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My first professional event since moving back to New England is tonight, November 7. Boston Health 2.0 is a chapter of the national Health 2.0 organization. They hold monthly meetings to promote and catalyze new technologies in healthcare. The November event is a panel titled “The Power Women of Health IT: Path to Success”. All powerful women have advice to give others and stories about obstacles they’ve overcome. This group of women panelists is no different and I’m excited to be part of it. Helen Figge, senior vice president, Global Strategies and Development at LumiraDx, USA; Cara Babachicos, corporate director/CIO, Community Hospitals, Partners Healthcare. The panel will cover advice on entrepreneurship for women, how women can influence the health IT industry, differing perceptions of competency in men and women, importance of mentorship, how men can be more supportive of professional women, and obstacles we’ve overcome in our own paths to success. But which obstacle should I comment on? Looking back to my early days in management, unfortunately there are many stories to share. There was the male colleague who had it out for me during a five-year period when I was the only woman on the IT leadership team (it was the 80’s). One of the things he did early on was to spread a rumor that I was only in management because I was related to a board member with the same last name. It was so not true; I didn’t even know the board member. As he continued to be combative and uncooperative in our work together, he told me he’d deny anything I said that he said just to intimidate me. He even came into my office one day, shut my office door, held the doorknob and threatened me. Yes, I survived all his bullying behavior and eventually let our boss know what was going on. But it was our next boss who eventually showed him out the door. In a different situation, I had to report a male colleague from another department for sexual harassment and face all the questions and doubts about what happened. And for years, I balanced the responsibilities of two young children while moving up the management ranks and attending an MBA program in the evenings. Were these obstacles? Yes. But they all made me stronger. The takeaway is you must speak up and not tolerate bad behavior from others. And be sure to create a strong support system at work and at home. On the eve of an historical election day when the first woman from a major party is the presidential nominee and stands a very good chance of being elected the first female president of the United States, why not talk about “power women” in health IT and their path to success? This post was first published on Sue Schade's Health IT Connect blog.  

Interoperability of medical records across physician offices remained elusive in 2015, according to the latest data reported out by the Centers for Disease Control.

“You need to own your own career and to be open to the possibilities. It applies whether you are early, mid or late career.” That was my opening statement in my early January blog, “New year, next chapter”, when I announced that I was leaving a permanent CIO position to pursue a new path. And it is advice I have often given others. It’s now my time for that next possibility and I’m excited about it. I’ve decided to launch a new health care IT advisory firm, StarBridge Advisors, with two colleagues. I’m teaming up with David Muntz and Russ Rudish. David is a nationally recognized CIO who has served some of the largest and most complex healthcare provider organizations in the country including Baylor Health Care System and Texas Health Resources. Prior to that he served as CIO and was promoted to CEO of Wadley Institutes of Molecular Medicine. David also served as White House-appointed first Principal Deputy National Coordinator, Chief of Staff, and CIO at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Together David and I have a combined 60-plus years of experience in health IT management. Russ was the Global & US Health Care Leader for Deloitte through 2014. Prior to joining Deloitte, he was Executive Vice President of Eclipsys Corporation, overseeing all client facing activities — sales, marketing, product management, customer support, outsourcing and professional services. Upon leaving Deloitte, Russ formed Rudish Health Solutions, which focuses on strategy and M&A consulting, interim management and executive search. He also became a principal in Health Care IT Leaders, which provides staff augmentation services. StarBridge Advisors will provide world class IT leadership advisory and interim management services to healthcare organizations. We want to be a trusted advisor on leadership matters in the HIT marketplace and to help clients innovate, transform, lead, and make a positive impact on healthcare in the U.S. Our services will include: interim management; executive advisor; leadership coaching; leadership transition assessment and planning; executive search assistance; operational effectiveness; vendor evaluation and selection; and assistance with IT governance, cybersecurity, public policy, interoperability, and patient and family engagement. That means providing today’s solutions and tomorrow’s leaders. We will partner with other firms offering HIT services and bring in individual experts depending on the specific engagement and client needs. I’ve never quite seen myself as an entrepreneur. I have been comfortable finding my place on the executive leadership team of large health care organizations. But I decided to launch a new firm partnering with these two colleagues whom I greatly respect and share common goals. I’m confident we can be successful together and have a positive impact on our industry. I’m excited about this new venture. I continue to be committed to improving health care and to developing the next generation of IT leaders. And I’m certainly not planning to compromise my master plan goals I have already made. As I have said before: “I have considered for some time what I want my next chapter to be, in both my professional and personal life. I want to live close to my daughters and grandchildren in New England and spend more time with them. I want more flexibility and to work less than full-time over the course of a year, and I want to do work I really enjoy.” Remaining true to my master plan. Stay tuned! This post was first published on Sue Schade's Health IT Connect blog.

