Dana Alexander
Q&A with Dana Alexander, HIMSS North America Chair
February 21, 2016
by Sean Ruck, Contributing Editor
HIMSS North America Chair, Dana Alexander, took some time out of a busy schedule to speak with HealthCare Business News and share her background in health care as well as the latest on the Society’s news.
HCB News: How did you get involved in health care?
DA: I felt strongly about nursing, thinking it was where I wanted to be and what I wanted to do. I’m a registered nurse. I went to nursing school after high school, and then graduated nursing school, becoming a neonatal nurse practitioner. Over time, I found myself moving into various roles, including management, and holding positions of chief nursing officer, and then chief executive officer for a freestanding woman’s hospital.
I became more involved in health information technology 15 years ago. Cerner was my entree into health IT, where I led efforts for clinical transformation during IT implementations. In addition, I’ve always been very active in professional associations: American Nurses Association, and American Organization of Nurse Executives. I’m an Academy of Nursing fellow as well. I have also participated in national efforts related to quality with National Quality Forum and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. All of these experiences have positioned me to deal with opportunities and challenges we face in health care.
I’ve had the chance to learn about and work with health care systems that are striving to improve the health of individuals and populations. I’ve been fortunate that health care has been an industry rich in opportunities. It hasn’t just been in acute care. I’ve had responsibilities that have expanded into post-acute care, home health, and hospice as well, to give me a very broad perspective on health care.
HCB News: How did you get involved in HIMSS?
DA: I’ve always had a very strong commitment to associations, and HIMSS has been one of those organizations. Engaging with HIMSS was a natural evolution. I first became active with HIMSS when I was appointed to the Nursing Informatics Committee, whose members address important issues in the field. Another example is the HIMSS Public Policy Committee with active and influential volunteers focused on the policy side of health IT. In addition to serving as Chair of the HIMSS North America Board of Directors, I also hold a seat on the HIMSS Board of Directors, which is a separate board and oversees the entire enterprise including international activities.
HCB News: Why should people consider joining HIMSS?
DA: The right technologies must be in place to support and achieve a health care organization’s strategies, and HIMSS has the depth and breadth to engage in and influence public policy and the transformation of health and health care through IT. I know this, based on where we are in health care today, where we’re going in achieving the national quality strategy, the drive toward population health and value-based care, and evolving alternative payment models.
In addition, consumer and patient engagement must be incorporated more than ever before. Achieving health care reform and the goals of the national strategy really means we all have to work together. HIMSS works as a mutual convener to bring these influences together, but also to encourage action. There’s great importance regarding interpersonal, professional engagement as a member of HIMSS. HIMSS provides a way for an individual voice to collaborate.
HCB News: What are the main initiatives you’re championing as chair?
DA: First off, providing guidance to the HIMSS leadership and management staff is where I began. We just completed our annual strategic planning session. When I started my term this past July, I knew much of the guidance had been laid out in 2014. I knew what some of the focus areas were for me, as chair, and the board. I knew what we needed to be championing.
We needed to maintain HIMSS’ commitment to credibility and our mission. There’s definitely a continued focus on interoperability and usability; it’s very much on our radar screen. Additional focus on population health and accountable care will increase the demand for interoperable health IT, so that the right information gets to the right person at the right time to make informed decisions. And HIMSS continues to collaborate with the government (CMS, ONC) and other associations to help educate congressional staff, state legislators and others on the value of health IT for better health care outcomes.
Another area of focus is privacy and security — particularly related to cybersecurity. A CIO once told me, “I think we do very well as an organization to protect privacy and security, but I also know we’re only one step away from the bad guys … and we must keep focus on protecting our health system.” There is strong motivation to continue putting effort into cybersecurity and best practices. Encouraging innovation and use of business and clinical intelligence and analytics are other focus areas for HIMSS.
HCB News: What skills does an information and managementsystems professional need to be successful today?
DA: Information and management systems professionals must think strategically and agilely. This person must be comfortable taking risks using his or her creative, open and innovative mind. It requires understanding health care’s shift from fee-for-service to payment-for-value. ACOs, bundled payments and such are not the end game, but they are influencing our behavior in how we act and manage care to achieve value-based care.
HCB News: What are the main challenges your members face today?
DA: Tracking the pace of governmental changes is one challengeour members face. Quality reporting challenges, for example, also require our attention. While there’s been an initiative to create alignment and harmonization of CMS quality reporting programs, it’s still not where it needs to be, but we’re making progress. Interoperability is another challenge, and while the ONC has published a roadmap for interoperability, multiple and complex issues remain.
HCB News: Is there more of a need to put a face to the information and management systems professional today than in years past within the facility they’re working in?
DA: The importance of information management professionals will continue to grow. We are seeing new roles evolve beyond the traditional CTOs/CIOs to include chief clinical officers (CMIOs, CNIO), Vice President of Population Health, and many others. The information management professionals of today and the future must think about the management of patients across the care continuum.
HCB News: Has the ACA impacted health care information and management professionals?
DA: Yes, the Affordable Care Act has impacted health care information and management professionals with high-tech or meaningful use, or alternative payment method (APM). We know as we launch new models of care, we’re going to need technologies and analytics to support them. But, it is the right thing to do, even with these challenges.
HCB News: How did you get involved in health care?
DA: I felt strongly about nursing, thinking it was where I wanted to be and what I wanted to do. I’m a registered nurse. I went to nursing school after high school, and then graduated nursing school, becoming a neonatal nurse practitioner. Over time, I found myself moving into various roles, including management, and holding positions of chief nursing officer, and then chief executive officer for a freestanding woman’s hospital.
I became more involved in health information technology 15 years ago. Cerner was my entree into health IT, where I led efforts for clinical transformation during IT implementations. In addition, I’ve always been very active in professional associations: American Nurses Association, and American Organization of Nurse Executives. I’m an Academy of Nursing fellow as well. I have also participated in national efforts related to quality with National Quality Forum and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. All of these experiences have positioned me to deal with opportunities and challenges we face in health care.
I’ve had the chance to learn about and work with health care systems that are striving to improve the health of individuals and populations. I’ve been fortunate that health care has been an industry rich in opportunities. It hasn’t just been in acute care. I’ve had responsibilities that have expanded into post-acute care, home health, and hospice as well, to give me a very broad perspective on health care.
HCB News: How did you get involved in HIMSS?
DA: I’ve always had a very strong commitment to associations, and HIMSS has been one of those organizations. Engaging with HIMSS was a natural evolution. I first became active with HIMSS when I was appointed to the Nursing Informatics Committee, whose members address important issues in the field. Another example is the HIMSS Public Policy Committee with active and influential volunteers focused on the policy side of health IT. In addition to serving as Chair of the HIMSS North America Board of Directors, I also hold a seat on the HIMSS Board of Directors, which is a separate board and oversees the entire enterprise including international activities.
HCB News: Why should people consider joining HIMSS?
DA: The right technologies must be in place to support and achieve a health care organization’s strategies, and HIMSS has the depth and breadth to engage in and influence public policy and the transformation of health and health care through IT. I know this, based on where we are in health care today, where we’re going in achieving the national quality strategy, the drive toward population health and value-based care, and evolving alternative payment models.
In addition, consumer and patient engagement must be incorporated more than ever before. Achieving health care reform and the goals of the national strategy really means we all have to work together. HIMSS works as a mutual convener to bring these influences together, but also to encourage action. There’s great importance regarding interpersonal, professional engagement as a member of HIMSS. HIMSS provides a way for an individual voice to collaborate.
HCB News: What are the main initiatives you’re championing as chair?
DA: First off, providing guidance to the HIMSS leadership and management staff is where I began. We just completed our annual strategic planning session. When I started my term this past July, I knew much of the guidance had been laid out in 2014. I knew what some of the focus areas were for me, as chair, and the board. I knew what we needed to be championing.
We needed to maintain HIMSS’ commitment to credibility and our mission. There’s definitely a continued focus on interoperability and usability; it’s very much on our radar screen. Additional focus on population health and accountable care will increase the demand for interoperable health IT, so that the right information gets to the right person at the right time to make informed decisions. And HIMSS continues to collaborate with the government (CMS, ONC) and other associations to help educate congressional staff, state legislators and others on the value of health IT for better health care outcomes.
Another area of focus is privacy and security — particularly related to cybersecurity. A CIO once told me, “I think we do very well as an organization to protect privacy and security, but I also know we’re only one step away from the bad guys … and we must keep focus on protecting our health system.” There is strong motivation to continue putting effort into cybersecurity and best practices. Encouraging innovation and use of business and clinical intelligence and analytics are other focus areas for HIMSS.
HCB News: What skills does an information and managementsystems professional need to be successful today?
DA: Information and management systems professionals must think strategically and agilely. This person must be comfortable taking risks using his or her creative, open and innovative mind. It requires understanding health care’s shift from fee-for-service to payment-for-value. ACOs, bundled payments and such are not the end game, but they are influencing our behavior in how we act and manage care to achieve value-based care.
HCB News: What are the main challenges your members face today?
DA: Tracking the pace of governmental changes is one challengeour members face. Quality reporting challenges, for example, also require our attention. While there’s been an initiative to create alignment and harmonization of CMS quality reporting programs, it’s still not where it needs to be, but we’re making progress. Interoperability is another challenge, and while the ONC has published a roadmap for interoperability, multiple and complex issues remain.
HCB News: Is there more of a need to put a face to the information and management systems professional today than in years past within the facility they’re working in?
DA: The importance of information management professionals will continue to grow. We are seeing new roles evolve beyond the traditional CTOs/CIOs to include chief clinical officers (CMIOs, CNIO), Vice President of Population Health, and many others. The information management professionals of today and the future must think about the management of patients across the care continuum.
HCB News: Has the ACA impacted health care information and management professionals?
DA: Yes, the Affordable Care Act has impacted health care information and management professionals with high-tech or meaningful use, or alternative payment method (APM). We know as we launch new models of care, we’re going to need technologies and analytics to support them. But, it is the right thing to do, even with these challenges.