1 00:00:01,679 --> 00:00:04,160 Every year, Becker's annual meeting brings health care 2 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:06,719 leaders together to unpack the most pressing issues 3 00:00:06,719 --> 00:00:07,700 facing the industry. 4 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:10,900 And every year, those conversations shift in profound 5 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:15,039 and unexpected ways. This April, more than 3,500 6 00:00:15,039 --> 00:00:17,635 health care executives will return to Chicago for 7 00:00:17,635 --> 00:00:19,414 Becker's sixteenth annual meeting. 8 00:00:19,795 --> 00:00:21,154 795 9 00:00:21,154 --> 00:00:23,875 elite speakers will offer new lessons, new case 10 00:00:23,875 --> 00:00:27,074 studies, and predictions about what comes next. Join 11 00:00:27,074 --> 00:00:29,015 us April 13 through the sixteenth. 12 00:00:29,449 --> 00:00:33,929 For the agenda and event details, visit beckershospitalreview.com 13 00:00:33,929 --> 00:00:35,690 and click on the events tab in the 14 00:00:35,690 --> 00:00:36,510 upper right. 15 00:00:38,170 --> 00:00:40,409 This is Laura Dirda with the Becker's Healthcare 16 00:00:40,409 --> 00:00:42,570 podcast. I'm thrilled today to be joined by 17 00:00:42,570 --> 00:00:45,695 doctor Lisa Fort, assistant chief medical information officer 18 00:00:45,695 --> 00:00:47,934 and system medical director of the virtual care 19 00:00:47,934 --> 00:00:50,015 center at Ochsner Health. Doctor Fort, it's a 20 00:00:50,015 --> 00:00:51,695 pleasure to have you on the podcast today. 21 00:00:51,695 --> 00:00:53,375 Thanks for having me, Laura. Very happy to 22 00:00:53,375 --> 00:00:53,954 be here. 23 00:00:54,494 --> 00:00:56,494 Absolutely. And, you know, I'm looking forward to 24 00:00:56,494 --> 00:00:58,414 our conversation because I know you are a 25 00:00:58,414 --> 00:01:01,250 very technology forward health system, and you're leveraging, 26 00:01:01,789 --> 00:01:03,870 technology and virtual care in very unique ways. 27 00:01:03,870 --> 00:01:05,390 And so it'll be exciting to dig a 28 00:01:05,390 --> 00:01:07,150 little bit deeper into that. But before we 29 00:01:07,150 --> 00:01:08,670 do, can you tell us a little bit 30 00:01:08,670 --> 00:01:10,450 more about yourself and National Health? 31 00:01:11,144 --> 00:01:13,244 Absolutely. So I am an emergency physician. 32 00:01:13,784 --> 00:01:16,984 That's my clinical background. Still practice and emergency 33 00:01:16,984 --> 00:01:19,625 medicine. Typically work about a shift a week. 34 00:01:19,625 --> 00:01:22,444 I, I lovingly term it my living laboratory 35 00:01:22,504 --> 00:01:24,584 and still really enjoy patient care. It's very 36 00:01:24,584 --> 00:01:26,444 grounding. Back to the mission. 37 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:29,759 I currently hold the roles of assistant chief 38 00:01:29,759 --> 00:01:31,140 medical information officer 39 00:01:31,519 --> 00:01:33,379 for our inpatient services. We 40 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:35,939 have a large integrated delivery network, 41 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:39,405 you know, more than 45 hospitals. And so 42 00:01:39,405 --> 00:01:40,145 my responsibilities 43 00:01:40,605 --> 00:01:42,844 include our areas, including not just the emergency 44 00:01:42,844 --> 00:01:45,484 department, but our inpatient settings, our critical care 45 00:01:45,484 --> 00:01:48,045 settings, our procedural settings, kind of everything that 46 00:01:48,045 --> 00:01:48,545 happens, 47 00:01:49,484 --> 00:01:50,864 within the hospital itself. 