1 00:00:01,839 --> 00:00:04,319 Every year, Becker's annual meeting brings health care 2 00:00:04,319 --> 00:00:06,879 leaders together to unpack the most pressing issues 3 00:00:06,879 --> 00:00:07,859 facing the industry. 4 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:11,059 And every year, those conversations shift in profound 5 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:12,464 and unexpected ways. 6 00:00:12,865 --> 00:00:15,105 This April, more than 3,500 7 00:00:15,105 --> 00:00:18,225 healthcare executives will return to Chicago for Becker's 8 00:00:18,225 --> 00:00:19,605 sixteenth annual meeting. 9 00:00:19,905 --> 00:00:22,864 Seven ninety five elite speakers will offer new 10 00:00:22,864 --> 00:00:25,859 lessons, new case studies, and predictions about what 11 00:00:25,859 --> 00:00:26,599 comes next. 12 00:00:26,980 --> 00:00:29,239 Join us April 13 through the sixteenth. 13 00:00:29,619 --> 00:00:34,019 For the agenda and event details, visit beckershospitalreview.com 14 00:00:34,019 --> 00:00:35,939 and click on the events tab in the 15 00:00:35,939 --> 00:00:36,679 upper right. 16 00:00:38,064 --> 00:00:40,784 Hello, everyone. Welcome to Becker's Healthcare Podcast. I'm 17 00:00:40,784 --> 00:00:42,945 Scott King. Thrilled today to be joined by 18 00:00:42,945 --> 00:00:45,924 a very special guest, Daryl Bodner, chief information 19 00:00:46,064 --> 00:00:48,704 officer, North Country Healthcare. Daryl, how are you 20 00:00:48,704 --> 00:00:50,564 doing today? Thanks so much for joining us. 21 00:00:50,704 --> 00:00:52,384 I'm doing I'm doing great, Scott. Thank you 22 00:00:52,384 --> 00:00:53,980 so much for having me. No. It's great 23 00:00:53,980 --> 00:00:55,020 to have you. I know we're gonna dive 24 00:00:55,020 --> 00:00:56,719 into a lot of kind of big topics, 25 00:00:57,420 --> 00:00:59,260 facing health care right now and and some 26 00:00:59,260 --> 00:01:01,420 trends and even some news. But before we 27 00:01:01,420 --> 00:01:02,620 get into all that, I was just wondering 28 00:01:02,620 --> 00:01:03,820 if you could please tell us a little 29 00:01:03,820 --> 00:01:06,240 about yourself and your, career journey. 30 00:01:07,094 --> 00:01:09,415 Yeah. Sure. My name is Daryl Bodner. I'm 31 00:01:09,415 --> 00:01:11,515 a chief information officer for North Country Healthcare. 32 00:01:11,814 --> 00:01:14,135 North Country Healthcare is a group of three 33 00:01:14,135 --> 00:01:16,555 critical access hospitals and a home health agency. 34 00:01:17,174 --> 00:01:19,575 I've been the CIO in this role for, 35 00:01:19,895 --> 00:01:22,329 about six years now, but I've actually been 36 00:01:22,329 --> 00:01:24,489 in health care IT for a total of 37 00:01:24,489 --> 00:01:25,930 thirty six, if you can believe it at 38 00:01:25,930 --> 00:01:26,670 this point. 39 00:01:27,530 --> 00:01:29,849 But it's, we're we're a really interesting use 40 00:01:29,849 --> 00:01:32,829 case where three critical access hospitals functioning independently 41 00:01:33,209 --> 00:01:34,750 without a tertiary affiliation. 42 00:01:35,555 --> 00:01:36,674 And it it makes us, 43 00:01:37,715 --> 00:01:39,314 unique in the sense that we can we 44 00:01:39,314 --> 00:01:40,295 can really control, 45 00:01:40,754 --> 00:01:43,075 our own destiny without having to worry about 46 00:01:43,075 --> 00:01:44,754 some of those, but there's, of course, risks 47 00:01:44,754 --> 00:01:47,015 involved with that without having some some additional, 48 00:01:47,555 --> 00:01:48,994 support in the mix. But it's a very 49 00:01:48,994 --> 00:01:51,250 interesting use case, and we've made some some 50 00:01:51,250 --> 00:01:52,049 pretty impressive, 51 00:01:53,090 --> 00:01:55,409 impressive statistics over over our time in the 52 00:01:55,409 --> 00:01:56,310 last six years. 53 00:01:56,930 --> 00:01:59,189 Appreciate you sharing all that background info, Daryl. 