Technology helps combat challenges of health care in rural states

The panelist discussed the most important technological advancements they have integrated into their health systems.

David Callendar of Memorial Hermann said the system is owned by the greater community of Houston, Texas and is very supportive of their mission to improve overall health. Callendat said Memorial Hermann engages with members of the community directly to help them understand what good health is and how to obtain it within their circumstances.

Brad Reimer from Sanford Health said the adoption of technology “has got to be targeted,” and the mission case and a business case have to come together. He said their mission is to sustain health care in rural America. An example of this is doubling down their investment in virtual care and developing an AI model with the chronic kidney disease team that, along with the development of electronic health records, has doubled the number of screenings and tripled the number of clinical diagnoses of chronic kidney disease.

Panelist says health systems can’t improve “without leveraging technology”

After the first networking break, Alexis Kayser is back on stage for her next panel, “The Business Case for Tech and Innovation,” which explores how hospital systems can adopt new technologies to drive efficiency and reduce costs.

Memorial Hermann Health System CEO Dr. David Callender, Fairview Health Services President and CEO James Hereford and Sanford Health CIO Brad Reimer share what has worked at their institutions to build a successful tech portfolio with a strong return on investment.

Fairview had a significant financial turnaround this past year. Hereford said the investment in technology played a major role in that success.

“We want to transform health care and you can’t fully do that without fully leveraging technology,” he said.

Reimer said pacing out tech deployments in the Sanford Health System has been a huge benefit. He said it allows the health system to do more pilot programs, reduce risk and pivot or bail out when they aren’t getting the outcomes they want.

“That’s much harder to do if you push that across a whole physician group or a full nursing group,” he said. “[We’re] trying to make sure that we’re taking a big picture step back of how much change are we are introducing to the clinicians and to operations and making sure that we’re not just peppering them with a bunch of uncoordinated things that don’t drive value.”

This approach has also helped with the recruitment of medical staff who expect the latest technology and advancements in hospitals.

First networking break begins

Attendees are now taking a short networking break before the next panel, The Business Case for Tech and Innovation, with speakers from Memorial Hermann Health System, Fairview Health Services and Sanford Health.

Koford said new cancer center is a “catalyst” for MSK’s mission

Kreg Koford said the new cancer center will address disparities in cancer care for underserved communities, translate research into clinical work, train the next generation of doctors and be a center for “impact-driven innovation” with “compassionate, personalized care.”

There will also be staff respite areas for clinicians to decompress from the high-stress environment, fall-prevention technology in patient rooms and improved digital displays and smart capabilities throughout the facility.

The guiding principles of the pavilion technology include:

• The patient is the focus
• Speed, stability and resilience in technology investment
• Using the most advanced, effective, efficient and compassionate care with flexibility and foresight to enable innovation
• Working as a team and using technology to improve collaboration among clinicians, patients and families
• Supporting team members
• Turning every interaction into insight by collecting data to improve outcomes and accelerate clinical trials and scientific discovery

He said the building serves as a “catalyst” for Memorial Sloan Kettering’s mission to provide care for everyone who needs it and “hopefully eradicate cancer and, if not, provide care to help patients recover.”

The pavilion is set to open in 2030.

A look at Memorial Sloan Kettering’s newest cancer pavilion

Kreg Koford, the senior vice president of Real Estate Operations at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, presented the hospital’s plan to build a new facility to address the anticipated increase in demand for care and to accommodate modern and future technology.

Koford said there are currently 40,000 new cancer cases in New York City each year, and that will increase to about 47,000 cases by 2030 and 60,000 by 2050.

To address this, MSK is building the Kenneth C. Griffin Pavilion on its main campus, located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The pavilion will house a new, state-of-the-art cancer care facility to accommodate the rising number of cancer cases each year.

The facility features 12 new operating rooms, 2,018 inpatient beds, single rooms for immunocompromised patients and the latest technology and cutting-edge robotics.

Panelists define with good vendor partnership looks like in health care

The speakers on the Breaking Down Silos panel shared what they look for in outside vendors to ensure true partnerships.

They agreed that the partnership has to go beyond the financial transactions.

Simon Nazarian from City of Hope said the patient is always at the center of these decisions, and when you start with the financial, you can lose the reason why you’re engaging in the partnership.

“What will this [partnership] deliver to the patient and the health care industry overall?” he said.

At IU Health, Dennis Murphy said transparency is key with these vendor partnerships.

“Define accountability on both sides of the table,” he said. “We want to know if our team is not doing what they’re supposed to. We are okay with telling vendors, but we are not as receptive about the feedback for our own team.”

