Jeana D. O’Brien, MD, FCCP, MMI serves as the Chief Medical Information Officer for Baylor Scott & White Healthcare.
On May 10th, Dr. Jeana O'Brien will present at Becker's Health IT + Clinical Leadership 2018. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place May 10-11th 2018 in Chicago.
To learn more about the conference and Dr. Walser's session, click here.
Question: What's one consumer-centric capability your organization built or tapped into within the past 18 months?
Dr. Jeana D. O'Brien: We implemented open patient scheduling in one of our regions to allow patients greater flexibility in accessing healthcare as a new patient. We had previously implemented direct scheduling to all patients to schedule with their existing care providers, however, the new functionality allows a person who is new to the organization to register as a patient, schedule an appointment and enroll in the patient portal with just a few clicks. Data suggests this capability has contributed to a decreased no-show rate as well as increased efficiency and time savings in our scheduling center. This success and desire to provide consumer-centric and enhanced access has prompted expansion of the program into other regions of the organization.
Q: As a leader, what is the best investment you made in your own professional development in the past five years?
JO: Despite several years of OJT, or "on the job training," to become the first CMIO for Scott & White Health I was expected to obtain a master’s degree in health informatics. After researching options I chose the Master's in medical informatics program at [Evanston, Ill.-based] Northwestern University, which provided me with the opportunity to study and do project work alongside classmates with backgrounds in pharmacy, nursing, industry, IT and others. This multidisciplinary, collaborative approach helped me establish an approach toward implementation, optimization and governance of our EMR and technology applications that continues to work well for me through the present day.
Q: Describe one of your best colleagues. What does that person do to make them indispensable to your organization?
JO: I have the privilege to work in an organization surrounded by truly exceptional individuals who demonstrate servant leadership with compassion for the patients and communities in multiple dimensions. With focus on our organization's mission and strategic initiatives, these colleagues help to define accountability, humility and professionalism. They really do "walk the walk, while talking the talk."