Inside CHIME: CHIME Eyes Programs to Improve Leadership Diversity

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Weinstock 70x70 12.15.16 by Matthew Weinstock
Director of Communications and Public Relations, CHIME

Through mentorship and focused professional development, CHIME leaders hope to inspire the next generation of health IT leaders and create a more diverse workforce.

Similar to many industries, healthcare faces a diversity gap in the executive ranks. Minorities made up just 14 percent of hospital board members, 11 percent of executive leadership positions and 19 percent of first- and mid-level managers, according to respondents to a 2015 survey from the Institute for Diversity in Health Care and the Health Research and Educational Trust. The study did not track women in leadership positions.

CHIME’s membership numbers parallel industry trends. Roughly 700 members identified race or ethnicity on their membership profile, with 136 denoting a minority classification. Additionally, 489 of CHIME’s 2,000-plus members are female.

Creating a diverse leadership team is essential if organizations aim to move beyond the status quo and explore new and innovative ways to solving problems. This is true for any industry, but especially healthcare. As provider organizations develop population health programs and try to address equity of care, C-suite diversity helps to nurture new strategic priorities.

In 2017, CHIME will be leading the charge to increase leadership opportunities for women and minorities in health IT. The initiatives will be led by board members Liz Johnson, Cletis Earle and Myra Davis. Broadly, the initiatives will focus on providing focused mentoring and professional development.

“We must continue to remind ourselves that the patient is the ultimate customer. IT strategy and decision-making must involve having an understanding of the diverse population that’s being served,” says Liz Johnson, 2017 CHIME board chair and chief information officer, acute care hospitals and applied clinical informatics, Tenet Healthcare. “There’s no better way to do that than to increase diversity not only at the IT leadership level, but all throughout IT and from within the staffing ranks. This clearly will create an environment that promotes unique perspectives, creative approaches and opportunities to better meet the needs of our customers and organization.”

  Leaders of CHIME’s Diversity Leadership Program

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Liz Johnson

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Cletis Earle

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Myra Davis

 

At the same, says Earle, vice president and CIO, Kaleida Health, the board recognized that “the world is changing and the role and influence of the CIO must change as well; talent comes in all forms.” The worry, he adds, is that organizations that fail to adapt to new business paradigms will end up being left behind. “You never want one thought process of people who think the same; we are not robots. Having active diversity programs provides valuable input in influencing strategic and decision-making processes. In IT, we must challenge the status quo. If we have everyone thinking the same, we may fall into an environment of complacency.”

Johnson, Earle and Davis agree that it is incumbent on current CIOs to mentor and encourage future leaders, and that means going beyond the four walls of the hospital. Reaching out to universities, community colleges, social service agencies and even elementary and high schools can go a long way towards inspiring the next generation of health IT leaders and creating a diverse workforce.

“It’s critical that we engage in local communities and programs such as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), says Davis, senior vice president of information services and CIO, Texas Children’s Hospital. “As a woman CIO and a woman of color, it’s critical that we recognize the blessing we are given and, equally, how important it is to also recognize that we must help others, in whatever way we can, to achieve their goals. I believe this is true no matter what your background is. I have been blessed to have great mentors in my career, whether personally or professionally. With the exception of my mother, all have been male. The really good mentors never allowed me to make an excuse for myself; I was always challenged to think differently and never accept ‘No’ for the answer and always look ahead and anticipate what’s next.”

And for those future leaders, Johnson suggests that they not sit back and wait for change, rather, they can help initiate change. “Let your passion for all you know lead you to thinking out of the box and finding solutions for really difficult problems,” she says.

There’s a strong commitment from the board to advance this movement; look for more details on the diversity/mentorship initiatives as they unfold in the coming months.

More Inside CHIME Volume 1, No. 32: