Perhaps no industry has been hit harder by the great resignation than healthcare. And if qualified technology and clinical people aren’t quitting altogether, they’re being lured elsewhere by bigger paychecks and more flexibility.

That being considered, it may seem surprising that Hospital Sisters Health System, a 15-hospital network spanning multiple states, has made it a goal to grow 70 percent of leaders from inside the organization. If you look at the facts, however, it makes perfect sense. According to Ray Gensinger, MD, the IT team boasts the lowest turnover rate in the company, and the second-highest engagement scores.

Clearly, they’re doing something right, and it’s all about the people. HSHS prides itself on choosing individuals who are “compassionate” about patient care and willing to do hard work, said Gensinger. In a recent interview, he talked about what makes the organization unique (both in its makeup and vision), how he transitioned from CMIO to CIO, why support is such a critical part of implementations, and his thoughts on remote versus in-person work models.

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Key Takeaways

* Although the pandemic has proven that remote work arrangements can be very effective, “there’s something to be said for getting together in person,” said Gensinger, whose team has held social functions to break the ice.

* Creating a separate strategic plan for IT isn’t a viable option, said Gensinger. “In terms of the functional applications that support the care process, it makes far more sense to have the system’s priorities and strategic plan aligning and driving everything we do.

* One critical component CIOs can’t neglect: nurses. “They’re doing 90 percent of the care.”

* The “single best investment” HSHS made while implementing Epic? Ensuring clinicians had adequate, onsite support during the training process.

Q&A with Dr. Ray Gensinger, Part 1

Gamble:  We’re seeing so many remote and hybrid working models, and I’m thinking HSHS is probably no different. Is your team remote at this point?

Gensinger:  It’s funny; we were trying to get our people remote for years. It took a pandemic to provide it could work. Probably 90 percent of my staff are remote right now.

 

Gamble:  Do you see it staying that way?

Gensinger:  I think it’s going to flip back to more of a hybrid environment. I really do. If I had my way, I’d ask people to come in three days a week: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The big push for us was real estate value. If we could keep people remote permanently, we’d be able to save money. We did actually sublet a floor in one of our buildings and moved people around. That was definitely an advantage in terms of costs.

And even if people don’t have permanent spaces, there are other things you can do like rotate teams. I’m a typical IT introvert, but I believe there’s something to be said for getting together in person.

A few weeks ago, we held a celebration for our staff. During Covid, we had completed three major implementations that were part of a multi-year project. We never had a chance to celebrate that, plus we missed two Christmas parties because of the pandemic. And so, I’ve been on a tour with some of my leaders to get people together. We’ve had happy hours where we buy drinks and food and let people spend time together, and the response has been overwhelming. People are so happy to get back out and interact. They’ve really missed that. And so, while I think there are certainly benefits to working from home,