48 00:01:51,325 --> 00:01:54,099 And my additional role is as our system 49 00:01:54,099 --> 00:01:54,920 medical director 50 00:01:55,299 --> 00:01:57,060 of our virtual care center, which is our 51 00:01:57,060 --> 00:01:57,560 centralized, 52 00:01:58,099 --> 00:02:01,219 quote, unquote, care traffic control center that focuses 53 00:02:01,219 --> 00:02:02,519 specifically on 54 00:02:02,819 --> 00:02:06,099 centralized monitoring as well as, resourcing like our 55 00:02:06,099 --> 00:02:07,640 our virtual nursing program. 56 00:02:08,965 --> 00:02:11,444 Absolutely. Wow. That's, incredible to hear and, you 57 00:02:11,444 --> 00:02:14,564 know, helpful to understand everything that you're accountable 58 00:02:14,564 --> 00:02:17,045 for and how that all works together from 59 00:02:17,045 --> 00:02:18,805 the clinical side as well as the technology 60 00:02:18,805 --> 00:02:20,264 and leadership side too. 61 00:02:20,599 --> 00:02:22,520 I'm curious from the last year or so. 62 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:24,520 Could you tell us about, the most important 63 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:26,120 initiative that you led? What did you do, 64 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:27,180 and what were the results? 65 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:30,040 We had a really interesting project that we 66 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:32,080 kicked off actually in October 67 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:33,159 2024, 68 00:02:33,159 --> 00:02:35,080 but last year was really the first year 69 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:37,474 first full year that was in place. 70 00:02:37,854 --> 00:02:40,435 The challenge that we were presented with was 71 00:02:40,974 --> 00:02:41,375 the, 72 00:02:41,854 --> 00:02:44,514 the the the problem of ED overcrowding 73 00:02:45,775 --> 00:02:48,735 and our observed versus expected ED utilization, our 74 00:02:48,735 --> 00:02:49,555 patient population. 75 00:02:50,469 --> 00:02:52,250 We're located in the Deep South. 76 00:02:52,629 --> 00:02:55,849 We have facilities, you know, especially our inpatient 77 00:02:55,909 --> 00:02:58,469 facilities throughout Louisiana into Mississippi, even a little 78 00:02:58,469 --> 00:02:59,770 bit in Alabama. 79 00:03:00,069 --> 00:03:01,849 And so we have tremendous 80 00:03:02,514 --> 00:03:05,235 challenges in terms of patients ability to access 81 00:03:05,235 --> 00:03:08,134 medical care, especially preventative medical care. 82 00:03:08,594 --> 00:03:10,354 And, you know, it's even worse in rural 83 00:03:10,354 --> 00:03:12,834 areas where we have many health deserts. And 84 00:03:12,834 --> 00:03:13,334 so 85 00:03:13,634 --> 00:03:15,719 what we saw was a lot of patients 86 00:03:15,719 --> 00:03:17,159 by default or just having to go to 87 00:03:17,159 --> 00:03:19,719 the ED to get care for routine things 88 00:03:19,719 --> 00:03:22,439 and not just their bona fide emergencies that 89 00:03:22,439 --> 00:03:24,280 they would need to be there for. And 90 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:27,239 so we were challenged by our executive team 91 00:03:27,239 --> 00:03:28,955 to think about an innovative 92 00:03:29,414 --> 00:03:31,254 way to be able to address that problem. 