Q&A with Children’s Health CIO Chris Akeroyd, Part 2: “This Is a Great Time to be Doing What We’re Doing.”

One of the biggest challenges facing hospitals and health systems is a lack of financial transparency — how much is being spent by which departments, and on which technologies. When Chris Akeroyd assumed the role of CIO at Children’s Health, it became immediately clear that there was a communications breakdown, which resulted in overinvestment in certain areas and underinvestment in others. “It was hard to find a strategy,” he recalled in a recent interview. And so, one of his first priorities was to initiate conversations that have been “eye-opening” and have led to reduced spending and a better understanding of the business.

However, for Akeroyd, who has been with the organization since 2015, it’s just one of many areas of focus for his team. During a discussion with Kate Gamble, Managing Editor of healthsystemCIO, he talked about how they’re leveraging digital tools to create a better experience for pediatric patients and their families; his philosophy when it comes to hybrid and remote work models; and the “immense opportunity” that drew him to the CIO role.

LISTEN HERE USING THE PLAYER BELOW OR SUBSCRIBE THROUGH YOUR FAVORITE PODCASTING SERVICE. 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:33 — 6.5MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | Pandora | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | RSS

Key Takeaways

• Going from chief digital and technology officer to CIO provided an opportunity to lead the organization “in our next evolution of technology and partnership with the business” and “change how we partner and grow Children’s through its next evolution.”
• One of the keys to recruiting and retaining talent is flexibility and “being able to work and live anywhere,” Akeroyd said. “And so, we’ve diversified our hiring region.”
• As the CIO role continues to evolve, “it’s less about technical knowledge, especially at the more senior levels, and more about your body of knowledge and how you partner and engage with operations.”
• In a highly complex, matrixed organization, it has become critical to implement a solid governance structure and “use caution in terms of who needs to approve and sign off on things.

Q&A with Children’s Health CIO Chris Akeroyd, Part 2 [Click here to view Part 1]

Gamble:  Based on what you’re saying, it’s not surprising to me that you were previously in the CTO role. What was it like to make that transition from chief digital and technology officer to CIO?

Akeroyd:  One advantage is familiarity with the organization. I knew the politics. I knew the people. I knew the teams, so that made it easier. In the same breadth, though, it made it a little bit more of a challenge taking on some of the teams within my group that had not reported to me directly before. From there, it was building relationships and empowering the people who are there. I have strong leaders who their subject areas.

And so, for me, it was casting the vision and getting everybody aligned to that and supporting the changes we’ve been through, which has been amazing to see. But like I said, a lot of the catalyst behind that was the existing relationships and, and knowing people that made that transition, um, straightforward.

 

Gamble:  What was it about the CIO role that appealed to you?

Akeroyd:  Leading this organization in our next evolution of technology and partnership with the business. I saw a big opportunity to change how we partner and grow Children’s through its next evolution as we prepare to increase our brand recognition and the volume of children we support in the North Texas area.

So it was an immense amount of opportunity. The information services group was primed and ready for the change and ready to adapt to where we’re going. It was exciting to get behind some of the things we have planned and are currently embarking on.

 

Value of “outside” experience

Gamble:  You have experience in other industries — I imagine it can be beneficial perspective from different worlds. Do you think it was helpful having a diverse background?

Akeroyd:  I think so. There are a lot of similarities that organizations struggle with. But there’s also a uniqueness that I was able to bring forward. For example, having experience with how telecommunications supports and provides resiliency, and then the financial side around regulatory matters and the commonalities of a highly regulated system.

So there are definitely a lot of corollaries and there’s some uniqueness that you’re able to draw on and recognize that you’re not alone in this fight.

 

Gamble:  I would think that within pediatrics, there has to be a lot of emphasis on the mission. Is that something you use to your advantage when it comes to recruiting and retaining staff?

Akeroyd:  Absolutely. That’s our leg up. We’re a not-for-profit, and so, it’s hard for us to compete on salaries, but the mission is untouchable: making lives better for children. We have some very dedicated and long-term employees. It’s hard not to become part of the culture that’s driven throughout the organization.

 

Expanding the hiring region

Gamble:  Along those lines, what are you doing to compete with other organizations and industries for talent? Are you offering more flexibility, things like that?

Akeroyd:  We are. Like almost everyone else, we offered remote work when the pandemic set in. That’s something we’re going to retain; we heard loud and clear from our employees — and even the recruiting market — that people are looking for that flexibility of being able to work and live anywhere. And so, we’ve diversified our hiring region. We’re continuing to expand outside of Texas. I think being able to hire out-of-state talent is going to be key for us.

We have a strong, confident leadership that enables us to give a lot of autonomy to our employees. We’ve definitely taken advantage of that, and we’ve had great results from giving them flexibility.

 

“Growing others”

Gamble:  Right. Now, when it comes to building leadership teams, what are the most important criteria you look for in individuals?

Akeroyd:  I look for a strategic mindset, number one. Can you think strategically into the future, grasp the vision, and execute on it?

We’re looking for humble people who love others and want to lead others. We’re looking for servant leaders who can support a team and become engaged by growing others and not feel threatened about others who grow around them. It’s great to see people blossom and grow in their roles, and to see that happen organically.

 

Gamble: That makes sense. We’re seeing an evolution in what people consider to be the most important qualities, especially in healthcare IT. It’s interesting.

Akeroyd:  It really is. Where we are today, it’s less about technical knowledge, especially at the more senior levels, and more about your body of knowledge and how you partner and engage with operations. How can you understand the problem at a level where you’re able to think broadly about a solution, and not just think technically?

 

Importance of “proper vetting”

Gamble:  A lot of organizations are trying to move toward more agile models, while still having structures in place. What’s your approach when it comes to being agile?

Akeroyd:  That’s something we’re working through more and more — how flexible we can be as an organization. There have been some lessons learned; we’ve learned to use caution in terms of who needs to approve and sign off on things. We’re a highly complex, matrixed organization, and so, making sure we get the right authority before making a decision is a key part of our governance structure.

There are a few steps that need to happen. We need to make sure the proper vetting has been done, and that we have resource teams that can be flexible when needed. A lot of our work is still done in a waterfall fashion, but we have agile structures and teams.

We’ve done a great job over the past six months at tiering our work, meaning that we increase the entry level tiers of our organization to do better documentation internally that we can hand down. That allows us to take more of our seasoned and senior talents and make their daily lives and jobs more meaningful. They’re not doing the mundane tasks now; they’re doing more strategic things, which allows me to put deeper minds on problems that need attention and come up with a good solution, versus constantly putting out fires.

 

“We’re all tied to a mission”

Gamble:  That’s definitely a common theme we’re hearing. Finally, given all of these factors and everything that’s happening, are you optimistic about where the industry is headed?

Akeroyd:  I am. I think this is a great time to be doing what we’re doing. There are a lot of great organizations like ours that are growing and taking advantage of the opportunities that are out there. In the pediatrics space, we have a great peer group with other hospitals and we’re constantly sharing ideas. That’s one of unique things about healthcare; we have competitors in our market, but it’s still about the patient and it’s about outcomes. We’re all tied to a mission. So it’s really nice to see when we come together and support each other. So yes, I see a lot of great things, both in my organization and in other organizations. We’re on a good path.

 

Gamble:  That’s a great place to wrap up. I want to thank you again for your time.

Akeroyd:  Thanks, I appreciate it.