The demands on CIOs by hospitals have grown to be much more strategy-based over the last few years, a trend that will continue into 2016 and beyond as mergers and acquisitions in the industry increase, according to Jim Utterback, a principle with executive search firm Witt/Kieffer.
"I think what's happening is CIOs are becoming true business partners," he recently told FierceHealthIT. "Whereas IT directors I knew in healthcare in the past were in the basement playing with technology tools, the CIO of today in most major healthcare systems can run calculators and capital and financial budgets as easily as they can select EHR vendors. They need to understand not only the traditional applications, phone systems, Web strategies, but also must be able to figure out how to manage risk for the entire organization as it relates to technology."
In this interview, Utterback also discusses the growing threat of cybersecurity breaches and the increased importance of focusing on technology optimization over implementation.
FierceHealthIT: At the recent College of Healthcare and Information Management Executives' fall forum, the term "change manager" was used quite a bit to describe the evolving roles of CIOs. Does this correlate with what you're seeing?
Utterback: CIOs have to understand business processes and reengineering. A lot of these guys will lead operational efficiency Lean programs and use Six Sigma tools to drive improved efficiency, quality and workflow. And they're doing it in an environment where oftentimes, the checkbook isn't wide open.
They're doing it in an environment where, to add to the cost list, they need to figure out what to take out. They're looking at outsourcing, insourcing, the cloud, whether or not to build data centers ever again. There's a lot happening in the CIO suite these days. We're seeing more advanced degrees required, we're seeing more soft skills rather than just that tech guru getting them through the front door, being required.
FHIT: Can you elaborate on the education aspect and what's expected of up-and-coming CIOs for 2016?
Utterback: Ten years ago, an advanced degree would be listed as "preferred." In a lot of the searches that we do for CIOs today, it's mandatory that they have a Master's degree.
It's higher education. Organizations love to see MBAs on the resume. CEOs want CIOs to have experience with M&As; I can tell you that wasn't a requirement five years ago. A lot of different qualifications will be on job descriptions in 2016 that weren't there in 2010.
FHIT: What hurdles keep hospital CIOs up at night and will continue to do so in the coming year?
Utterback: Pretty much everything. Most CIOs tell me they're not sure how they can effectively continue to do their jobs; there are just too many things on their plates.
I would say that's the first thing out of their mouths. The second thing out of their mouths is usually cybersecurity, simply because of the visibility and the impact. Every stakeholder gets involved, from the public relations agency to the patients, the compliance and audit committees to the CEO. When data breaches hit, they create an earthquake-like event from the epicenter, and the rings remain narrow; they pull in a lot of people.
Doing more with less also seems to be a challenge in the marketplace, as does the shift from--for many organizations--implementation to optimization, which includes moving the needle an analytics and population health.
Editor's Note: This interview has been condensed for clarity and content.