93 00:03:31,254 --> 00:03:32,875 And what we came up with was, 94 00:03:33,175 --> 00:03:36,935 virtual emergency department where we have a board 95 00:03:36,935 --> 00:03:40,215 certified ED physician working with a navigator, and 96 00:03:40,215 --> 00:03:42,469 we do this seven days a week, three 97 00:03:42,469 --> 00:03:44,269 hundred sixty five days a year. We're able 98 00:03:44,269 --> 00:03:47,189 to take escalations from various different places in 99 00:03:47,189 --> 00:03:49,829 our organization, including our nurse on call line, 100 00:03:49,829 --> 00:03:52,709 Ochsner on call, as well as our primary 101 00:03:52,709 --> 00:03:54,549 care clinics, our urgent care clinics, and our 102 00:03:54,549 --> 00:03:55,530 specialty clinics 103 00:03:56,025 --> 00:03:57,405 to help to be a layer 104 00:03:57,944 --> 00:03:59,465 to be able to determine if a patient 105 00:03:59,465 --> 00:04:00,985 may have the ability to get what they 106 00:04:00,985 --> 00:04:02,044 need in alternative 107 00:04:02,504 --> 00:04:03,004 setting. 108 00:04:03,305 --> 00:04:04,044 And so 109 00:04:04,425 --> 00:04:06,985 patients that historically were just been referred to 110 00:04:06,985 --> 00:04:07,724 the ED, 111 00:04:08,060 --> 00:04:09,419 we're able to say, oh, you know, we 112 00:04:09,419 --> 00:04:11,019 can we can help to facilitate some of 113 00:04:11,019 --> 00:04:12,780 the care orchestration they may need to be 114 00:04:12,780 --> 00:04:13,519 able to get 115 00:04:13,819 --> 00:04:15,580 maybe a medication that they need, or we 116 00:04:15,580 --> 00:04:17,019 can do a virtual visit with them and 117 00:04:17,019 --> 00:04:19,579 and do some, you know, additional assessment of 118 00:04:19,579 --> 00:04:21,740 what might need be need to be, taken 119 00:04:21,740 --> 00:04:23,439 care of for the patient. And then also 120 00:04:23,754 --> 00:04:25,375 provide direct linkage to care, 121 00:04:25,754 --> 00:04:27,514 within or without our system so that we 122 00:04:27,514 --> 00:04:28,954 can make sure we get them the appropriate 123 00:04:28,954 --> 00:04:29,454 follow-up. 124 00:04:30,154 --> 00:04:32,314 So the first year results were pretty exciting. 125 00:04:32,314 --> 00:04:33,454 We saw more than, 126 00:04:33,915 --> 00:04:36,870 16,000 patients through that program, and we're able 127 00:04:36,870 --> 00:04:37,530 to keep 128 00:04:38,069 --> 00:04:40,069 about sixty five percent of them out of 129 00:04:40,069 --> 00:04:42,710 the emergency department and and provide alternative care 130 00:04:42,710 --> 00:04:44,870 for them. And we were also able to 131 00:04:44,870 --> 00:04:46,870 link about eighty two percent of those patients 132 00:04:46,870 --> 00:04:48,870 to care so that they got their follow-up 133 00:04:48,870 --> 00:04:50,870 steps since the things that we actually recommended 134 00:04:50,870 --> 00:04:52,915 that they do. And so I think that 135 00:04:52,915 --> 00:04:55,875 shows that patients are really engaged with this. 136 00:04:55,875 --> 00:04:57,395 They believe that the advice we give them 137 00:04:57,395 --> 00:04:58,754 is the right advice and they're able to 138 00:04:58,754 --> 00:04:59,895 complete that. So, 139 00:05:00,355 --> 00:05:02,275 very exciting as a whole and something we 140 00:05:02,275 --> 00:05:04,134 look to build in 2026. 141 00:05:05,110 --> 00:05:06,710 That's amazing to hear. And, you know, what, 142 00:05:07,430 --> 00:05:09,930 fantastic results you were able to bring within, 143 00:05:10,470 --> 00:05:12,470 you know, just making a few adjustments and 144 00:05:12,470 --> 00:05:15,370 thinking about the preventative care side. I'm curious, 145 00:05:15,509 --> 00:05:17,644 how much of a culture of mind shift 146 00:05:17,644 --> 00:05:19,644 change was that? Or or was it really 147 00:05:19,644 --> 00:05:21,985 pretty simple to get the team on board 148 00:05:22,044 --> 00:05:24,365 and make those changes once, you know, you 149 00:05:24,365 --> 00:05:25,745 decided to have that focus? 