Taking on a new role, with a new industry, in the thick of a pandemic isn’t for everyone. But for Luke Olenoski, CIO at Main Line Health, the opportunity to be part of “the sector that was literally on the frontline” was too great to pass up. And so, he seized it, approaching it with an open mind and, more importantly, open ears. “The first thing for me was getting to know the people, getting to know the systems, and getting to know the environment,” he said during a recent interview with Kate Gamble, Managing Editor at healthsystemCIO.

Of course, while that was happening, Olensoki was also working with his team to craft a digital health strategy that provides an “omnichannel experience,” while ensuring enough time and resources are devoted to cybersecurity. He also talked about what he considers to be the biggest challenge for healthcare leaders, which is striking a balance between “keeping the plates spinning” and “trying to expand into different areas of growth in digital innovation.”

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Key Takeaways

* When Olenoski joined Main Line in June of 2020 – marking his first foray into healthcare – the top priority was “getting to know the people, getting to know the systems, and getting to know the environment.”

* In addition to a digital health steering committee, Main Line as a sub-committee with representation from HR, finance, and IT, among others. “We’ve done a nice job threading the needle in terms of making sure it’s inclusive enough but also nimble enough to make decisions.”

* Olenoski’s team seeks to provide an “omnichannel” digital experience by speaking with different constituents within patient groups” to reach people the way they want to be reached.

* There’s no better way to gauge the needs of users than putting yourself in their shoes – even if you have a diverse background. “You don’t get that full appreciation until you’re on their side of the curtain.”

* “Leadership and IT are ever-changing. Some things in IT change faster than others, but there’s always the need to think about what’s the new technology skill, what’s the new project management skill, what new things are emerging.”

Q&A with Luke Olenoski, SVP & CIO, Main Line Health

Gamble:  To start, can you just give some high-level information about Main Line Health — what you guys have in terms of hospitals, where you’re located, things like that?

Olenoski:  Main Line Health is a community system in the western suburbs of Philadelphia. We’re six hospitals if you include both rehab and our treatment center, with around 1,400 total licensed beds. We have a bunch of ambulatory locations as well. Main Line has been serving the Philadelphia community since 1985.

 

Gamble:  You joined the organization in June of 2020, and it was your first healthcare role. Tell me a little bit about that.

Olenoski:  Absolutely. I spent about almost 20 years in financial services and IT before jumping into healthcare in June of 2020, in the middle of the pandemic. And I’d absolutely do it again. It was a fantastic time to do so.

I think the big draw for me was the opportunity to go from one mission-driven organization like Vanguard to another in Main Line. My tongue-in-cheek anecdotal saying is I’ve worked for two great companies, and I’ve never had to apologize. It’s not to say that we get everything right. There are certainly things that we get wrong, and we make mistakes. But I think from a mission and impact standpoint, we’ve done pretty well.