless use” comments and “I want to go back to paper” remarks. I even analyzed commentary that compared an interviewee’s core technology stacks with the attributes of a serial killer.

I share this because, in contrast, at the heart of this heated passion for front-line care, I also saw another side. I saw incredible people from the continuum of stakeholders who came together to figure out a new way to deliver care. It was this struggle, supporting one another, and the relentless pursuit of better care for patients that got me hooked on telling the stories from the frontlines.

This has been nearly a decade in the making, a journey for Health Data Management. But we are excited to launch a new program entitled From the FRONTlines, where we intend to get as close to the trenches of care as we can while telling stories that shine a light on the struggle and triumph with more clarity and quality than has been experienced before.

We are delighted in this first series to work with MEDITECH and their customers to tell the stories that are difficult to identify. These more human stories are the tales that get us out of bed and embolden us to continue to press on in this crazy industry. They tell the stories of operational, IT, informatics, and clinical leaders as they share their candid experiences and lessons learned that can help navigate your digital transformation.

So, join us in this discovery process. We have had the chance to meet with the largest health systems in the U.S., some of the smaller ones, and everything in between. From the east coast to the west. Each of these videos stand-alone is certainly a labor of love, but here are a few highlights that meant a lot to me.

The opioid crisis is real, and Sarah Porter, MD, and her team at Southern Ohio Medical Center stands at the center, relentlessly working with hospital and community leaders to provide solutions. I loved the vulnerability she showed as she shared her personal journey amidst this crisis, and she expressed deep optimism about the impact that their digital transformation has had on their facility.

Another interview took me deep into the trenches of the pandemic and how a standalone hospital turned adversity into an advantage. George Kondylis, MD, shared the struggles he and his team at Lawrence General Hospital faced at the depth of the pandemic as they served the most vulnerable populations. He shares how the team leveraged robust analytics to understand what was happening amid all the chaos.

What drives us to stay in this industry? Having the chance to sit down with Dan Nash of Emanate Health revealed that his own cancer journey connects to his drive to establish more outreach centers to bring cancer care to those communities who might not otherwise have access. It was clear that the digital transformation of care goes beyond a professional passion for him and his team. It is their everyday purpose, a deliberate intent that all populations should have access to excellent care enabled by great technology.

And lastly, it was refreshing to be able to sit down with the leadership team from HCA Healthcare and realize that they are no different from the rest of us. It was illuminating to hear Marty Paslick’s clarion call, “Above all else,” alluding to the organization’s anthem and learning about Sherri Hess’s deep desire to elevate the burden felt by nurses. It was great to learn about the organization’s digital strategies from Dr. Michael Schlosser and how those strategies continually strive to alleviate the burden felt by care providers and patients alike.

Other exceptional thought leaders that I spoke with include Dr. Kristin Conley, CMIO of Frederick Health; Roger Lutz, CIO of Independence Health; Barbie Malacaria, Associate Vice President of Nursing Services at Signature Health, and Ricki-Lee Prestley, former Executive Director of Core Clinical Systems at Fraser Health Authority.

You can watch these interviews by clicking on the linked names above or from our From the FRONTlines page.