Healthcare CIOs Innovation and Stability

Theresa Meadows, SVP/CIO, Cook Children’s Health Care System

Healthcare CIOs must help their organizations strike the delicate balance between innovation and operational stability, said Theresa Meadows, SVP & CIO at Cook Children’s Health Care System, an integrated pediatric delivery system based in Fort Worth, Texas, during a recent interview with healthsystemCIO.

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Balancing Innovation and Operational Stability

One of the key issues CIOs face is managing the tension between adopting innovative solutions and maintaining a stable, integrated IT environment. Meadows emphasizes the importance of balance, explaining that while enterprise EHRs provide the backbone of operations, niche vendors often drive cutting-edge innovation. “I worry about putting all my eggs in a single basket,” she says. “There’s really great technology out there that we should be looking at, and I don’t think the EHR has to be everything to everyone.”

While large EHR vendors offer comprehensive solutions, their attempts to expand into every niche can lead to suboptimal outcomes. According to Meadows, health systems must evaluate whether niche products offer enough value to warrant integration. The decision-making process should include rigorous evaluation of functionality, integration capability, and risk. “We’re trying to figure out the process for balancing innovation with stability, especially in the AI space,” Meadows explains. “Not every tool will succeed, and that’s okay—we need to be okay with some level of failure.”

Health systems must also navigate trade-offs between staying within the core EHR ecosystem and adopting best-in-class niche solutions. The former offers easier integration and lower risk, while the latter may deliver superior functionality. This tension highlights the critical role of CIOs as decision-makers who can assess both the technological and operational implications of adopting new tools.

The Human Element in Technology Decisions

Another critical factor in technology adoption is ensuring tools align with the workflows of clinicians and other healthcare workers. Meadows points out that many technologies are developed without sufficient understanding of real-world workflows, leading to mismatches between functionality and user needs. She believes that technologies like computer vision and ambient listening hold promise, but they must evolve to accommodate individual work styles. “Today’s systems are one-size-fits-all,” she notes. “They’re not personalized enough, and that’s where we need to focus.”

This lack of personalization often results in mixed reactions from clinicians. Reflecting on Cook Children’s use of ambient listening tools, Meadows observes, “It’s clinician-dependent. Some say it has changed their lives, while others feel it hasn’t helped at all.” Over time, she believes these systems will improve by learning individual preferences and adapting to specific workflows.

This variability in user experience underscores the need for personalization and iterative refinement. When clinicians feel that technology understands and supports their unique workflows, adoption and satisfaction increase. On the other hand, tools that impose rigid processes can exacerbate frustration and burnout, further complicating adoption efforts.

Governance and Collaboration

Effective governance plays a pivotal role in navigating the complex IT landscape of health systems. Meadows highlights the need for collaboration between IT leaders and operational counterparts to ensure decisions are well-informed and balanced. “Having strong relationships with operational leaders is critical,” she says. “They can help you decide when to stay with the core platform and when to venture into new territory.”

Meadows also stresses the importance of asking the right questions during the evaluation process. By focusing on workflow implications and operational impacts, CIOs can guide stakeholders toward informed decisions. “Sometimes, my job is to ask questions that lead them to their own conclusions,” she explains. “When people understand the trade-offs, they often reach the right decision on their own.”

This governance approach also helps manage risks associated with innovative tools. By implementing structured evaluations, health systems can pilot emerging technologies, identify challenges, and make informed decisions about whether to scale them. Such processes ensure that innovation is pursued thoughtfully, minimizing disruptions to clinical and operational workflows.

Addressing Burnout with Thoughtful Solutions

Burnout among clinicians and staff remains a significant challenge in healthcare. While burnout has multiple causes, technology often becomes a focal point for frustration due to its visibility in daily workflows. Meadows shares that Cook Children’s conducted a comprehensive burnout survey, uncovering issues that extended beyond physicians to other staff. This insight led to initiatives aimed at reducing the cognitive burden of interacting with technology.

“EHRs get a bad rap because they’re the most tangible thing to point a finger at,” Meadows explains. “We’re focused on reducing the number of touches to the EHR for all clinicians. Technologies like ambient listening and AI can help by automating routine documentation and allowing providers to focus on what they love—patient care.”

Despite the potential of these technologies, Meadows acknowledges that results are mixed and depend on individual preferences. Some clinicians embrace tools like ambient listening, while others resist them. She believes future innovations must prioritize personalization and workflow integration to achieve widespread success.

Actionable Takeaways

Embrace a Balanced Approach: Leverage enterprise EHR platforms for core functionality but remain open to niche solutions for specific needs.
Prioritize Personalization: Advocate for technologies that can adapt to individual workflows and user preferences.
Foster Strong Collaborations: Build partnerships with operational leaders to align IT strategy with organizational goals.
Evaluate Rigorously: Implement a robust process for assessing new technologies, focusing on functionality, integration, and risk.
Address Burnout Proactively: Invest in tools and processes that reduce cognitive load and improve the clinician experience.
Plan for Risk: Develop a governance structure that allows for piloting and learning from innovative tools, accepting that some initiatives may fail.

The Path Forward

As healthcare technology continues to evolve, CIOs must navigate an increasingly complex environment where innovation and operational stability are often at odds. By fostering collaboration, embracing personalization, and maintaining a balanced approach, CIOs can drive meaningful change while safeguarding the organization’s core operations.

Meadows encapsulates this vision: “We need to find the sweet spot between stability and innovation. The EHR doesn’t have to do everything, but we also can’t afford to stifle innovation. It’s about making thoughtful, informed decisions that serve both our clinicians and our patients.”

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