It's More Than the Technology: An Interview with CIO Tim Zoph - Northwester Memorial HealthCare executive discusses plans for hospital information technology - Interview

Healthcare Financial Management, August, 2001

HFM: How do you work with finance in developing your IT initiatives?

Zoph: Very closely Our chief financial officer, as a member of the senior executive team, is part of an information technology steering committee that reviews and is a part of decision making for any major IT initiative.

We've spent a lot of time at Northwestern Memorial over the last several years looking at how we plan for and sponsor information technology projects. And we have changed the sponsorship model to reflect the need to have strong operational leaders and operational sponsorship for IT.

The way it works now our organization's senior leaders are the sponsors of information technology projects. They are the ones who actually bring them forward. We certainly will see that the technology is implemented appropriately But so much of the value of information systems is in making process changes; therefore, the sponsorship and leadership for technology needs to come from the operating or clinical organization.

Obviously I would work very closely with the CFO as we look at the cost of systems, and planning out the financial implications, but if we were to do a project within the finance area, I'd also expect my CFO to be a sponsor.

Many of these large scale projects, whether we talk about patient safety--which includes physician order entry--or major e-commerce initiatives--including the supply chain--are transformational projects that require a large process change. Therefore, the value and the success of these projects are really associated with the operating leaders of the organization driving change.

And when we undertake information technology projects, particularly at the institutional level, they are integrated into the collective goals of the organization and into the collective performance of the team. Frankly, team success is what it's all about here. Individual performance at the senior level also is recognized, but as an organization, we really focus on institutional goals that are institutionally recognized.

HFM: What technologies do you think are going to have a major impact on your operations in the near future?

Zoph: We will be focused on information technology that allows us to make better decisions about care, and therefore, as a byproduct, make care safer and more predictable, while reducing variance. Those projects will incorporate clinician order-entry systems, decision support as well as advances in nursing documentation.

HFM: Could you discuss your use of wireless technology?

Zoph: Our view is that wireless devices are very well suited for the healthcare environment. Physicians and nurses are mobile, and when they need to document or administer care, they often are with the patient and need information technology to travel to the bedside. Using a wireless device--such as a tablet computer, a laptop, or a PDA, which are pocket devices--is the way the healthcare workers want to work.

We need to make some advances. You have to do a lot of due diligence with all your biomedical devices and with any new radio-frequency devices you might introduce. Security is always a concern, particularly if these devices "walk" or are lost.