healthsystemCIO.com Survey Says CIOs Hit Their Mark In 2012

Despite the fact that CIOs are under enormous pressure to meet numerous goals — such as implementing complex systems, attesting for Meaningful Use, and aligning with physician practices —the majority (59 percent) believe they accomplished what they set out to in 2012.

Even more encouraging is the fact that 77 percent of CIOs said they were able to achieve their goals while operating within a budget, according to the December healthsystemCIO.com Snap Survey. Not surprisingly, Meaningful Use was cited by several respondents as a primary objective, along with implementation and optimization of EMR and CPOE systems.

The biggest barrier to achieving organizational goals, not surprisingly, is the presence of competing priorities. As one respondent stated, “The pace of change has picked up considerably in healthcare and in our organization. It is increasingly important to balance multiple competing priorities in order to meet the organizations overall goals.”

In a positive sign for the future of the industry, the overwhelming majority of CIOs (91 percent) believe their organization is better off this year than it was last year.

In terms of personal goals, 36 percent of respondents strive to take more time off in 2013 to, as one CIO put it, “shift the focus a little more from ‘work’ to ‘life.’” Still, most are determined to keep pressing forward in the new year to help better position their organizations. “We are headed into another year of rapid change, increasing expectations, and diminishing resources,” said one respondent. “We are not taking our eye off the ball.”

(SnapSurveys are answered by the healthsystemCIO.com CIO Advisory Panel. To see a full-size version of all charts, click here. To go directly to a full-size version of any individual chart, click on that chart)

1. Did your organization accomplish the major goals that were established for 2012? (in the comment section below, please write in your top goal and whether it was realized)

Absolutely

• Implement Epic.
• Meaningful Use 1 Attestation.
• EMR implemented on time, within our approved capital budget, meeting expectations including MU incentives.
• Hit it out of the park — quality improvements, financial health, program/project completion, etc. One of the most successful years in my 25 years as a senior executive.
• Attestation for Stage 1 was realized.
• Deploy Epic to 3 additional hospitals.

Yes, for the most part

• I’m new to the organization so this past year has been not only working on goals but building the team and learning what needs to be done. Major goals that were accomplished include getting MU on track and selecting a new ERP solution. What we did not accomplish yet is a selection of an ambulatory solution for our growing physician practices.
• Goals we met: Attestation MU Stage 1 — hospital and ambulatory; expanded rollout of hospital EMR; and HIE Pilot.
• Optimization of Epic with upgrade to version 2010 following a successful system-wide rollout that completed in 2011.
• On the IT side, got the MU Stage 1 money; on the organizational side, successfully pioneered ACO.
• Implementation of standard paths for clinical work.
• Stage 1 Meaningful Use, quality rating, and operational efficiency
• Completed implementation of Aeroscout RTLS distributed antenna system, and commenced inpatient deployment of VOALTE phones.
• Attesting for MU was our top goal. We did achieve this.
• Complete MU Stage 1 requirements.
• Our Epic project did complete on time, but nothing else was touched. BI is a goal for us but some of our leaders just don’t get it even after hitting them over the head with a SAN drawer.
• MU attestation – yes; physician alignment execution — yes; ACO ramp up — partially completed.
• Went live with physician orders and eMAR throughout the organization.

No

2. What were the biggest barriers to meeting your goals?

Overall lack of budget

Too many competing priorities

• The pace of change has picked up considerably in healthcare and in our organization. It is increasingly important to balance multiple competing priorities in order to meet the organizations overall goals.
• Still the same issue!

Competing projects, resources and funding sources

Meeting MU requirements (because our goals were outside them)

Staff shortages

All of the above

• We experienced no real barriers but this was a huge logistical and project management challenge

None of the above

• Finding qualified staff was a challenge, but we made it happen anyway.
• 100 percent organizational alignment leading to the desired outcomes.
• Just a big complicated project.

3. In terms of operating within your budget, how did your organization perform compared with last year?

We went over budget and achieved our goals

We operated within our budget and achieved our goals

• We recently held an end-of-year, all-hands departmental meeting. As part of that meeting, each of our managers identified significant accomplishments of their staff and what they were thankful for. At the end of this, the entire room was somewhat in awe of all the things we accomplished over the past year. Our organization is under a lot of stress, and it is clear that our department has risen to the challenge.
• Slightly over budget, but this was a product of finance reclassifying expense-type mid-year.

We operated within our budget and so were unable to achieve some of our goals

We came in under-budget and still achieved our goals

4. From a patient safety standpoint and as a result of IT, do you believe your organization is better off now than it was last year?

Yes

• With a full year of CPOE under our belts, we are much safer.
• With EMR, we are better positioned to advance safety.
• Without question.
• We have had a huge patient safety initiative focus at our hospital with defined goals. It is the CEO’s number one priority. The CEO is a nurse.
• But it will take us all of 2013 to realize most of the potential improvements due to Epic.

No

• But I think we we’re already in pretty good shape from a patient safety standpoint.

I’m not sure

• As a community hospital that does not employ many physicians, we still struggle with physician adoption of EMR (only 60 percent).

5. What are your personal goals for 2013?

Take time off

• Shift the focus a little more from “work” to “life.”
• I turn 50 in February.
• I need to plan well ahead or it does not happen.
• Last year was willingly devoted to achieving major milestones for our organization at the personal cost of time to self and family… 2013 will require a rebalance. I do look to invest in my education and although I’m not seeing a new position, I will listen to offers where I did not the past three years.
• Stay focused and realistic about maintaining balance of life professionally and personally.

Pursue further education

Actively seek a new position

• We are being asked to cut staff by 15 percent. We were lean before Epic but the IT staff side of the equation will take us to the support levels of a single 500-bed hospital instead of staffing for a 7-hospital, 250 outpatient site, $2B organization. It is unrealistic and unsustainable.

All of the above

None of the above

• Work-life balance — taking more personal time for me. Being more selective with professional association events and roles, given the impact on my time.
• Update personal strategic goals.
• Finish what I started.
• Production stability was a major personal goal and we accomplished that — not to the degree I wanted, but we showed improvement. Argh, that’s bad for a “personal” goal.
• We are headed into another year of rapid change, increasing expectations, and diminishing resources. We are not taking our eye off the ball. Meaningful Use, ICD-10, clinical adoption, and revenue cycle transformation are all on our plate.
• Good question. It made me realize I had not focused on determining what my goal for next year would be. I need to do this.