1 00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:02,899 At athenahealth, 2 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:06,480 we know your ambulatory practice wants healthier, a 3 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:09,779 healthier business, healthier care teams, and healthier patients. 4 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:12,480 But the complexities of modern health care tech 5 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:14,240 make it hard for you and your care 6 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:15,855 teams to focus on what matters 7 00:00:16,414 --> 00:00:19,295 most? That's where athenahealth can help. Our AI 8 00:00:19,295 --> 00:00:22,594 native all in one solutions reduce administrative burdens, 9 00:00:22,894 --> 00:00:25,875 streamline billing and payments, and deliver critical insights 10 00:00:25,934 --> 00:00:28,734 when clinicians need it most. That means fewer 11 00:00:28,734 --> 00:00:31,614 clicks, more time for patients, and stronger bottom 12 00:00:31,614 --> 00:00:31,829 lines. 13 00:00:32,710 --> 00:00:35,989 Practicing medicine is complex, but running a practice 14 00:00:35,989 --> 00:00:37,850 can be that much simpler with athenahealth. 15 00:00:38,549 --> 00:00:42,170 See how simpler is healthier@athenahealth.com. 16 00:00:44,325 --> 00:00:46,565 This is Laura Dierdo with the Becker's Healthcare 17 00:00:46,565 --> 00:00:48,725 podcast. I'm thrilled today to be joined by 18 00:00:48,725 --> 00:00:51,844 Bob Berbecco, chief information officer at Mahaska Health. 19 00:00:51,844 --> 00:00:53,045 Bob, it's a pleasure to have you on 20 00:00:53,045 --> 00:00:54,105 the podcast today. 21 00:00:54,885 --> 00:00:56,825 Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here. 22 00:00:57,370 --> 00:00:59,210 Absolutely. Now I'm excited to have you on 23 00:00:59,210 --> 00:01:01,690 the line because I know technology is evolving 24 00:01:01,690 --> 00:01:04,250 so quickly, and it's such a fascinating time 25 00:01:04,250 --> 00:01:06,010 in health IT right now. And so it'll 26 00:01:06,010 --> 00:01:07,849 be great to get your perspective on several 27 00:01:07,849 --> 00:01:08,829 things as we, 28 00:01:09,450 --> 00:01:11,689 you know, talk through the conversation. But before 29 00:01:11,689 --> 00:01:13,305 we dive in, can you tell us a 30 00:01:13,305 --> 00:01:14,905 little bit more about yourself and your work 31 00:01:14,905 --> 00:01:15,644 in health care? 32 00:01:16,104 --> 00:01:17,165 Yeah. Absolutely. 33 00:01:18,025 --> 00:01:18,525 So, 34 00:01:18,984 --> 00:01:22,364 currently, I'm the chief information officer at Mahaska 35 00:01:22,424 --> 00:01:22,924 Health, 36 00:01:23,465 --> 00:01:26,364 and I lead all the organizational 37 00:01:27,390 --> 00:01:29,250 information technology initiatives. 38 00:01:29,790 --> 00:01:31,010 So data science, 39 00:01:31,390 --> 00:01:32,450 artificial intelligence, 40 00:01:33,230 --> 00:01:33,730 cybersecurity, 41 00:01:34,989 --> 00:01:35,489 informatics. 42 00:01:36,590 --> 00:01:39,069 And what my goal is is as I 43 00:01:39,069 --> 00:01:41,569 do that, we wanna ensure that they're seamless 44 00:01:42,004 --> 00:01:43,625 integration of those technologies 45 00:01:44,244 --> 00:01:46,665 to enhance patient care and operational efficiency. 46 00:01:47,444 --> 00:01:48,825 I was drawn to 47 00:01:49,125 --> 00:01:51,704 Mahaska Health by its meaningful mission 48 00:01:52,325 --> 00:01:54,744 and its, empowering culture. 49 00:01:55,524 --> 00:01:56,024 Passionate 50 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:57,140 personally 51 00:01:57,599 --> 00:01:59,219 about fostering collaboration. 52 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:03,140 Relationships are very important to me. 53 00:02:03,439 --> 00:02:04,739 I love mentoring 54 00:02:05,599 --> 00:02:08,080 emerging talent, and I look to make a 55 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:10,080 a daily positive impact in health care and 56 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:10,580 beyond. 57 00:02:10,965 --> 00:02:13,365 Prior to that, I've been a senior leader 58 00:02:13,365 --> 00:02:16,165 now in health care technology for about twenty 59 00:02:16,165 --> 00:02:16,985 seven years. 60 00:02:17,525 --> 00:02:19,465 I've done predictive analytics, 61 00:02:20,165 --> 00:02:21,145 process optimization, 62 00:02:21,925 --> 00:02:22,825 change management. 63 00:02:23,469 --> 00:02:26,030 I also was an operational director as a 64 00:02:26,030 --> 00:02:27,170 service line administrator, 65 00:02:28,349 --> 00:02:30,210 data governance, experience design, 66 00:02:31,069 --> 00:02:31,950 a lot of things. 67 00:02:32,670 --> 00:02:34,990 I also have a six sigma black belt, 68 00:02:34,990 --> 00:02:35,969 so I'm very 69 00:02:36,435 --> 00:02:37,094 passionate about, 70 00:02:38,355 --> 00:02:38,855 optimization 71 00:02:39,314 --> 00:02:39,814 continual 72 00:02:40,355 --> 00:02:41,575 optimization process 73 00:02:41,955 --> 00:02:42,455 improvement. 74 00:02:43,075 --> 00:02:45,015 And then beyond that, personally, 75 00:02:46,275 --> 00:02:48,135 I I love to contribute 76 00:02:48,675 --> 00:02:50,775 within the arts and academic communities. 77 00:02:51,580 --> 00:02:53,900 I serve on the board of directors for 78 00:02:53,900 --> 00:02:54,560 the Indianapolis 79 00:02:54,860 --> 00:02:55,360 Ballet 80 00:02:55,819 --> 00:02:56,319 and 81 00:02:56,939 --> 00:02:58,719 the IU School of Science, 82 00:02:59,259 --> 00:02:59,759 and, 83 00:03:00,539 --> 00:03:01,280 I was, 84 00:03:02,459 --> 00:03:02,959 very 85 00:03:03,855 --> 00:03:04,355 humbled. 86 00:03:05,455 --> 00:03:08,495 I received a distinguished alumni award from the 87 00:03:08,495 --> 00:03:10,034 Science Alumni Association 88 00:03:10,575 --> 00:03:11,875 based upon the contribute, 89 00:03:12,735 --> 00:03:15,294 contributions I've made over the years. And then 90 00:03:15,294 --> 00:03:16,115 in a nutshell, 91 00:03:16,735 --> 00:03:18,835 I am very committed 92 00:03:19,810 --> 00:03:21,909 and really enjoy fostering collaboration. 93 00:03:22,689 --> 00:03:25,510 I I love mentoring emerging talent. 94 00:03:26,129 --> 00:03:28,210 And just every day, I I I look 95 00:03:28,210 --> 00:03:30,290 to make a positive impact within health care 96 00:03:30,290 --> 00:03:30,949 and beyond. 97 00:03:31,824 --> 00:03:34,165 That's amazing to hear. And, you know, certainly 98 00:03:34,305 --> 00:03:37,264 a really fascinating journey you've had in health 99 00:03:37,264 --> 00:03:40,645 care and now, taking you to Mahaska where, 100 00:03:40,944 --> 00:03:42,645 I can imagine, you know, there's 101 00:03:43,104 --> 00:03:43,764 a really 102 00:03:44,550 --> 00:03:47,830 big need for your skills in technology. Before 103 00:03:47,830 --> 00:03:49,509 we, you know, dive deeper, can you tell 104 00:03:49,509 --> 00:03:51,189 us just a little bit more about Mahaska 105 00:03:51,189 --> 00:03:52,469 Health and and some of the things that 106 00:03:52,469 --> 00:03:53,370 you're doing there? 107 00:03:54,069 --> 00:03:55,050 Yeah. Absolutely. 108 00:03:55,509 --> 00:03:58,995 So Mahaska Health, we are a critical access 109 00:03:58,995 --> 00:03:59,495 hospital 110 00:03:59,875 --> 00:04:00,935 in rural Iowa. 111 00:04:01,555 --> 00:04:04,435 We're very focused on meeting the needs of 112 00:04:04,435 --> 00:04:07,094 our community, the health care needs, and doing 113 00:04:07,395 --> 00:04:09,175 beneficial things within the community. 114 00:04:10,689 --> 00:04:11,750 We have been 115 00:04:12,290 --> 00:04:16,310 in Iowa now, I think, since 1910, 116 00:04:16,769 --> 00:04:17,750 1912. 117 00:04:18,689 --> 00:04:19,189 And, 118 00:04:19,889 --> 00:04:20,709 every day, 119 00:04:21,009 --> 00:04:21,910 we are, 120 00:04:23,009 --> 00:04:23,910 we're growing. 121 00:04:24,485 --> 00:04:27,064 We're growing our outpatient service lines. 122 00:04:28,085 --> 00:04:29,145 We are doing, 123 00:04:31,045 --> 00:04:32,425 services within inpatient. 124 00:04:33,045 --> 00:04:33,545 And, 125 00:04:34,404 --> 00:04:34,904 internally, 126 00:04:35,845 --> 00:04:37,685 there are some things that we're working on 127 00:04:37,685 --> 00:04:39,384 too with artificial intelligence 128 00:04:40,779 --> 00:04:42,079 and EMR optimization, 129 00:04:42,459 --> 00:04:43,600 workflow optimization, 130 00:04:44,779 --> 00:04:46,379 a number of things that we're we're just 131 00:04:46,379 --> 00:04:48,959 looking to provide benefits both to our providers 132 00:04:49,259 --> 00:04:52,060 and to our, the patients that come to 133 00:04:52,060 --> 00:04:52,720 see us. 134 00:04:54,435 --> 00:04:57,235 That's amazing to hear, and what a important 135 00:04:57,235 --> 00:04:59,175 mission and service that is to the community. 136 00:04:59,555 --> 00:05:02,354 Now I know nearly half of medical practices 137 00:05:02,354 --> 00:05:04,754 report using AI in some capacity over the 138 00:05:04,754 --> 00:05:06,595 last year. And our main is a key 139 00:05:06,595 --> 00:05:08,759 topic for health IT leaders as well. Can 140 00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:10,040 you tell me a little bit more about 141 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:12,120 that and, you know, what you're seeing in 142 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:12,939 AI today? 143 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:14,460 Yeah. Absolutely. 144 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:17,339 So from what I've seen, 145 00:05:17,639 --> 00:05:20,439 the real impact today, shows up in in 146 00:05:20,439 --> 00:05:21,660 three focus areas. 147 00:05:22,615 --> 00:05:24,634 So first, you have ambient 148 00:05:24,935 --> 00:05:25,995 clinical documentation, 149 00:05:26,534 --> 00:05:29,175 also known as the the AI scribe or 150 00:05:29,175 --> 00:05:30,794 artificial intelligence scribe. 151 00:05:31,334 --> 00:05:32,074 So within 152 00:05:32,454 --> 00:05:34,740 our hospital, we do use a scribe today. 153 00:05:35,459 --> 00:05:38,259 It's called MD Hub, and it's been well 154 00:05:38,259 --> 00:05:39,479 received by our providers. 155 00:05:40,660 --> 00:05:44,439 And it's reduced, burnout and after hours charting. 156 00:05:44,979 --> 00:05:45,479 Second, 157 00:05:46,099 --> 00:05:47,959 there is the operational focus, 158 00:05:48,675 --> 00:05:50,455 and revenue cycle copilots. 159 00:05:51,154 --> 00:05:54,595 So what can we do that enables our 160 00:05:54,595 --> 00:05:55,895 revenue cycle to 161 00:05:56,355 --> 00:05:58,535 have better processes around denial, 162 00:05:58,835 --> 00:06:00,694 prediction, and appeal drafting, 163 00:06:01,235 --> 00:06:04,410 coding assistance, and then inbox triage? So we 164 00:06:04,410 --> 00:06:06,810 look at those, and we run those, like, 165 00:06:07,129 --> 00:06:10,250 process improvements. And it's incremental improvement that we 166 00:06:10,250 --> 00:06:11,069 focus on. 167 00:06:11,610 --> 00:06:12,110 Third, 168 00:06:12,410 --> 00:06:14,750 there's care access and patient experience. 169 00:06:15,289 --> 00:06:16,589 So we use dashboard 170 00:06:17,365 --> 00:06:18,264 within our organization 171 00:06:18,964 --> 00:06:21,685 to maintain line of sight. We look to 172 00:06:21,685 --> 00:06:22,904 reduce no shows, 173 00:06:23,604 --> 00:06:25,944 personalize the outreach that we do 174 00:06:26,245 --> 00:06:29,204 through we're on Epic. So personalized outreach we 175 00:06:29,204 --> 00:06:30,985 do through MyChart and other mechanisms. 176 00:06:31,540 --> 00:06:34,120 And then we look to route patients 177 00:06:34,500 --> 00:06:35,480 so that wayfinding, 178 00:06:36,180 --> 00:06:38,199 routing patients to the right side of care. 179 00:06:39,139 --> 00:06:41,620 The second and the third items that I 180 00:06:41,620 --> 00:06:44,180 mentioned in relation to what we do at 181 00:06:44,180 --> 00:06:44,920 our organization, 182 00:06:45,654 --> 00:06:46,555 we've been reliant 183 00:06:47,014 --> 00:06:49,194 on so we are a community connect, 184 00:06:50,134 --> 00:06:52,214 and we have a partner, and we're on 185 00:06:52,214 --> 00:06:52,714 Epic. 186 00:06:53,334 --> 00:06:56,055 So we've been reliant on our community connect 187 00:06:56,055 --> 00:06:56,555 partner 188 00:06:57,014 --> 00:06:59,910 and Epic's timeline for those. Our focus has 189 00:06:59,910 --> 00:07:01,610 been on the AI functionality 190 00:07:02,629 --> 00:07:04,650 that is embedded within our EMR. 191 00:07:05,750 --> 00:07:06,250 We 192 00:07:06,550 --> 00:07:07,370 aren't resistant 193 00:07:07,910 --> 00:07:10,470 to adding third party bolt ons. We do 194 00:07:10,470 --> 00:07:11,850 look at those as well. 195 00:07:12,345 --> 00:07:14,504 When we look at bolt ons to our 196 00:07:14,504 --> 00:07:15,004 EMR, 197 00:07:15,305 --> 00:07:17,944 we're looking for specific value that is shown 198 00:07:17,944 --> 00:07:20,185 by those AI products that would not be 199 00:07:20,185 --> 00:07:22,605 something that would be available within Epic. 200 00:07:23,545 --> 00:07:24,045 Epic, 201 00:07:24,870 --> 00:07:26,970 many folks who are listening to this podcast 202 00:07:27,269 --> 00:07:29,209 probably seen some of the road map items, 203 00:07:29,589 --> 00:07:31,430 that's been mentioned as far as what Epic 204 00:07:31,430 --> 00:07:33,289 is looking to do for AI. 205 00:07:33,910 --> 00:07:36,009 As they continue to release these, 206 00:07:36,389 --> 00:07:38,709 we plan to adopt as soon as they 207 00:07:38,709 --> 00:07:40,064 become available to us. 208 00:07:41,105 --> 00:07:44,324 And our strategic road map, they're on it. 209 00:07:45,024 --> 00:07:45,524 We 210 00:07:45,824 --> 00:07:48,805 follow our Community Connect host partner. So UnityPoint 211 00:07:49,024 --> 00:07:51,105 Health is our host partner for our epic 212 00:07:51,105 --> 00:07:51,605 solution. 213 00:07:51,985 --> 00:07:54,084 So long story short and in a nutshell, 214 00:07:54,490 --> 00:07:55,310 we're prioritizing 215 00:07:55,769 --> 00:07:56,269 AI 216 00:07:57,209 --> 00:07:59,229 to remove administrative friction, 217 00:08:00,490 --> 00:08:01,229 to protect 218 00:08:01,769 --> 00:08:04,669 clinical time, the clinician's time, and 219 00:08:05,209 --> 00:08:07,389 look to improve safety and experience. 220 00:08:08,475 --> 00:08:10,814 So and we also as we do that, 221 00:08:10,875 --> 00:08:12,415 we're mindful about measurement, 222 00:08:13,194 --> 00:08:16,574 thoughtful about our change management approach, and adaptable 223 00:08:16,714 --> 00:08:20,014 and pragmatic about tech. We're preparing ourselves 224 00:08:21,399 --> 00:08:23,180 to to, roll in Epic 225 00:08:23,879 --> 00:08:24,860 as they come, 226 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:27,959 and we also are looking at those third 227 00:08:27,959 --> 00:08:30,199 party tools where they show value for our 228 00:08:30,199 --> 00:08:31,339 providers and organization. 229 00:08:34,205 --> 00:08:35,964 Absolutely. That makes a lot of sense. You 230 00:08:35,964 --> 00:08:38,044 know, it's great to hear that you're using 231 00:08:38,044 --> 00:08:39,804 it in the clinical as well as the 232 00:08:39,804 --> 00:08:41,985 operational setting to really maximize, 233 00:08:42,924 --> 00:08:45,404 the care you're able to give. Now I 234 00:08:45,404 --> 00:08:47,985 I think especially during, you know, virtual care, 235 00:08:48,044 --> 00:08:50,539 as that expands from AI enabled tools and 236 00:08:50,539 --> 00:08:51,440 remote monitoring 237 00:08:51,820 --> 00:08:53,600 to broader digital health platforms, 238 00:08:54,539 --> 00:08:56,860 introducing new technology brings its own set of 239 00:08:56,860 --> 00:08:59,419 challenges. Mhmm. So what advice do you have 240 00:08:59,419 --> 00:09:01,659 for leaders who are navigating everything from the 241 00:09:01,659 --> 00:09:02,774 governance to, 242 00:09:03,415 --> 00:09:05,415 patient engagement? And and can you share some 243 00:09:05,415 --> 00:09:07,495 of the examples about how you've been able 244 00:09:07,495 --> 00:09:10,154 to balance that innovation with operational constraints? 245 00:09:11,014 --> 00:09:13,575 Absolutely. Absolutely. It's the fun of being in 246 00:09:13,575 --> 00:09:16,075 the technical world. There's unlimited demand. 247 00:09:17,690 --> 00:09:19,629 So the the biggest challenge 248 00:09:20,009 --> 00:09:20,509 that 249 00:09:20,970 --> 00:09:22,750 I see and face today is 250 00:09:23,210 --> 00:09:24,429 managing that 251 00:09:24,889 --> 00:09:26,350 large amount of demand 252 00:09:26,730 --> 00:09:29,049 for the innovations that are out there within 253 00:09:29,049 --> 00:09:32,175 the constraints of financial resources. So we have 254 00:09:32,634 --> 00:09:34,415 limited people. We have limited money. 255 00:09:35,355 --> 00:09:36,415 And every organization, 256 00:09:36,875 --> 00:09:39,355 including Mahaska, we're all looking to stay ahead 257 00:09:39,355 --> 00:09:40,254 of that technology 258 00:09:40,634 --> 00:09:43,514 trend curve and adopt those new tools as 259 00:09:43,514 --> 00:09:44,335 they come in. 260 00:09:44,879 --> 00:09:47,700 So the downside, you know, the the limitations 261 00:09:47,759 --> 00:09:48,420 I mentioned 262 00:09:48,879 --> 00:09:52,320 is that can restrict our ability to build, 263 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:55,920 maintain, optimize the solution. So the approach that 264 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:57,299 I have is is, 265 00:09:58,304 --> 00:09:59,204 mentioned three, 266 00:09:59,745 --> 00:10:01,605 before. There's three now. 267 00:10:02,704 --> 00:10:03,845 Three important threads 268 00:10:04,304 --> 00:10:06,644 that I look to model at our organization 269 00:10:07,184 --> 00:10:08,884 is, number one, 270 00:10:09,345 --> 00:10:11,204 provider engagement by default. 271 00:10:12,420 --> 00:10:15,240 So we look to, at Mahaska, our clinicians' 272 00:10:15,460 --> 00:10:19,480 voices, our providers' voices are are a priority. 273 00:10:19,700 --> 00:10:22,500 We wanna hear what they need. We wanna 274 00:10:22,500 --> 00:10:25,134 hear what they're looking for. The goal is 275 00:10:25,134 --> 00:10:27,774 is to essentially make their lives easier so 276 00:10:27,774 --> 00:10:29,855 that they could focus on patient care. So 277 00:10:29,855 --> 00:10:31,235 we gather their thoughts. 278 00:10:31,695 --> 00:10:34,815 We go in with a beginner's mind, so 279 00:10:34,815 --> 00:10:35,475 no assumptions. 280 00:10:36,495 --> 00:10:38,254 We may have things that we've learned over 281 00:10:38,254 --> 00:10:39,820 the past. We can apply those, those, but 282 00:10:39,820 --> 00:10:43,100 we wanna learn from them. No assumptions. We 283 00:10:43,100 --> 00:10:45,679 identify champions. We validate workflows, 284 00:10:46,459 --> 00:10:48,000 and we do usability 285 00:10:48,379 --> 00:10:50,320 functionality validation. So, 286 00:10:50,700 --> 00:10:51,360 the issues 287 00:10:51,754 --> 00:10:53,695 as we're going down this path are minimized, 288 00:10:53,995 --> 00:10:56,654 and adoption isn't something that's like an afterthought. 289 00:10:57,034 --> 00:10:57,934 Number two, 290 00:10:58,554 --> 00:10:59,534 you want governance. 291 00:11:00,235 --> 00:11:02,334 So we promote clear governance. 292 00:11:03,034 --> 00:11:04,575 We determine the countabilities, 293 00:11:05,529 --> 00:11:06,669 communication pathways, 294 00:11:06,970 --> 00:11:08,029 expected outcomes, 295 00:11:08,889 --> 00:11:10,029 and, essentially, 296 00:11:10,730 --> 00:11:11,789 we have a playbook. 297 00:11:12,090 --> 00:11:14,809 So have a playbook drafted, have it in 298 00:11:14,809 --> 00:11:16,889 place before you go down the path of 299 00:11:16,889 --> 00:11:17,870 of the work. 300 00:11:18,490 --> 00:11:18,990 Last 301 00:11:19,575 --> 00:11:21,595 is a tiered demand process. 302 00:11:22,535 --> 00:11:24,554 So as these things are coming in, 303 00:11:25,014 --> 00:11:26,715 they're coming into a big funnel, 304 00:11:27,495 --> 00:11:28,634 technology funnel. 305 00:11:29,014 --> 00:11:31,335 And how do you prioritize those things? How 306 00:11:31,335 --> 00:11:32,934 do you structure it so that those are 307 00:11:32,934 --> 00:11:35,159 things that can be done with some of 308 00:11:35,159 --> 00:11:36,620 the limitations we have? 309 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:39,179 So we have two pathways. 310 00:11:39,639 --> 00:11:42,940 One is a formal one, not highly bureaucratic, 311 00:11:43,159 --> 00:11:45,159 not allowed to red tape, but there are 312 00:11:45,159 --> 00:11:47,879 steps, and it's for those items that are 313 00:11:47,879 --> 00:11:50,220 high lift, risk, cost. 314 00:11:51,554 --> 00:11:53,554 So there's a little bit more involvement as 315 00:11:53,554 --> 00:11:55,334 far as how you structure those 316 00:11:55,634 --> 00:11:58,115 as they go into where you you pass 317 00:11:58,115 --> 00:11:59,014 them for deployment. 318 00:11:59,634 --> 00:12:02,434 The second is you have, like, a demand 319 00:12:02,434 --> 00:12:03,495 management light. 320 00:12:04,570 --> 00:12:07,389 So smaller, lower risk requests, initiatives, 321 00:12:07,850 --> 00:12:09,610 things that maybe you wanna throw against the 322 00:12:09,610 --> 00:12:11,690 wall, just see if they stick. Those go 323 00:12:11,690 --> 00:12:14,090 through DM light very quick. You can be 324 00:12:14,090 --> 00:12:16,090 very agile about it. You look at it. 325 00:12:16,090 --> 00:12:19,144 Hey. Low risk, Low resource need. Let's go 326 00:12:19,144 --> 00:12:21,225 ahead and just try it out. So the 327 00:12:21,225 --> 00:12:24,024 overall goal of that process is, you know, 328 00:12:24,024 --> 00:12:26,524 find that business value as quickly as possible. 329 00:12:27,225 --> 00:12:29,384 You wanna do it with minimum waste. You 330 00:12:29,384 --> 00:12:31,304 don't wanna have a lot of resources cost 331 00:12:31,304 --> 00:12:33,330 associated with it and then find out where 332 00:12:33,330 --> 00:12:34,149 it's a failure. 333 00:12:34,769 --> 00:12:35,269 So, 334 00:12:35,649 --> 00:12:38,289 you know, get to the business value. And 335 00:12:38,289 --> 00:12:41,730 then that light path you have will empower 336 00:12:41,730 --> 00:12:44,230 you to get as quickly as possible 337 00:12:44,769 --> 00:12:47,190 to a quick win or a fail fast. 338 00:12:49,975 --> 00:12:51,815 Absolutely. That makes a lot of sense. You 339 00:12:51,815 --> 00:12:54,375 know, really embracing that mentality of trying new 340 00:12:54,375 --> 00:12:56,295 things and being quick to make a change 341 00:12:56,295 --> 00:12:56,955 as needed, 342 00:12:57,335 --> 00:12:59,815 you know, seems to be really important in 343 00:12:59,815 --> 00:13:01,195 the nimbleness of today. 344 00:13:01,680 --> 00:13:03,120 And I wanted to ask you as well, 345 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:04,320 what are you seeing in some of the 346 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:07,360 recent legislation both on the federal and state 347 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:07,860 level, 348 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:10,980 that affect health care organizations and health IT 349 00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:11,540 specifically? 350 00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:13,840 Have you had to make any adjustments to 351 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:15,139 your strategy in response? 352 00:13:16,065 --> 00:13:17,764 Yeah. Absolutely. Great question. 353 00:13:18,144 --> 00:13:20,004 You know, life of place and, 354 00:13:21,745 --> 00:13:24,085 environment is continually changing. 355 00:13:24,544 --> 00:13:26,544 Like, sometimes it it almost feels hard to 356 00:13:26,544 --> 00:13:27,285 keep up. 357 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:29,059 And and so, 358 00:13:29,519 --> 00:13:31,059 really, our strategy 359 00:13:31,519 --> 00:13:34,720 I mentioned earlier, we are community connect partners. 360 00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:37,440 So our strategy to to meet as much 361 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:40,240 as we can of those legislative needs is 362 00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:40,980 by putting 363 00:13:41,384 --> 00:13:43,804 Epic at the center of our strategy. 364 00:13:44,345 --> 00:13:46,684 So as a critical access hospital, 365 00:13:47,785 --> 00:13:50,125 you know, in serving a rural region, 366 00:13:51,065 --> 00:13:52,365 we our resources 367 00:13:53,304 --> 00:13:55,004 the benefit of having 368 00:13:55,419 --> 00:13:55,919 Epic 369 00:13:56,540 --> 00:13:57,040 is 370 00:13:57,580 --> 00:13:58,559 Epic is 371 00:13:59,100 --> 00:14:00,700 is is actually doing a lot of these 372 00:14:00,700 --> 00:14:02,799 things for us. So we have that relationship 373 00:14:03,179 --> 00:14:04,160 with UnityPoint, 374 00:14:04,940 --> 00:14:07,840 and we can focus on our, 375 00:14:08,595 --> 00:14:10,054 having a patient experience 376 00:14:10,754 --> 00:14:12,514 and and focus on that side of it, 377 00:14:12,514 --> 00:14:14,134 whereas the regulatory compliance 378 00:14:14,514 --> 00:14:16,274 ends up being embedded into many of the 379 00:14:16,274 --> 00:14:18,274 things that Epic's doing already. So a couple 380 00:14:18,274 --> 00:14:20,294 of examples that I have with that 381 00:14:20,639 --> 00:14:22,580 is you have the interoperability 382 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:25,220 and pricing transparency rules. 383 00:14:25,759 --> 00:14:26,259 So, 384 00:14:26,879 --> 00:14:27,379 Tesco 385 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:31,279 or it's the trusted, explained framework, and common 386 00:14:31,279 --> 00:14:32,420 agreement rule, 387 00:14:33,424 --> 00:14:35,825 those were adopted. Those are things that are 388 00:14:35,825 --> 00:14:37,845 out there. Thankfully, Epic 389 00:14:38,544 --> 00:14:40,965 has adopted it within their EMR, 390 00:14:41,664 --> 00:14:44,384 and they have, brought it into something called 391 00:14:44,384 --> 00:14:45,284 Epic Nexus. 392 00:14:46,225 --> 00:14:49,079 We have already signed into that. So we 393 00:14:49,079 --> 00:14:51,259 are now meeting the TEFCA rules. 394 00:14:52,039 --> 00:14:53,259 And through that, 395 00:14:53,639 --> 00:14:56,699 the big benefit is our clinicians now can 396 00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:59,259 access and send records nationwide 397 00:15:00,279 --> 00:15:00,779 under 398 00:15:01,240 --> 00:15:03,019 a single technical umbrella, 399 00:15:03,774 --> 00:15:05,855 of all the different sites that have Epic 400 00:15:05,855 --> 00:15:08,174 throughout The United States and, actually, beyond The 401 00:15:08,174 --> 00:15:08,995 United States. 402 00:15:09,534 --> 00:15:11,375 It reduces this need. You have a bunch 403 00:15:11,375 --> 00:15:14,014 of interfaces that can exist out there. There's 404 00:15:14,014 --> 00:15:16,335 that thing. The benefit is is that you 405 00:15:16,335 --> 00:15:18,820 don't need those. It enables us to actually 406 00:15:18,820 --> 00:15:21,059 be able to see these records very easily, 407 00:15:21,059 --> 00:15:21,559 quickly, 408 00:15:22,259 --> 00:15:24,120 reduce that clinical burden. 409 00:15:24,980 --> 00:15:28,179 On the pricing transparency side, we are continually 410 00:15:28,340 --> 00:15:29,940 we do have that out there on our 411 00:15:29,940 --> 00:15:30,440 website. 412 00:15:31,545 --> 00:15:34,745 We continually validate that machine readable data and 413 00:15:34,745 --> 00:15:37,004 make sure the estimator is available publicly. 414 00:15:37,545 --> 00:15:38,285 Now the 415 00:15:38,665 --> 00:15:40,985 big one so I I mentioned a couple 416 00:15:40,985 --> 00:15:41,644 of ones. 417 00:15:42,184 --> 00:15:42,745 You know, the, 418 00:15:44,029 --> 00:15:44,529 cybersecurity. 419 00:15:46,189 --> 00:15:48,689 A hospital is amongst the crowd. So cybersecurity, 420 00:15:50,110 --> 00:15:52,209 is something that is a huge focus, 421 00:15:52,589 --> 00:15:54,929 and it's something that the government and regulations 422 00:15:55,230 --> 00:15:57,409 and all of those is is something that, 423 00:15:57,470 --> 00:15:58,769 you know, is is very 424 00:16:00,634 --> 00:16:03,754 superior. And there's big repercussions for things if 425 00:16:03,754 --> 00:16:05,855 you're not doing what you should be doing. 