He also said that products are not static; they are dynamic. Good partners, he said, talk about what is next in the space. Going beyond the financial transaction means talking with partners about the next two or three things coming down the pike.

Panelist discuss concerns over sharing patient medical data

Newsweek’s Alexis Kayser leads the first panel of the day, “Breaking Down Silos: Achieving True IT Integration in Health Care,” which tackles breaking down silos with tech integration.

Panelists include IU Health President and CEO Dennis Murphy, City of Hope Executive VP and Chief Digital and Technology Officer Simon Nazarian and Northwestern Medicine Chief Digital Executive and VP of Information Services Danny Sama.

Kayser asked the panel about patient data sharing, as people are worried about privacy and control over sensitive health data that could be used for education and research.

Sama said it comes down to whose data it is.

“It’s the patient’s. If the patient doesn’t want data to be used, that is their right,” he said.

He noted an ethical conundrum: Could this data lead to a medical breakthrough and would it be unethical not to use it? Sama said that the decision might be left up to the courts and government regulation.

“HIPPA needs updating for the modern system of how we use information,” he added. “Regulations might hinder progress more than helping it. But it is patient data, so it’s a tricky tightrope to walk.”

Murphy offered a different perspective, saying physicians need to take the time to explain to patients why the data is necessary to advance medical research.

“I don’t think people want to invest time to have those conversations with patients, he said.

Murphy added that the main concern among patients who are hesitant to share their data are fears of insurance costs going up, putting employment in jeopardy and wanting a return on investment if their data is used for major medical advancements.

Tina Freese Deckers shares key behaviors to drive change in health care

Tina Freese Deckers, the board chair of the American Hospital Association and president and CEO of Corewell Health, took the stage to share her opening remarks.

She shared a story of a patient with tremors who wrote her a letter, his first hand-written note in 30 years, after a focused ultrasound procedure.

“He now can write a letter, he can now drink coffee without worrying about spills,” she said. “We totally changed his life and that’s why we’re here.”

She outlined overall challenges facing health care, including funding, affordability, an aging population and a shrinking workforce.

Health care has been slow to change, Freese Deckers said, and there are five key behaviors needed to drive change:

• Taking care of ourselves and each other
• Focus on mission and purpose and find the problem we are trying to solve and tie it back to the mission
• Be curious about the road ahead, which requires actively listening and communicating and seeking out different points of view
• Commit and own it: Go to the higher rungs of the accountability ladder where you find solutions and “make it happen”
• Make sure we deliver and celebrate those successes

“This is how we do hard things, this is how we start to move forward,” she said. “We need to make sure that we’re doing those hard things, that we’re embracing the technology and artificial intelligence, that we’re bringing the hope to our teams, that we’re putting forward the discussions that we have and we’re owning it and making it happen.”

Newsweek’s health care editor outlines industry challenges in opening remarks

In her opening remarks, Newsweek’s Health Care Editor Alexis Kayser welcomes attendees and speakers – some of whom traveled from California, Texas, South Dakota, and even internationally from Mexico, Spain, Belgium and Colombia.

Kayser likens the current state of the health care industry to the Charles Dickens quote: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

“Where we sit, in the United States, health systems are up against funding cuts and rising costs,” she said. “Our population is getting older and they’re getting sicker. Policies, waivers and regulations are up in the air. And patients’ trust doesn’t come as easily as it used to. “

But, Kayser added, advancements in technology like AI and predictive analytics have the potential to turn things around.

“The people in this room are the people who are going to get us there,” she said. “The discussions we have in this room should help make that path a little clearer.”

Digital Health Care Forum to feature panels, fireside chats, presentations

Attendees are arriving at Newsweek’s headquarters in New York City for the Digital Health Care Forum: Sculpting a Digital Future.

The event will kick off with opening remarks from Newsweek’s Health Care Editor Alexis Kayser and Tina Freese Decker, the president and CEO of Corewell Health, at 10 a.m.

A full day of panels and fireside chats will follow throughout the day, including:

• A “State of the Industry” presentation with Newsweek’s Global Head of Research and Statista
• Discussions about aligning tech and financial investments with strategic planning
• Fireside chats with senior leadership from Tecsys and Palantir
• A panel about change management from the perspective of chief medical and nursing information officers
• Presentations from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and UMass Memorial Health
• A look at telehealth and remote patient monitoring technologies
• A review of AI advancements, use cases and challenges in top hospital systems
• Advice from top hospital systems about taking “healthy risks”
• A spotlight on fostering trust and collaboration from Newsweek CEO Circle members

The full schedule of events can be found here.