54 00:01:59,250 --> 00:02:00,530 Let let me ask you. As your as 55 00:02:00,530 --> 00:02:02,689 the CIO of your org, what what do 56 00:02:02,689 --> 00:02:04,965 you see as your biggest responsibility right now? 57 00:02:05,284 --> 00:02:07,284 So right now, I think, as we continue 58 00:02:07,284 --> 00:02:09,444 to move forward, trying to navigate the the 59 00:02:09,444 --> 00:02:12,425 changes going on, from a regulatory perspective, 60 00:02:13,444 --> 00:02:15,764 and and some changes coming out of Washington 61 00:02:15,764 --> 00:02:17,544 that we're trying to adapt and handle. 62 00:02:18,069 --> 00:02:20,069 The Rural Healthcare Transformation Fund is a big 63 00:02:20,069 --> 00:02:21,590 one as we're trying to look to position 64 00:02:21,590 --> 00:02:23,370 ourselves in alignment with the state, 65 00:02:23,909 --> 00:02:25,509 of New Hampshire to be able to look 66 00:02:25,509 --> 00:02:27,129 at how we'll leverage those dollars. 67 00:02:27,509 --> 00:02:30,389 But, you know, from that perspective internally, I 68 00:02:30,389 --> 00:02:31,849 think a lot of it's the technology, 69 00:02:32,150 --> 00:02:35,305 the rapid deployment of of artificial intelligence, machine 70 00:02:35,305 --> 00:02:36,764 learning, those types of technologies, 71 00:02:37,465 --> 00:02:38,364 and responsibly 72 00:02:38,745 --> 00:02:40,745 making sure those have a place to fit, 73 00:02:41,064 --> 00:02:42,604 appropriately within the organization. 74 00:02:43,784 --> 00:02:46,044 What was the most important initiative you led 75 00:02:46,319 --> 00:02:47,699 last in the past year? 76 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:49,680 And, you know, what did you do for 77 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:51,060 that, and what were the results? 78 00:02:51,599 --> 00:02:53,360 Well, I'd have to say it'll go back 79 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:55,040 to some of the AI deployments that we've 80 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:57,360 done. And in particular, I'm sure like everybody 81 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:00,240 else, the the the rapid adoption of, ambient 82 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:00,979 voice technologies 83 00:03:01,665 --> 00:03:04,544 within the patient interaction space, primarily in our 84 00:03:04,544 --> 00:03:07,025 primary care offices, but also in specialty practices 85 00:03:07,025 --> 00:03:08,004 and other areas. 86 00:03:08,465 --> 00:03:09,025 We saw, 87 00:03:09,665 --> 00:03:12,064 a huge deployment and a huge adoption of 88 00:03:12,064 --> 00:03:12,645 it quickly. 89 00:03:12,944 --> 00:03:15,030 And honestly, we started to see improved 90 00:03:15,349 --> 00:03:17,830 outcomes on two areas that we wanted to 91 00:03:17,830 --> 00:03:19,689 see. One was provider satisfaction. 92 00:03:20,709 --> 00:03:23,270 The deployment of this technologies was never about 93 00:03:23,270 --> 00:03:25,349 productivity, but it was clearly focused on trying 94 00:03:25,349 --> 00:03:27,289 to ease some of the providers burden, 95 00:03:27,830 --> 00:03:30,224 and the challenges they have. And we've also 96 00:03:30,604 --> 00:03:32,764 received surprisingly a lot of positive feedback from 97 00:03:32,764 --> 00:03:35,405 the patient population because now they feel more 98 00:03:35,405 --> 00:03:37,564 engaged with their providers as the providers talk 99 00:03:37,564 --> 00:03:39,485 to them as opposed to, you know, provide 100 00:03:39,485 --> 00:03:41,504 care over the top of a laptop screen. 101 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:43,960 As you look ahead, what are the big 102 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:47,080 priorities that, in headwinds, you're focused on for 103 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:48,860 for this year, for 2026? 104 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:51,580 I would have to say it's probably 105 00:03:51,879 --> 00:03:54,599 in the area of balancing innovation and and 106 00:03:54,599 --> 00:03:55,099 sustainability. 107 00:03:55,914 --> 00:03:57,354 You know, as we look at a a 108 00:03:57,354 --> 00:03:59,594 changing payer market, we look at, a lot 109 00:03:59,594 --> 00:03:59,754 of, 110 00:04:00,634 --> 00:04:03,514 payers leaving, the the the marketplace in terms 111 00:04:03,514 --> 00:04:04,254 of ACA, 112 00:04:05,275 --> 00:04:08,254 and some of those challenges with with, Medicaid, 113 00:04:08,875 --> 00:04:09,375 patients. 114 00:04:10,209 --> 00:04:12,530 Those all create risks for a rural hospital 115 00:04:12,530 --> 00:04:14,689 organization where, you know, we see a big 116 00:04:14,689 --> 00:04:16,870 part of our paramedics being those government funded. 117 00:04:17,730 --> 00:04:20,389 That along with the need to increase technology, 118 00:04:20,769 --> 00:04:21,430 to increase 119 00:04:21,730 --> 00:04:23,269 the efficiency and effectiveness 120 00:04:23,569 --> 00:04:24,230 of our 121 00:04:25,134 --> 00:04:27,875 staff, clinically, but also in in the operational 122 00:04:27,935 --> 00:04:29,855 space as well. To me, that is, like, 123 00:04:29,855 --> 00:04:31,855 our biggest priority is just trying to keep 124 00:04:31,855 --> 00:04:33,615 that balance going because there's a lot of 125 00:04:33,615 --> 00:04:35,615 unknowns of what's gonna happen over the next 126 00:04:35,615 --> 00:04:37,134 one to two years as we plan this 127 00:04:37,134 --> 00:04:37,634 out. 128 00:04:38,319 --> 00:04:40,000 You know, I I it's just interesting. I've 129 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:42,080 been interviewing people on the payer side this 130 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:44,240 week as well. And, you know, certainly, with 131 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:46,000 that relationship, there's always a lot of, give 132 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:48,240 and take. But do do you find also 133 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:50,160 that from the payer side, they're also kind 134 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:52,080 of in the same situation as providers in 135 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:53,855 that they're facing so 136 00:04:54,475 --> 00:04:55,055 many regulatory 137 00:04:55,595 --> 00:04:57,995 elements that sometimes in that relationship, do you 138 00:04:57,995 --> 00:05:00,235 feel like it's kinda like, alright. Look. We 139 00:05:00,235 --> 00:05:02,235 both we both have have a full load 140 00:05:02,235 --> 00:05:03,595 here. Let's just see what we can get 141 00:05:03,595 --> 00:05:05,355 done. Let's try to work together on x 142 00:05:05,355 --> 00:05:06,014 y z. 143 00:05:06,670 --> 00:05:08,670 Absolutely. And it's and it's odd. You know, 144 00:05:08,670 --> 00:05:10,350 I I realized that they're having some of 145 00:05:10,350 --> 00:05:12,990 the same regulatory changes that are occurring in 146 00:05:12,990 --> 00:05:13,970 in their models. 147 00:05:14,509 --> 00:05:16,910 And, what we're what we're starting to see, 148 00:05:16,910 --> 00:05:18,750 and and I think this is finally maybe 149 00:05:18,750 --> 00:05:20,430 the catalyst that gets us to a place 150 00:05:20,430 --> 00:05:22,524 we should have been, was to work closer 151 00:05:22,524 --> 00:05:24,064 with the payers. It's been, 152 00:05:24,605 --> 00:05:27,404 without a doubt, it seems adversarial at times, 153 00:05:27,725 --> 00:05:29,024 through even through negotiations, 154 00:05:30,204 --> 00:05:32,685 and feelings of, of, you know, what's prior 155 00:05:32,685 --> 00:05:34,764 auth, what isn't, and how complex can we 156 00:05:34,764 --> 00:05:36,736 make that process so that we, you know, 157 00:05:36,736 --> 00:05:39,189 you you you get these, these, you know, 158 00:05:39,189 --> 00:05:40,730 procedures approved or not. 159 00:05:41,350 --> 00:05:43,030 But I'm starting to see that they're working 160 00:05:43,030 --> 00:05:45,030 through that. And I also think the introduction 161 00:05:45,030 --> 00:05:45,770 of AI 162 00:05:46,150 --> 00:05:47,670 in a lot of spaces and making it 163 00:05:47,670 --> 00:05:49,830 more transparent. So, as we go through and 164 00:05:49,830 --> 00:05:51,370 there's, you know, specific requirements, 165 00:05:51,865 --> 00:05:54,664 we're leveraging technology to to meet those requirements. 166 00:05:54,664 --> 00:05:55,944 And in turn, I think the, you know, 167 00:05:55,944 --> 00:05:58,185 the insurance companies, the payers are are doing 168 00:05:58,185 --> 00:05:58,845 the same. 169 00:05:59,224 --> 00:06:01,064 I'm hoping at some point we can make 170 00:06:01,064 --> 00:06:04,344 that entire process objective as opposed to the 171 00:06:04,344 --> 00:06:05,625 subjectivity that's currently, 172 00:06:06,339 --> 00:06:08,180 you know, spread across the board when it 173 00:06:08,180 --> 00:06:10,199 comes to those types of of service approvals. 174 00:06:10,740 --> 00:06:12,019 Yeah. So I think that would be great. 175 00:06:12,019 --> 00:06:12,519 Absolutely. 176 00:06:12,979 --> 00:06:15,060 What's the hardest thing you'll have to do 177 00:06:15,060 --> 00:06:16,360 this year, you think, Darryl? 178 00:06:17,139 --> 00:06:19,220 Well, I think I think making sure that 179 00:06:19,220 --> 00:06:22,084 we we try to better understand how the 180 00:06:22,084 --> 00:06:24,165 the, the payers are gonna work and how 181 00:06:24,165 --> 00:06:25,545 reimbursement's gonna work. 182 00:06:25,925 --> 00:06:28,084 The the challenges for rural health care, I 183 00:06:28,084 --> 00:06:30,245 think, we we just don't have the depth 184 00:06:30,245 --> 00:06:32,004 that I think a lot of of PPS 185 00:06:32,004 --> 00:06:34,990 hospitals and larger organizations have. And trying to 186 00:06:34,990 --> 00:06:36,529 maintain those deliverables, 187 00:06:37,550 --> 00:06:40,150 with with the unknown surrounding it. Because we 188 00:06:40,150 --> 00:06:41,550 we we have yet to see what it's 189 00:06:41,550 --> 00:06:43,149 gonna look like with the changes of the 190 00:06:43,149 --> 00:06:43,649 ACA 191 00:06:44,029 --> 00:06:45,870 for the market. We haven't seen what the 192 00:06:45,870 --> 00:06:47,709 Medicaid cuts are gonna look like, and we're 193 00:06:47,709 --> 00:06:49,725 just starting to see what the rural healthcare 194 00:06:49,964 --> 00:06:52,285 transformation fund dollars are gonna look like. So 195 00:06:52,285 --> 00:06:55,324 for me, trying to navigate the uncertainty is 196 00:06:55,324 --> 00:06:56,845 the biggest thing. I think in in in 197 00:06:56,845 --> 00:06:59,084 twelve months, we'll have a much better feeling 198 00:06:59,084 --> 00:07:01,004 for where they are, but I'm a planner 199 00:07:01,004 --> 00:07:03,100 by nature. You know, I I I wanna 200 00:07:03,100 --> 00:07:04,779 make sure I have a good understanding. And 201 00:07:04,779 --> 00:07:06,779 when there's uncertainty, it it sort of makes 202 00:07:06,779 --> 00:07:09,439 me uneasy. So trying to watch spending, 203 00:07:09,899 --> 00:07:12,220 but still deliver what the organization needs is 204 00:07:12,220 --> 00:07:13,600 probably the biggest challenge. 205 00:07:14,300 --> 00:07:16,139 Where do you see the best opportunities for 206 00:07:16,139 --> 00:07:17,360 organizational growth? 