Health systems are navigating financial pressure, rising patient demand and structural workforce shortages while simultaneously expanding access and modernizing care. Technology has become the system’s most powerful lever for solving these challenges, said Chicago-based Northwestern Medicine CIO Doug King
The next phase of innovation will depend on how effectively health systems use digital tools to shift care beyond their four walls. As the system faces rising volume and tighter reimbursement, the challenges are clear: hospitals must deliver more care with fewer people while maintaining quality and financial discipline. Technology is one of the few tools that can move quickly enough to meaningfully ease those pressures.
“We’re really trying to adjust and adapt to make sure we still deliver high quality care and at the same time we can adapt to when something new hits us,” said Mr. King during an interview with the “Becker’s Healthcare Podcast.” “The opportunities really are to solve those problems in unique ways with technology. Technology is one of the best levers, if not the only lever, we have to start to take care of patients in their home, virtual settings and through wearables.”
But that’s not an easy transition. Clinical care and tech teams are focused on designing processes and leveraging technology so patient care outside of the institution is reliable and a great experience. Clinical teams still need to monitor patients and connect with them as fast as possible if there’s an issue.
“I really do see with technology and artificial intelligence that we can have a big impact,” he said. “When you grow up in the world of technology, you are faced with challenge after challenge. Some of the challenges are novel and new, and some are old ones that you’re just now solving in new ways. Ultimately, I think what has happened through the years is that the technology arm of a lot of different health systems has become a process improvement arm because it’s one of the fastest ways you can improve and solve a problem.”
The repeated exposure to problem-solving builds a mindset that embraces complexity instead of resisting it. This mindset is critical to solve the complex challenges in healthcare today and prepare for transformation ahead.
“If you look at it in the art of the possible and a ‘yes’ attitude instead of a ‘no’ because, it just naturally starts to build within you to say, ‘okay, let’s take down that problem and let’s get to work’,” he said.
As the system grows, Northwestern Medicine is balancing two priorities: maintaining rock-solid reliability of core systems and building new digital capabilities that open access, increase efficiency and create new value. Mr. King describes this as supporting the “lights on, doors open” essential functions of IT and the innovation layer that enables care in new settings.
“‘Lights on, doors open’ means the systems are running,” he said. “The utility element of IT so that physicians and clinicians can take care of those patients. We’re also getting the revenue associated with that.”
The second priority is expanding what technology can do to make care more convenient and more available.
“In the home setting, you have to take care of patients where you can and need to be able to fill as many patient appointments as you can through open scheduling so a patient can do it themselves. That way you’re adding growth naturally and organically, just by offering up the health system services in new ways,” said Mr. King. “You want to see what unique ways you can bring in technology to healthcare that either increases your margin or drives more volume, or increases quality.”
AI is now at the center of Northwestern Medicine’s investment strategy, but the system will only invest in areas that demonstrate measurable value. Revenue cycle automation, call centers and symptom checkers are among the proven areas generating returns.
“It needs to be a thoughtful and intentional investment and you need to understand what you are measuring upfront so that you can understand if the value is being achieved or not,” he said. “And if it is not, it should be shut down.”
Looking ahead, he expects wearable-enabled care models, supported by algorithms and remote monitoring, to accelerate significantly. These models could meaningfully expand capacity for chronic disease management and care for older adults, especially as inpatient beds remain limited.
“The area of wearables mixed with algorithms on top of them is something that is going to start to really hit within the next three to five years,” he said. “They’re out there, they’re working, but no one really has it truly figured out right now on how you can deploy those types of things at scale to where a health system can get reimbursed for the work and the care they’re providing.”
As technology becomes more integrated into clinical and operational work, the role of the CIO continues to evolve. The job today requires translating complex technical concepts into clear strategy and collaborating closely with clinicians and executives.
“It’s no longer just a world of ‘this is the system we want, please implement it’,” he said. “It’s more along the lines of ‘this is the problem we have, how can we leverage technology, to help make it better?’”
This shift has raised expectations for both leaders and their teams.
“These changes necessitate the evolution of an individual’s leadership as well as the department they’re leading,” he said. “Otherwise, you’re going to fail.”
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