CIO Corner: Our Commitment to Unparalleled Service and You
This year’s Pathway to Unparalleled sessions focus on Houston Methodist’s commitment to quality. Last year, IT began our IT Service Transformation focused on improving the overall quality of service we provide to you.
Since then, we’ve continued to grow and evolve our service delivery model with exciting enhancements to our Service Operations team and ServiceNow. We’re also actively working on improvements to the tools and resources you use daily, helping launch innovative technologies to enhance care team performance and driving a culture of cybersafety. These changes are all a part of how we’re transforming our IT services with you in mind.
Support Closer to Where You Work
One of the first steps in our IT Service Transformation was providing support closer to where you work. I’m happy to report that we now have more IT team members rounding at our hospitals, such as nurse informaticists, physician support coordinators, medical device integration specialists and other team members from across IT. This proactive approach enables us to be where you are — even before you need us — so we can resolve issues more quickly.
We’ve also introduced new AskI.T. walk up support stations at our community hospitals (HMH will open later). Team members can help with a variety of items including IT equipment or general IT questions. Simply stop by an AskI.T. location for help anytime between 8-11 a.m. and noon – 4 p.m. Monday – Friday.
Early this year, we introduced our new IT Support website (itsupport.houstonmethodist.org), powered by ServiceNow. Not only does the new site make it easier for you to track your issues and requests, but you can also search the knowledge base to find answers on your own and complete a survey to submit feedback after your ticket is closed. Your feedback is key in telling us how we can do better in the future. So let us know how we did.
Top Technology to Enhance Patient Care
To be a leader in health care, it’s critical to have a patient-first mindset. This doesn’t start the moment a patient enters our doors; it starts before. With the launch of Fast Pass, an automatic waitlist feature in Epic, HM is on the fast track to improving patient access. By ensuring our patients can schedule their appointments easily and connect with the right provider or service in a timely manner.
As a leading health care organization in the use of AI-powered technology, we look for ways to not only enhance our patient experience but also how to best support our clinicians. A recent pilot program of an ambient listening tool is alleviating the time burden of manually documenting patient interactions. DAX Copilot listens to conversations between clinicians and patients to produce a thorough draft of the patient encounter, organized in a clinical note format that can be quickly reviewed and submitted. This helps clinicians focus less on entering data and more on their patients.
Help Secure Our World
Recent cyberattacks on major U.S. health care organizations underscore the real threat and potential impact of cyberterrorism. Most cybersecurity experts say it’s not a matter of if, but when we’ll be attacked. Protecting our data starts with each of us. By staying vigilant, reporting suspicious activity and practicing safe online habits, we can defend against cyberthreats and safeguard both our organization and personal information. In October, we’re celebrating Cybersecurity Awareness Month, with a contest to not only raise awareness of your role in cybersecurity but also make it fun.
Continuous Improvement and Feedback
We’re committed to continuously improving and exceeding your expectations, and your feedback is important as we strive to improve the quality of our service. I welcome your thoughts and opinions; you can share them with me directly by clicking here. Your anonymous feedback will be used to identify opportunities and make improvements in IT support and services systemwide.