Healthcare IT News: How the modern CIO is casting off traditional IT role
The mission of the chief information officer is shifting quickly toward innovation, transformation and revenue generation, with organizations leaning on these execs more for their sociology and business school training than IT chops.
By Tom Sullivan and Mike Miliard
The acronym for chief information officer is perhaps the last remaining link to the role CIOs have historically played.
As hospitals move toward information science and embark on digital transformation those overarching trends, effectively running on the Third Platform, will further change CIOs' jobs along with the very nature of the IT shops they spearhead.
As chief information officers and hospitals turn their focus from technology to information, the CIO role is evolving into a full-fledged executive charged with generating revenue and scaling the digital business.
Indeed, a new type of executive that builds on traditional CIO skills is emerging to meet that demand. Sometimes that means changes in title, such as chiefs of innovation or transformation – or new mashups such as chief information and analytics officer or, in the case of David Chou of Children's Mercy Kansas City, chief information and digital officer.
Chou explained that the CDO role is to be a strategic agent with "business insight, change energy and a more explicit transformational focus," than more traditional IT leaders, responsible for building and maintaining infrastructure and networks.
"This shift necessitates big changes in strategy, culture, organization and competency that extend beyond the IT organization to encompass all business functions," Chou said.
Read the full article via HealthcareIT News.
Learn more about Children's Mercy Kansas City.