After Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine appointed a new technology leader last year, he went about redesigning the C-suite.
Mitchell Schnall, MD, PhD, was named the health system’s inaugural senior vice president for data and technology solutions in April 2024. Penn Medicine has since designated several other C-level tech leaders who report to him.
“We have to completely reimagine how we think of delivering care to our populations and do it effectively in this environment,” Dr. Schnall told Becker’s. “One potential driver that can allow us to rethink is tech.”
Dr. Schnall, who noted that he has been at Penn “since high school,” was previously chair of radiology but always had a knack for technology. He helped design radiofrequency coils for MRI machines in the 1990s. Now he will oversee IT, data analytics and AI for the health system.
He wants to focus on ambient listening, automation, telehealth, home care and self-directed care. “How do we integrate these together in ways where we can try to deliver care where people are, and keep them out of expensive and crowded care settings?” he said.
To bring these efforts together, the health system has appointed three new tech-focused C-suite leaders this year. Anna Schoenbaum, DNP, RN, previously the vice president of applications and digital health at Penn Medicine, serves as chief digital applications officer. Julian Mihai, the former chief information security officer, is now chief technology officer. And Srinath Adusumalli, MD, was hired as chief health information officer from CVS. They join Srinivas Sridhara, PhD, chief data and analytics officer since 2022.
Dr. Schoenbaum said the unified composition of the organization’s tech leadership will benefit staff and patients alike. “It’s innovative, but I think it’s needed,” she said. “What we want to provide is a holistic service. Users and clinicians just want a one-stop shop. Here we’re all together, connected, intertwined, so that when somebody asks about an implementation, say, it comes with security, network, hardware, applications, workflow, informatics, data reporting. So it brings it all together.”
Mr. Mihai called it a “very modern, future-looking structure.” “We deliver value by delivering platforms, engaging with our constituencies, delivering applications, and having all the teams organized around how we deliver to our internal customers, who ultimately deliver to patients,” he said. “It just makes it simpler and much more effective from a leadership structure perspective.”
“It’s not just about getting a tech solution to do something,” Dr. Schnall said. “It’s about reimagining how we work.”