426 00:16:06,634 --> 00:16:07,534 On the cybersecurity 427 00:16:07,995 --> 00:16:11,539 front, it is continuous for us. So we 428 00:16:11,539 --> 00:16:12,279 treat it as 429 00:16:12,740 --> 00:16:13,240 continually 430 00:16:13,620 --> 00:16:14,120 adapting, 431 00:16:14,579 --> 00:16:15,879 continually optimizing. 432 00:16:16,339 --> 00:16:19,639 We never stop. So as the best practice, 433 00:16:20,179 --> 00:16:22,339 we've mapped our controls to the health and 434 00:16:22,339 --> 00:16:24,919 human or health and human services, 435 00:16:25,555 --> 00:16:26,195 health care, 436 00:16:26,675 --> 00:16:28,215 performance goals for cybersecurity. 437 00:16:28,754 --> 00:16:30,615 So h h h a s. 438 00:16:31,555 --> 00:16:33,555 We've mapped to those. So that's our best 439 00:16:33,555 --> 00:16:34,055 practice. 440 00:16:34,514 --> 00:16:36,535 And we are continually reviewing 441 00:16:36,995 --> 00:16:39,415 and looking at our cybersecurity 442 00:16:39,875 --> 00:16:42,919 program to make sure that we're meeting all 443 00:16:42,980 --> 00:16:44,279 additional best practices, 444 00:16:44,980 --> 00:16:47,220 that are for health care. So as an 445 00:16:47,220 --> 00:16:47,720 example, 446 00:16:48,820 --> 00:16:49,879 we do education, 447 00:16:50,259 --> 00:16:53,879 continual education with our team members, our clinicians, 448 00:16:54,584 --> 00:16:55,245 our providers. 449 00:16:55,784 --> 00:16:57,164 We do pen tests, 450 00:16:58,024 --> 00:16:59,245 kinda test our seals 451 00:16:59,944 --> 00:17:00,924 and for leaks. 452 00:17:01,544 --> 00:17:02,764 We do risk assessments. 453 00:17:03,544 --> 00:17:05,565 We do external monitoring, 454 00:17:06,105 --> 00:17:08,140 and then we actually do dry runs. So 455 00:17:08,140 --> 00:17:10,000 we do incident response rehearsals 456 00:17:10,380 --> 00:17:13,819 with the team members, providers, leadership, all involved. 457 00:17:13,819 --> 00:17:15,359 We treat it as a true incident. 458 00:17:15,900 --> 00:17:18,720 And all of these things, those rehearsals especially, 459 00:17:19,019 --> 00:17:20,160 we test our processes. 460 00:17:20,825 --> 00:17:22,744 We find lessons that are learned. We bring 461 00:17:22,744 --> 00:17:25,305 them forward. We bake them into the program 462 00:17:25,305 --> 00:17:26,525 so that we we, 463 00:17:28,184 --> 00:17:31,065 optimize that program even further. And then the 464 00:17:31,065 --> 00:17:33,244 the last thing just to mention about cybersecurity 465 00:17:34,105 --> 00:17:35,085 is the education, 466 00:17:35,865 --> 00:17:38,910 it's it's actually been really good is we've 467 00:17:38,910 --> 00:17:41,730 involved our team members, our providers, our clinicians, 468 00:17:42,430 --> 00:17:44,750 and, you know, we're we're we're truly looking 469 00:17:44,750 --> 00:17:46,509 out for them too because these things happen 470 00:17:46,509 --> 00:17:48,910 on the personal side. So we do fish 471 00:17:48,910 --> 00:17:49,410 testing. 472 00:17:50,085 --> 00:17:52,964 We educate them. We make ourselves available if 473 00:17:52,964 --> 00:17:55,204 they have any questions or they receive something 474 00:17:55,204 --> 00:17:56,664 that might seem a little picky. 475 00:17:57,204 --> 00:17:59,224 And and the whole goal really is, 476 00:17:59,845 --> 00:18:01,924 not punitive. It's just really to grow their 477 00:18:01,924 --> 00:18:02,424 awareness 478 00:18:02,964 --> 00:18:03,704 and resistance 479 00:18:04,005 --> 00:18:04,505 to 480 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:06,700 the Focal engineered attempt, 481 00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:09,559 that, you know, they're getting every day to 482 00:18:09,559 --> 00:18:11,259 gain access to our systems. 483 00:18:13,240 --> 00:18:15,080 That's really helpful to know and understand the 484 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:17,500 plan there, because as you mentioned, cybersecurity 485 00:18:17,799 --> 00:18:18,619 is so critical 486 00:18:19,005 --> 00:18:21,345 alongside these other trends in looking at technology, 487 00:18:21,404 --> 00:18:23,884 interconnectivity, and, you know, how you can really, 488 00:18:24,125 --> 00:18:26,384 make the best experience for patients possible. 489 00:18:26,845 --> 00:18:28,765 Now with our last minute here, I wanted 490 00:18:28,765 --> 00:18:30,365 to ask, what's your top piece of advice 491 00:18:30,365 --> 00:18:32,545 for health care leaders as they prepare to, 492 00:18:33,110 --> 00:18:35,590 for the further advancement of technology and rising 493 00:18:35,590 --> 00:18:36,730 demands for care? 494 00:18:37,590 --> 00:18:39,850 Absolutely. So I would say two things. 