Fall Fashion: A Look at Trendy New Health IT Positions

The titles of health system executives and professionals are evolving and changing. Since 2009, there has been a rush to implement EMR/CPOE systems and meet Meaningful Use and ICD-10 requirements, along with an increased focus on Data Analytics, Population Health and Accountable Care.

These IT initiatives are spurring new titles and positions. I am also seeing organizations realize the need to establish CIO successors, which has moved systems to recruit Associate CIOs or Deputy CIOs. The demand for Regional CIOs has grown as health systems are merging and acquiring in new regions and states.

As EMRs are being implemented, the clinical integration required with all the ancillaries and ambulatory systems has created roles for Clinical Integrators. Clinical documentation specialists are desired as health systems move toward the goal of a paperless record. And with emerging technologies in healthcare, the need for specialists in architecture, data warehouse, mobile, cloud, are IT security are being sought.

Top New Titles

The new titles I am seeing represent new categories of responsibilities that have arisen from the key initiatives of the last four years. So instead of just the Chief Information Officer title, organizations are adding words like Knowledge, Innovation or Transformation to position titles.

With the need to optimizate of data across a population served by a health system, there are now demands for executives with the following titles:

• SVP, Population Health
• Chief Accountable Care Officer
• President, Institute of Population Health, Education and Innovation

The hottest and most in-demand positions for health systems are in clinical informatics and clinical systems. There is still a strong need for CMIOs and Medical Director, Informatics positions as well as CNIO and Director, Clinical Informatics. I am also seeing titles for clinical executive positions that now include Integration, Transformation and Innovation. Most hiring managers prefer clinicians in these roles, but some are open-minded about hiring non-clinical IT leaders with more than five years of EMR/CPOE experience or specific vendor experience.  Some examples include:

• Chief Clinical Transformation & Innovation
• Chief Clinical Informatics Officer
• VP, Clinical Systems & Integration
• Director, Clinical Integration

Positions of Specific Expertise

There is a huge demand for IT staff, analysts, and project managers, as seen on many online job boards. The titles often represent the specific area of responsibility or the need for EMR vendor/product specific experience. Some examples of current designations include:

• ICD-10 Project Manager
• ICD-10 Business Analyst
• Meaningful Use Project Manager
• Epic Implementation Director
• Allscripts Trainer
• McKesson Paragon Analyst

Huge technology demands on an enterprise health system have produced a variety of unique specialized positions which include:

• VP or Director, Cloud Services
• VP or Director, Enterprise Analytics and Data Warehouse
• VP or Director, Enterprise Architecture and Emerging Technologies
• VP or Director, Clinical Architecture Infrastructure
• VP or Director, Infrastructure & Virtualization
• VP or Director of Business Intelligence and Analytics

As you ponder your hiring needs or your next career move, be aware that the IT titles of the past are changing to reflect new initiatives and responsibilities. These new health system monikers and positions also vary depending on who they report to in the organization. In some instances, there may be dual reporting or dotted line relationships. If you need help in selecting a great new title for an upcoming hire, check out executive recruiter websites and health IT job boards for ideas for “trendy” suggestions.