When healthcare is everywhere, so is health data. Keeping that data both accessible and secure is a challenge that all providers are facing, says Esteban Lopez, MD, MBA and physician thought leader at Google Cloud. He and I talked about the potential for cloud solutions to meet the expanding needs of 21st century care, on our latest MEDITECH podcast.
“Healthcare doesn’t wait for you to log into your VPN; it is occurring at all times,” he says. “When you need to obtain patient information, or put in an order, or to address anything in or out of the hospital — cloud capabilities allow you to take care of your patient in real time. And especially with staff shortages, we really need to give clinicians these superpowers, to take care of more patients with less resources.”
Known as a results-oriented provider for the Latinx community, Dr. Lopez was also recently recognized among the top 100 OUTstanding LGBT+ Executives for 2021. He is dedicated to addressing issues of health equity, which he referred to in a recent TED Talk as America’s chronic condition.
“Equity is all about people having the opportunity to attain their highest level of health,” he says.
“My patients are predominantly people of color, living in a working class suburb of LA. I’m very aware of social determinants of health, and how your neighbor’s health has a direct impact on the overall health of your community. I try to be an advocate for fairness and justice, issues that benefit all of us.”
In addition, Dr. Lopez reflects on why the COVID-19 pandemic has been a digital accelerator for our industry, and how independent hospitals can move toward democratizing healthcare. Tune in to hear our conversation on your favorite podcast app.