495 00:18:40,549 --> 00:18:41,369 Be disciplined 496 00:18:41,910 --> 00:18:43,049 about the architectural 497 00:18:43,430 --> 00:18:43,930 plumbing 498 00:18:44,230 --> 00:18:45,769 and, the foundation, 499 00:18:46,150 --> 00:18:47,690 and be bold about the outcome. 500 00:18:48,224 --> 00:18:51,424 So be disciplined about your architecture, your data 501 00:18:51,424 --> 00:18:51,924 foundations. 502 00:18:52,865 --> 00:18:54,804 Invest in real business needs analysis. 503 00:18:56,065 --> 00:18:58,625 Make sure you look to measure value before 504 00:18:58,625 --> 00:18:59,684 you start projects, 505 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:03,359 and stand up COEs around the different focus 506 00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:05,759 areas you you are looking to do. As 507 00:19:05,759 --> 00:19:07,839 an example, we're doing a data science and 508 00:19:07,839 --> 00:19:10,259 AI center of of excellence. 509 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:11,460 And 510 00:19:12,365 --> 00:19:14,924 the the job of these things is to 511 00:19:14,924 --> 00:19:15,424 make, 512 00:19:16,445 --> 00:19:17,984 the business needs driven, 513 00:19:18,365 --> 00:19:18,865 repeatable, 514 00:19:19,805 --> 00:19:21,025 ethical expeditions. 515 00:19:21,565 --> 00:19:22,065 Second, 516 00:19:22,765 --> 00:19:25,025 run a structured, always improving playbook. 517 00:19:25,404 --> 00:19:26,465 So have a playbook. 518 00:19:27,220 --> 00:19:28,340 Determine what your current state is. 519 00:19:29,860 --> 00:19:31,559 Establish some some KPIs 520 00:19:32,019 --> 00:19:33,880 so that you have points of measurement 521 00:19:34,740 --> 00:19:36,680 and and use that 522 00:19:36,980 --> 00:19:38,360 as, like, your scorecard. 523 00:19:38,740 --> 00:19:40,259 Something that I like to do just because 524 00:19:40,259 --> 00:19:42,019 of my Six Sigma background is I have 525 00:19:42,019 --> 00:19:42,920 an a three. 526 00:19:43,355 --> 00:19:45,515 That's something you use within Six Sigma, and 527 00:19:45,515 --> 00:19:47,914 it basically becomes your report card. You map 528 00:19:47,914 --> 00:19:48,815 out the problem, 529 00:19:49,195 --> 00:19:49,934 root causes, 530 00:19:50,555 --> 00:19:52,875 the target future state, have it all on 531 00:19:52,875 --> 00:19:55,215 there, and you can you can adapt 532 00:19:55,595 --> 00:19:57,455 as as you're learning what you're learning. 533 00:19:57,839 --> 00:19:58,339 And, 534 00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:00,900 and then, you know, have some quick wins, 535 00:20:01,279 --> 00:20:04,160 test solutions, do a lightweight, track those results 536 00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:04,660 closely. 537 00:20:07,519 --> 00:20:09,440 Absolutely. I love that. Bob, thank you so 538 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:10,960 much for joining us on the podcast today. 539 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:12,740 This has been such a fun conversation 540 00:20:13,204 --> 00:20:16,164 inspiring to learn everything that you're thinking about 541 00:20:16,164 --> 00:20:17,924 and working on and planning for the future, 542 00:20:17,924 --> 00:20:19,204 and I look forward to catching up with 543 00:20:19,204 --> 00:20:22,265 you again soon. Excellent. Thank you so much. 544 00:20:24,644 --> 00:20:27,525 At athena Health, we know your ambulatory practice 545 00:20:27,525 --> 00:20:28,345 wants healthier, 546 00:20:28,919 --> 00:20:31,720 A healthier business, healthier care teams, and healthier 547 00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:32,220 patients. 548 00:20:32,679 --> 00:20:35,079 But the complexities of modern healthcare tech make 549 00:20:35,079 --> 00:20:37,079 it hard for you and your care teams 550 00:20:37,079 --> 00:20:38,779 to focus on what matters most. 551 00:20:39,079 --> 00:20:42,279 That's where athenahealth can help. Our AI native 552 00:20:42,279 --> 00:20:44,984 all in one solutions reduce administrative burdens, 553 00:20:45,444 --> 00:20:48,404 streamline billing and payments, and deliver critical insights 554 00:20:48,404 --> 00:20:51,204 when clinicians need it most. That means fewer 555 00:20:51,204 --> 00:20:54,085 clicks, more time for patients, and stronger bottom 556 00:20:54,085 --> 00:20:54,585 lines. 557 00:20:55,284 --> 00:20:57,144 Practicing medicine is complex, 558 00:20:57,500 --> 00:20:59,180 but running a practice can be that much 559 00:20:59,180 --> 00:21:00,320 simpler with athenahealth. 560 00:21:01,019 --> 00:21:04,640 See how simpler is healthier at athenahealth.com.