Janice Newell, Vice President and CIO for Group Health Cooperative, reveals how having surgery contributed to the implementation of a new clinical system. In 2001, I was trying to select a clinical system that would make patient records available online. We were done with Y2K and trying to make our next IT investment more strategic. Then, I got sick and needed surgery. Everyone was very nice to me during my various appointments, whether or not they knew who I was. But the doctors and nurses had to keep asking me what was wrong and how long I had had symptoms every time they saw me. All that information was in my chart, but the chart was so large (and the doctors’ handwriting so bad) that it was easier for the caregivers to ask me than to plow through it. I ended up spending most of my time with the doctors, giving them basic information. I kept thinking that if the clinical system we were working on was in place, no one would have to go through this. I’ve always been interested in integration, but my experience as a patient really inspired me. Large investments require a large sales job, and the time I spent in the hospital made me much more passionate when I recovered and went after the funding. RELATED LINKS See more “What It’s Like To…” stories Health care has changed a lot over the past few decades. My parents used to think that doctors were omniscient. I have a friend whose 80-year-old father wouldn’t sign a consent form that would let her get information from his doctor because he was afraid it would tick the doctor off. But now, especially as we pay for more of our own health care, we need to be informed consumers; we need information so that we can make the right choices. The clinical system we put in, which is in the process of going live, lets patients access their records over the Internet. They can look at trends in their health, read doctors’ notes and print out prescriptions. It’s all there, and it’s all accessible.And now a patient in our health plan can spend her time with her doctor talking about how to get better.—As told to Ben Worthen Related content feature The CIO’s new role: Orchestrator-in-chief CIOs have unique insight into everything that happens in a company. Some are using that insight to take on a more strategic role. By Minda Zetlin Dec 04, 2023 12 mins CIO CIO CIO opinion Fortifying the bridge between tech and business in the C-suite To be considered a tech-forward company today, there has to be a focus on tech fluency across the C-suite, which creates a unique opportunity for CIOs to uplevel their roles and expand their footprint across the enterprise. By Diana Bersohn and Rachel Barton Dec 04, 2023 7 mins CIO CIO CIO brandpost Sponsored by G42 Understanding the impact of AI on society, environment and economy By Jane Chan Dec 03, 2023 4 mins Artificial Intelligence opinion Website spoofing: risks, threats, and mitigation strategies for CIOs In this article, we take a look at how CIOs can tackle website spoofing attacks and the best ways to prevent them. By Yash Mehta Dec 01, 2023 5 mins CIO Cyberattacks Security Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe