Inside CHIME: It’s All in the Details
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5.25.17 By Amy McDonald, CHIME Communications |
CHIME member using analytics, electronic documents and a passion for leadership to streamline and improve the largest medical transport fleet in the US.
David Kleinman, VP of IT, American Medical Response
What started out as a job building computers to help pay for college expenses has evolved into a career that places David Kleinman on the forefront of healthcare information technology. As the Vice President of Information Technology at American Medical Response (AMR), Kleinman is responsible for connecting a company that is over 25,000 employees strong. Keeping a fleet of more than 6,000 air and land vehicles equipped with the latest medical technology and moving where they are needed most is no easy task, but David Kleinman lives by the phrase, “love what you do, and you’ll never work a day in your life,” so he rarely goes to “work”. He leaves every morning to be around people he cares about and uses his skills as a technology leader to improve the care for hundreds of thousands of Americans. In fact, AMR has more than 2.1 million patient interactions a year.
“AMR is one of the largest and most diverse mobile medical response organizations. All of our clinicians are mobile, which creates an enormous challenge in delivering quality technology,” he said. “We use computer dispatch systems, electronic health records and a whole suite of different systems to get important technology out in the field to raise the efficiency level of our clinicians and care for our patients.”
One of the biggest ways Kleinman is leading AMR to greater efficiency is through data analytics. As emergency vehicles are now equipped with real-time tracking technology, implemented algorithms can sift through the data to predict where their services might be needed. “Our system can look at traffic flow in any given service area or city, and using analytics, look at places we get the most calls, and then strategically position ambulances to arrive on site in a timely manner.” Kleinman explains. What may seem like a small adjustment is actually saving precious moments in the delivery of healthcare that could mean the difference between life and death for some patients.
When he stepped into healthcare after college, technology was just something for back offices, or used as a basic tool in direct patient care. The healthcare tech boom of the early 2000’s drastically changed the landscape of how care is handled and seen, and with improvements of wireless and instant connection, emergency services are getting smarter in multiple facets of providing services. “We moved to fully electronic patient care records a few years ago, and CADS (computer-aided dispatch system) has been able to efficiently dispatch our resources and assets on a national scale.”
However, the immediate response personnel are not the only ones who have benefited from the improvements, as Kleinman notes. “We have over 50 911 call centers, from secondary PSAPs to assisting local municipalities, which dispatch both fire services and emergency medical response.” Technology improvements have allowed this kind of outside contract work to take place, whichintegrates local governments with the private sector working together. AMR has also implemented newly developed software throughout the organization “from training, back office, credentialing, patient care records, and mobile records,” Kleinman said. And a partnership with AMR and companies such as Microsoft have allowed a wider use of standard hardware such as tablets and mobile devices.
It has always been important to Kleinman to provide the best for AMR staff as they stretch across 42 states and boast an international presence. “It’s important to stay on the cutting edge of technology, to bring solutions back to our medical base, understand how we can help our clinicans become more efficient, and ensure we have a thorough understanding of the people involved in that process. My job is to stay in the know in technological improvements and apply those improvements to improve patient care”.
When a first responder can look down at their tablet and see the records of a patient, they are able to administer proper drugs with confidence, knowing they are not risking inadvertent allergic reactions, and they gain overall peace of mind that there is every measure being taken to ensure patients are receiving the best care possible. Quality patient care is at the heart of AMR and at the forefront of David Kleinman’s goals for his IT team.
“I’m passionate about my team, passionate about helping people love what they do,” Kleinman said. “The quote ‘Love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life’ sums it up well, I want them to get to that point, I want all my team members to love what they do every day.” Truly a leader at AMR, he is also passionate about helping employees find a healthy work-life balance. Setting the example himself, he enjoys all kinds of outdoor activities, including hiking in the beautiful Colorado Rockies, and spending time with his family.
A lifelong learner and avid reader, Kleinman fit right in at CHIME’s Healthcare CIO Boot Camp, where CIOs from all sectors of healthcare converge for a conference to address the unique challenges of a niche and rapidly evolving job–the event that was Kleinman’s final prompt for joining CHIME. In a friendly and collaborative environment, he found people who shared his goals, understood obstacles, and pushed conventional ideas forward to find innovative solutions.
“When it’s all said and done, I like to talk and communicate and work with CIOs, and together become better at what we do, and find solutions across the industry instead of competing. We are better together than we are separated, and CHIME brings us all together.”