Jacksonville, Fla.-based Baptist Health has built a “culture” of innovation by involving team members and making care consumer-friendly, its IT chief told Becker’s.
Aaron Miri, DHA, executive vice president and chief digital and information officer of Baptist Health, was recently recognized for innovative IT leadership when he was nominated for an ORBIE Award for the nation’s top healthcare CIO.
Becker’s talked with Mr. Miri about how he has created that innovative culture, including through the use of AI, virtual care and online scheduling.
Question: Is there a specific IT project or trend you’re most focused on right now at Baptist Health?
Aaron Miri: No. 1, our focus is really opening up access for our patients and our community to Baptist Health. The interesting part about Northeast Florida is that we’re growing so fast. The biggest issue, in very layman’s terms, is keeping up with that demand. Our product is so well appreciated by the community, and we need to make sure the digital access points are there. People need to be able to engage with us, schedule appointments online, use our Baptist Access app, and access our electronic health record and portal.
Second, we’re laser-focused on quality. We want every single patient to leave here treated to the best of our ability. Our clinicians are truly world-class. They go above and beyond for our patients in a way I haven’t seen before. It’s almost a personal touch. Every single patient becomes like a family member — “I want to make sure you’re better, patient Aaron” — and that’s incredible. The community appreciates that because you’re not treated like a commodity; you’re treated as a person. That person-centered care really matters. It goes back to our mission, vision and values.
Lastly, from a technology sense, we are hyper-focused on the responsible expansion of artificial intelligence to enhance quality and the patient care experience. Our CEO is known for saying, “We’re not a technology company dabbling in healthcare. We are an exceptional healthcare organization using technology smartly.” He even said that on the main stage at ViVE during his keynote. That resonated with the audience. Too many health systems sample off-the-shelf products like a buffet menu instead of focusing on what really matters to patients. We’re focused on that — pioneering AI, analytics and other tools from a population health perspective to truly make Northeast Florida healthier. That’s remarkable.
Q: Regarding those three areas — access, patient experience and AI — are there specific projects you’re excited about right now?
Aaron Miri: Yes, on all three. On patient access and opening the aperture, we’ve adopted an OpenTable concept. We want folks to be able to get appointments when, where and how they want — through virtual health and other modalities. Our clinicians are open to engaging with patients in ways that make sense for them. We’ve done a great job opening that aperture and allowing folks to be seen on demand. Is it perfect? No. Is it getting there? Yes. More importantly, we see the appetite from the region for that.
This adds a layer of consumerization in healthcare. It’s no longer, “Call me and I’ll see you next month.” It’s, “I want to be seen now because my ear hurts.” That changes the tone of care. Honestly, this is still novel in our industry. We’ve operated the same way for hundreds of years. For a health system like Baptist Health to pivot that quickly is remarkable.
On AI, we’re applying it across both back-office functions — like revenue cycle and claims adjudication — and clinical care. It’s not about replacing physician judgment but augmenting it. We’ve got prompts that say, “Did you know? Did you think about this?” to help clinicians. Our physicians are so keen on using AI responsibly that, just for one community project, 15 doctors volunteered over 200 hours to review prompts and outputs for accuracy. That’s their own time. They’re committed to using this technology responsibly. That level of commitment is powerful.
From an organizational standpoint, we’re seeing tremendous adoption of electronic engagement. Patients are using our portal, our app, and features like FastPass and direct scheduling. They want consumerization. They want their healthcare when and where they want it. For Baptist to pivot and become consumer-friendly, and to have everyone all in behind the scenes, is amazing.
Q: You mentioned online scheduling, which patients want but is not always easy to implement. Where are you at in that journey?
AM: Absolutely. Every specialty — cardiology, neurology, etc. — has its own prerequisites. Have you been seen before? Have you had prior labs? These are all necessary. It’s not one-size-fits-all. That’s why it’s difficult.
But the secret sauce of a good CIO — and what may separate ORBIE CIOs from average CIOs — is the willingness to listen, respect and engage. That means working with the service line, clinical dyads, operational leaders — understanding the nuances, and then finding a way to say yes.
The culture at Baptist is about finding a way to say yes. It’s not “too bad, so sad, you’re out in the rain.” It’s “let’s make it happen.” It’s not always easy for every specialty, but once those conversations happen and the culture is aligned, you find common ground quickly.
Thanks to our board, our CEO Dr. Michael Mayo, and our medical staff, we’ve embraced the art of the possible. We’ve adopted automation, interoperability, digital modalities through our app, and physician training. And thanks to Cindy [Hamilton, executive director of corporate communications] and her team, we communicate in simple, understandable language so everyone gets it.
Not everyone has the same tech literacy, but if we share a common language, we can all use the same tools. As a result, we’ve seen increased adoption. Patients say it’s easier to pay bills, navigate care, and communicate with physicians. They want the Baptist product and the digital product. As a CIO, that’s what I want — for patients to feel just as supported at home as they would in our hospital lobby.
Q: If you could pick just one, what’s the biggest challenge in health IT today, and how are you tackling it at Baptist?
AM: We could talk for hours on this. But I’d say the biggest challenge is ensuring a congruent environment. There are so many solutions off the shelf. You have to ensure commonality and conformity — getting physicians, nurses and allied health professionals to agree on which platforms and workflows to double down on.
Here’s a specific example: We worked with our EHR vendor to improve sepsis detection. We nearly doubled our rate of sepsis detection, allowing us to administer antibiotics more than a day earlier. Once a patient becomes septic, the decline is rapid. Catching it earlier is critical.
That required working with physicians and nurses to align all the data variables. We now detect changes before they’re even visible. That’s the power of AI and intelligent tools. It lets our clinicians solve problems faster and smarter. That’s gold. But it’s not just tech — it’s culture, process and people. And it’s total organizational buy-in, from our board to our executive team to our medical staff.
Q: The ORBIE Awards recognize innovation. How do you define innovation in health IT today?
AM: Innovation is not something you buy. You cultivate it. You cocreate with your clinical staff, with your patients. You build the art of the possible. I can’t buy that off the shelf. It’s a mindset and a culture.
As I always tell my team: The proof is in the performance. Go do. Go make magic. I’m blessed to be at Baptist and to work with people I call family every day. I send my family here for care — my wife, my daughters — because I believe in our product, as does all of Northeast Florida. That’s why Baptist is what it is.
So I appreciate the ORBIE recognition, but it’s not an “Aaron” award. It’s about our culture and what we’ve built here. That pride radiates through all 15,000 of our team members.
