At a time when digital transformation is reshaping healthcare delivery, Jefferson Health is redefining the role of IT from a cost center to a strategic investment engine.
Under the leadership of Luis Taveras, PhD, senior vice president and CIO of Jefferson Health, the organization has launched a rigorous governance model that evaluates technology initiatives through a value-based lens — ensuring every clinical, operational, and academic application delivers measurable return on investment. This shift in mindset, coupled with a disciplined process of oversight and accountability, positions Jefferson’s IT department as a driver of enterprisewide performance.
“One of the major accomplishments of the last nine months is the implementation of the governance model we put in place for investment in IT,” said Dr. Taveras during an episode of the “Becker’s Healthcare Podcast.” “Words do matter, and I make sure people understand that when the organization decides to make an investment in an application it’s an investment; it’s not an expense. We’re not a call center. We’re an investment center for the organization. We have to make sure we bring the expected value back from that investment.”
The IT leadership team has designed a decision-making process for clinical and non-clinical technology spend. The teams developing applications create a business case to present to the organization. Applications affecting the clinical environment are presented to a clinical steering committee to decide whether it’s a worthy investment. A business steering committee makes a similar evaluation for operational efficiency applications. Jefferson has a third committee focused on research and education to approve applications developed by the university.
After applications pass through the steering committee, the next step is securing funds for the project and ensuring return on investment. Once the application is rolled out, Jefferson continues to evaluate progress and results.
“A lot of times you see organizations implement these governance models and business cases, but what they fail to do at the end is hold people accountable for the value they say they’re going to bring to the organization,” said Dr. Taveras. “Every six months we go back to that organization that we made the investment in and make sure they’re bringing in the results they said so we get the results we expect back from the investment.”
