TDP 105: WakeMed's CIO, Dr. Peter Marks & CMIO, Dr. Neal Chawla: Fostering a Successful CIO <> CMIO Dyad, Collaborating with Hospital Boards to Drive Digital Transformation, and Leveraging Transparency to Empower Clinicians

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On this episode of "The Digital Patient" podcast, hosts Alan Sardana & Dr. Joshua Liu speak with Dr. Peter Marks, CIO at WakeMed, and Dr. Neal Chawla, CMIO at WakeMed, about "Fostering a Successful CIO <> CMIO Dyad, Collaborating with Hospital Boards to Drive Digital Transformation, Leveraging Transparency to Empower Clinicians, and more..." Click the play button to listen or read the show notes below.
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Audio:

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Video:

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Guest(s):

• Dr. Peter Marks, Chief Information Officer at WakeMed
• Dr. Neal Chawla, Chief Medical Information Officer at WakeMed
• Dr. Joshua Liu (@joshuapliu), Co-founder & CEO at SeamlessMD

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‍Episode 105 - Show Notes:

[00:00:57] How the culture and mission at WakeMed attracts people with a laser focus on helping others, serves as a guiding principle for the team, and fosters a sense of community;

[00:03:49] How Dr. Chawla (CMIO) and Dr. Marks (CIO) function as a dyad, combining their strengths in clinical strategy and IT/digital operations to work together in achieving their goals;

[00:04:17] How asking questions and embracing humility have been instrumental in their transformation efforts, encouraging genuine curiosity and fostering a culture of continuous improvement;

[00:05:46] How Dr. Chawla and Dr. Marks work through their differences to find common ground by asking questions, leveraging their diverse backgrounds, and why it’s been helpful to maintain a respectful and humorous dialogue;

[00:09:00] How creating “board goals” helps connect initiatives to larger organizational goals, gain board support, and how the board’s curiosity drives engagement with the initiatives presented;

[00:11:53] How transparency and putting the spotlight on both successes and challenges leads to accountability, motivation, and the board’s willingness to support various initiatives;

[00:13:01] Why Dr. Chawla and Dr. Marks set ambitious goals that push the organization forward, and how there is a delicate balance between aiming for big goals and avoiding demotivation if they are not achieved;

[00:16:11] Why Dr. Chawla believes implementing technology alone is not enough to improve healthcare outcomes, emphasizing the importance of having the right people and processes in place to effectively use technology;

[00:18:04] Dr. Chawla discusses the implementation of ERAS at WakeMed, the challenges they faced, and why focusing on outcomes when developing dashboards to track progress is crucial;

[00:23:54] How Dr. Marks leverages transparency and communication in the prioritization process, utilizing roadmaps and ongoing conversations with operational leaders to ensure alignment between organizational priorities and resource allocation;

[00:31:30] Why it’s important to have a solid foundation before implementing shiny AI solutions, as the people processes, and how individuals leverage data and insight from AI is what moves the needle;

[00:34:27] Why it’s important to understand and analyzing data against patient outcomes to not lose focus on the main goals and/or get lost in the weeds of data for the sake of metrics;

[00:36:48] How there is a balance between discrete data and narrative data in healthcare systems and the importance of thoughtful decision-making in determining what data should be discreet;

[00:38:18] How to use dashboards to show providers how they are performing on certain metrics, to help providers understand the impact of their actions on patient outcomes and facilitate self-correction;

[00:40:20] How WakeMed’s positive culture of transparency is used to stimulate conversation and empower clinicians to find the best solutions for delivering high-quality care;

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‍Fast 5 / Lightning Round:

1. What is your favorite book or book you’ve gifted the most?
   Dr. Marks: "The Emperor of All Maladies" by Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee
   Dr. Chawla: "Good to Great" by Jim Collins

2. Who is a person–dead or alive–you’d love to meet?
   Dr. Marks: "Historical figures like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, or Jesus to understand the difference between history and what they were really thinking"
   Dr. Chawla: "Wise people with good quotes like Winston Churchill or Oscar Wilde, who have provided valuable insights and advice"
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3. Would you rather have Super strength, super speed, or the ability to read people’s minds?
   Dr. Marks: "Super speed"
   Dr. Chawla: "Mind reading"
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4. What is something in healthcare you believe that others might find insane?
   Dr. Marks: "The lack of transparency around billing and working with third-party insurance companies"
   Dr. Chawla: "Transparency around billing and other aspects such as pharmacy benefit managers"
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5. If you could travel back in time to any event or moment, what would it be and why?
   Dr. Marks: "Back to my wedding day to relive the joyful moment. Alternatively, back to significant historical events like 9/11 or World War II to try and prevent needless killing"
   Dr. Chawla: "Wedding or birth of my kids... but you know we have memories and photos now... I like the present moment"