Julie Bowen, MSN, RN, serves as Executive Director of Geriatric Services and Quality Assurance for Gibson Area Hospital.
On May 2nd, Julie will serve on the panel "The Best Uses of Health IT for Clinical Improvements" at Becker's Health IT + Clinical Leadership + Pharmacy conference. 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 2-4, 2019 in Chicago.
To learn more about the conference and Julie's session, click here.
Question: Healthcare takes a lot of heat for not innovating quickly. What's your take on this?
Julie Bowen: We have to remember that at the center of healthcare is the patient. While technology can be and is a great asset, there is still a balance that must be maintained between positive effects on patient care versus hindrance because of said technology. I deal with providers every day that feel this hindrance due to technology that evolved too quickly without oversight of impact on patient care delivery. So, in turn, we step back when approached with new technology. We take a longer look at risk, impact and sustainability. This tends to impede enhancements, but we have to continue to evaluate the effects on patient care.
Q: Tell us about the last meaningful interaction you had with a patient.
JB: My neighbor is 85 years young and seemingly very healthy. Listening to her perspective on how healthcare has changed specifically over the last 20 years, the frustration she has with technology and the desire to be involved in her health care presses me to rethink our delivery of care. I look at technology and workflow processes from her eyes, the eye of the patient, as I make decisions on initiatives related to quality, continuity of care and collaborative services. She stresses that personal interaction is vital when you are caring for a patient and want their buy-in to make changes in their medical care. This is simplified thinking but is a true reflection of what is missing in healthcare today, the personal touch. I think we have forgotten about this as we go about our day dealing with all the technology that surrounds us and consumes our time as healthcare professionals.
Q: Can you share some praise with us about people you work with? What does greatness look like to you when it comes to your team?
JB: I am very fortunate to collaborate with a wonderful group of healthcare professionals. My greatest joy is when we work as a supportive team to break down the old walls of “we’ve always done it that way” and look at innovative changes that positively affect staff and providers in their day-to-day routine. We are very focused on our vision of being the model of excellence in community-based healthcare. We aren’t afraid to test new grounds, take calculated risks and challenge the status quo. While this sounds cliché, it is true. We are passionate about what we do and have a very supportive Administrative team and Board of Directors. Because of this support, we are a very successful critical access hospital.