In this new episode of the HIMSS21 Changemaker Podcast series, a HIMSSCast production, Healthcare IT News Executive Editor Mike Miliard speaks with Isaiah Nathaniel, chief information officer at Delaware Valley Community Health, a private, non-profit health system, based in Philadelphia, that provides medical, dental and behavioral health services to patients – whether or not they're able to pay.

In this interview, Nathaniel explains how Delaware Valley Community Health, which operates seven Federally Qualified Health Centers in the region, was able to respond to the early days of the COVID-19 public health emergency, and configuring and scaling up its IT resources and telehealth capabilities. He talks about interoperability, public health information exchange, vaccine outreach, SDOH data management and much more.

In June, HIMSS (parent company of Healthcare IT News) named the first recipients of the Changemakers in Health Awards, meant to recognize leaders worldwide who are harnessing information and technology toward better health outcomes. The awardees will be recognized at the 2021 HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition, scheduled for August 9-13 in Las Vegas. Check back in the weeks and months ahead for more podcast interviews with other healthcare leaders from this year's list.

Themes and talking points in this Changemaker Podcast episode:

• The importance and the value of FQHCs
• How DVCH was able to maintain its full workforce during the pandemic
• Deploying telehealth capabilities in just a week and a half
• Enabling interoperability that's equitable
• Building technology that better serves the patient and provider experience

Links related to this episode:

HIMSS names 2021 Changemaker Award winners

The role of health systems in empowering communities

Hospitals facing big hurdles to public health data reporting

Digital health literacy as a social determinant of health

FCC awards Massachusetts FQHC Telehealth Consortium $3.1M

Digital health tools can help with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy

Medical groups urge racial data collection efforts for COVID-19 vaccinations