A Time To Steal: How And Why CIOs Need To Be Sharing Ideas

In today’s healthcare IT environment, the stakes are higher than ever.

CIOs and other leaders are being asked to lead a transformation that will change the way patients are cared for. And that, according to Russ Branzell, president and CEO of CHIME, means “everyone has got to up their game.”

So what’s the best way to do that? To glance over at other coaches’ playbooks — with their permission, of course — and see how they plan to overcome the many obstacles that stand in the way of running a successful IT shop.

In other words, ‘steal.’

“One of the things we’re really pushing hard on right now is this absolute sharing of good ideas to help propagate best practice in the industry,” notes Branzell. “We’re very fortunate that we have a lot of people willing to share their information.”

And in fact, he believes one of the best motivations for attending the CHIME Fall Forum is the platform it provides CIOs to learn how others are dealing with similar challenges and ‘steal’ ideas. “The process of gathering information from others and then tweaking it for yourself is so much more time efficient than trying to be constantly innovating within your organization,” he says.

Attendees will have ample opportunity to gather information and catch up with colleagues at track sessions, networking receptions, and community service events.

And what will make this particular forum such a conducive environment for the exchange of ideas is the “casual” vibe CHIME hopes to create at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes Resort in Orlando, Fla. “We’ve made a big effort to make this event not only extremely valuable, but also extremely relaxing,” says Branzell, who is encouraging CIOs to take advantage of the time away to “catch their breaths.”

“There’s a pace of change that’s so stressful that life itself is getting out of balance,” he notes, adding that he and his colleagues are seeing rates of burnout and stress that are much more amplified than in the past.

And in fact, the “intense” rate of change in the health IT industry is what inspired CHIME to choose Shawn Achor, CEO of Good Think, Inc., as the opening keynote speaker. According to Branzell, Achor will educate attendees on how to achieve a healthier work-life balance. Other keynotes include Fareed Zakaria, who will discuss the transformation that needs to take place as the industry continues to evolve, and Pamela Meyer, a motivational speaker who will focus on the “criticality of open and honest relationships.” Zakaria is host of CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS and a Washington Post Columnist, and Meyer is a Certified Fraud Examiner and best-selling author of LieSpotting.

“Along with our track sessions, our breakouts, our time together networking, we think we’re poised for a great fall program,” adds Branzell.