207 00:07:18,514 --> 00:07:20,355 God. I I think I think the intersection 208 00:07:20,435 --> 00:07:21,795 I'm gonna keep going back to it, Scott, 209 00:07:21,795 --> 00:07:22,915 on this one. I'm gonna keep going back 210 00:07:22,915 --> 00:07:24,375 to where where technology, 211 00:07:25,154 --> 00:07:27,495 and care delivery and the workforce meet, 212 00:07:28,035 --> 00:07:29,555 is where I I see the biggest the 213 00:07:29,555 --> 00:07:31,495 biggest opportunities to to go. 214 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:34,240 I I hate to keep using the term 215 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:35,920 AI because everybody uses it, but when I 216 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:37,759 think of the technology space and some of 217 00:07:37,759 --> 00:07:40,800 the advancements that we're seeing, just to corral 218 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:42,500 that and get that into a place 219 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:45,360 where we can start to make operational and 220 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:46,420 clinical differences, 221 00:07:47,275 --> 00:07:49,235 and and eventually get to some some some 222 00:07:49,355 --> 00:07:51,375 hopefully, some substantial changes and outcomes. 223 00:07:51,754 --> 00:07:53,435 That is what I I really think is 224 00:07:53,435 --> 00:07:55,514 is is one of the biggest opportunities for 225 00:07:55,514 --> 00:07:57,595 growth. I see that growth continuing for the 226 00:07:57,595 --> 00:07:59,275 next few years, but it's more about the 227 00:07:59,275 --> 00:08:00,415 responsible adoption 228 00:08:00,875 --> 00:08:03,370 and the actual true, you know, business use 229 00:08:03,370 --> 00:08:03,870 cases 230 00:08:04,250 --> 00:08:06,410 than it is for some of the the 231 00:08:06,410 --> 00:08:08,269 the the shinier objects that are out there. 232 00:08:08,730 --> 00:08:10,649 I mentioned ambient, but now we're looking at 233 00:08:10,649 --> 00:08:13,449 documentation intake and document summarization to make an 234 00:08:13,449 --> 00:08:15,689 easier burden and more accurate depiction for the 235 00:08:15,689 --> 00:08:16,750 patient, for the providers. 236 00:08:17,854 --> 00:08:21,555 Very grassroots, very, very easy to understand technologies. 237 00:08:21,854 --> 00:08:23,615 But to fully deploy and adopt it takes 238 00:08:23,615 --> 00:08:25,055 an effort, and I think that's where you'll 239 00:08:25,055 --> 00:08:26,354 see our continued focus. 240 00:08:27,134 --> 00:08:28,574 And the last question I wanna ask you, 241 00:08:28,574 --> 00:08:30,014 Daryl, how do you think you you have 242 00:08:30,014 --> 00:08:31,235 evolved as a leader? 243 00:08:31,849 --> 00:08:33,450 Oh my god. So as as as an 244 00:08:33,450 --> 00:08:35,610 organization, and I think this is probably typical 245 00:08:35,610 --> 00:08:37,789 of every CIO that's that's out there, 246 00:08:38,409 --> 00:08:40,490 is that you you, by default, become the, 247 00:08:40,490 --> 00:08:42,250 you know, the CTO and the CIO are 248 00:08:42,250 --> 00:08:43,610 one and the same. You you have to 249 00:08:43,610 --> 00:08:46,175 work hand in hand. There's also, a a 250 00:08:46,175 --> 00:08:48,654 more pronounced seat if there wasn't one, at 251 00:08:48,654 --> 00:08:49,875 the leadership table, 252 00:08:50,335 --> 00:08:52,915 because technology plays such an important role. 253 00:08:53,295 --> 00:08:55,235 And as you start to look at operations, 254 00:08:55,774 --> 00:08:58,095 they're becoming more and more impacted by by, 255 00:08:58,750 --> 00:09:01,090 technology. So I see the role being more, 256 00:09:01,790 --> 00:09:05,149 diverse. I see us, being being spread across 257 00:09:05,149 --> 00:09:07,230 multiple areas more so than we ever were 258 00:09:07,230 --> 00:09:07,730 before 259 00:09:08,269 --> 00:09:11,009 and really trying to make coordinated business decisions, 260 00:09:11,384 --> 00:09:13,304 with with the direction of the organization and, 261 00:09:13,304 --> 00:09:15,404 honestly, the direction of health care in general. 262 00:09:16,345 --> 00:09:17,705 Daryl, thanks so much for joining us on 263 00:09:17,705 --> 00:09:19,465 the podcast. It was a great conversation. I 264 00:09:19,465 --> 00:09:21,225 look forward to working with you again soon. 265 00:09:21,225 --> 00:09:22,745 Oh, thank you so much for having me, 266 00:09:22,745 --> 00:09:24,205 Scott. I really appreciate it.