AUGUST 2017CIOAPPLICATIONS.COM8he much-discussed transformation of the hospital CIO from the technically focused, to a role that now encompasses those functions as well as vendor and project management, biomedical/clinical engineering, customer service, enhancing the patient experience, and contract negotiation, is continuing to evolve.These ever-expanding responsibilities now extend to the Internet of Things and connectivity of assets from hospital beds to the patients themselves. With the expanded responsibilities of the CIO's role, it's sometimes difficult to establish priorities. We have found it helpful to focus our concentration on three major areas. 1. Patient Care2. Security3. Financial ManagementOf these three, I have found that financial management responsibilities of the information services team are not provided the level of attention and importance that they truly require. I have yet to have a fiscal budget approved where all the projects and funding requests were summarily given a green light. Every year Information Services are faced with more and more projects (and growing support and maintenance charges) as well as constrained budgets due to smaller and smaller margins. Instead of overlooking this ever more important area of focus, I realized that if we were already using outside experts to help us with JAKE DORST, CHIEF INFORMATION AND INNOVATION OFFICER, TAHOE FOREST HOSPITAL DISTRICTTREDUCING AND RECOVERING YOUR IT SPENDIn My OpinionJake Dorst
< Page 7 | Page 9 >