Top security concerns for the modern network.

Tasked with accomplishing what takes some health systems $100 million with less $10 million, the IT shop conceived a new approach that saved $4.5 million a year and streamlined IT infrastructure management. 

For starters, be  a sponge and ask a lot of questions.

Supply of mobile health apps greatly exceeds the demand for them, based on research2guidance’s report on the mHealth App Developer Economics 2016, analyzing the status and trends of the mobile health apps market.

I was running late in wrapping up a meeting before my next one. I was meeting with a young IT staff member whose manager had encouraged him to get time on my calendar for career advice. We had a hour chat about his future goals. I introduced him to the next person patiently waiting to meet with me – the manager for telehealth – a young man who was relatively new to his position. I figured they should know each other. The telehealth manager walked into my office after the intro and said: “So you’re shaping young minds”. “Absolutely!” I replied. I have adult children and so I realize how valuable this type of access and advice can be. I saw some of the challenges my daughters faced when they graduated from college and started to navigate and grow their careers. I asked myself, “why not be available to their generation?” After all, each of us can probably remember someone who helped us early in our careers. So I concluded it was time for me to give back; I made a commitment to help develop the next generation of leaders. Even though I have had a full schedule as a CIO, I have been willing to take short calls and meetings with anyone who wants to talk about their career and get advice from me. They may be staff members in my IT department or in other departments. They may be students who work in my organization and need to interview the CIO for a class assignment. Or they may be someone to whom a colleague has suggested that I’d be a good person to meet. Many such referrals are for young women who want to learn from me as a female executive in IT. There aren’t that many of us yet in health IT, but the numbers are definitely going in the right direction.  When we meet, I listen a lot. What is their work experience and education?  What are their goals? What motivates them? What choices are they struggling with? Are they considering getting an advanced degree? Are they trying to balance family and work? I usually share a few stories of my own experience that relate to what I’ve heard. If they are in their twenties or still in college, I remind them that they don’t have to decide the rest of their career at this point. Who knows what kind of opportunities there will be 10 years from now. Just look back 10 years; many of today’s jobs didn’t exist then. Especially in technology! If they are in their thirties, I emphasize patience and being open to possibilities. They may not be at the level they want to be, but if they are making steady progress and demonstrating value to their organization, the next step will come in time. I encourage them to find role models and someone who could be a mentor for them. I encourage them to develop inner self-confidence and to network like crazy – and, most importantly, to follow their passion. You need to love the work you do if you’re going to be happy. As my next chapter unfolds, I hope to do a lot more coaching work with leaders to help them build their capability to achieve their goals and maximum potential. And I’ve got some ideas on how to provide a viable and affordable option for young people early in their careers. Stay tuned! This post was first published on Sue Schade's Health IT Connect blog.

After stepping back from her post, Sue Schade has been fortunate to watch University Hospitals new CIO Joy Grosser take charge. Schade shares insights she learned during the transition. 

In an AMA survey, 85 percent of physicians saw advantages for digital health solutions in caring for patients.