150 00:05:26,365 --> 00:05:27,964 I think that there you know, we had 151 00:05:27,964 --> 00:05:29,805 all these different stakeholders in this, and it 152 00:05:29,805 --> 00:05:31,485 was a huge cultural shift. We spent a 153 00:05:31,485 --> 00:05:34,019 lot of time, you know, talking about things 154 00:05:34,019 --> 00:05:36,019 and and talking to people about what some 155 00:05:36,019 --> 00:05:38,660 of the challenges they they saw were within 156 00:05:38,660 --> 00:05:40,500 the existing system. One of the most important 157 00:05:40,500 --> 00:05:42,579 things was just making this super, super easy 158 00:05:42,579 --> 00:05:44,120 for people. And so, 159 00:05:44,865 --> 00:05:46,944 the way it works is essentially we take 160 00:05:46,944 --> 00:05:48,645 messages through our EHR, 161 00:05:49,185 --> 00:05:50,645 and we're able to respond 162 00:05:51,185 --> 00:05:53,185 almost immediately. I think we did a time 163 00:05:53,185 --> 00:05:55,105 track where it was something like forty forty 164 00:05:55,105 --> 00:05:58,064 seconds. And so really getting people real time 165 00:05:58,064 --> 00:05:59,125 linkage to 166 00:05:59,529 --> 00:06:01,689 assets that help them to manage patients was 167 00:06:01,689 --> 00:06:02,669 was really key. 168 00:06:03,129 --> 00:06:04,729 It has to be easier than what they 169 00:06:04,729 --> 00:06:06,569 were doing or people won't do it, and 170 00:06:06,569 --> 00:06:08,089 they have to see the benefit for themselves 171 00:06:08,089 --> 00:06:09,149 and for their patients. 172 00:06:09,529 --> 00:06:12,169 So I think that as we started, we 173 00:06:12,169 --> 00:06:12,649 had, 174 00:06:12,970 --> 00:06:13,790 really heavy 175 00:06:14,245 --> 00:06:16,324 uptake and use. And our key user group 176 00:06:16,324 --> 00:06:18,324 is still our OXENROL Choline. Of course, patients 177 00:06:18,324 --> 00:06:19,144 who are experiencing 178 00:06:19,764 --> 00:06:22,904 bonafide emergencies, they're having crushing chest pain or 179 00:06:23,125 --> 00:06:25,925 having stroke symptoms or sensitive ED without that 180 00:06:25,925 --> 00:06:28,079 intervening step. We don't want to delay care. 181 00:06:28,159 --> 00:06:30,800 And then patients who have really low acuity 182 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:32,720 things, they can just be scheduled to see 183 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:34,419 their primary care doctor, their pediatricians, 184 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:36,319 that we still you know, that all still 185 00:06:36,319 --> 00:06:38,479 happens, but it's all those patients in the 186 00:06:38,479 --> 00:06:40,159 middle. And so a lot of it was 187 00:06:40,159 --> 00:06:41,919 just describing how we can do those safely 188 00:06:41,919 --> 00:06:43,605 and effectively, and then I think we got 189 00:06:43,605 --> 00:06:45,144 people to get on board. 190 00:06:46,084 --> 00:06:48,165 Got it. That's helpful to understand. Thank you 191 00:06:48,165 --> 00:06:50,644 so much for, describing that process and, you 192 00:06:50,644 --> 00:06:52,564 know, helping dig a little bit deeper there. 193 00:06:52,564 --> 00:06:54,404 Now looking ahead, what are some of your 194 00:06:54,404 --> 00:06:57,144 big priorities as well as headwinds for 2026? 195 00:06:57,699 --> 00:06:59,699 So apart from just ED utilization, I think 196 00:06:59,699 --> 00:07:01,139 one of the things we did really well 197 00:07:01,139 --> 00:07:02,740 last year was we were able to impact 198 00:07:02,740 --> 00:07:05,720 our framework of inpatient quality. So everything from 199 00:07:05,860 --> 00:07:09,480 hospital acquired complications to hospital acquired infections. So 200 00:07:09,724 --> 00:07:11,245 know, when patients come into the hospital and 201 00:07:11,245 --> 00:07:13,964 they fall or they may acquire pressure entry 202 00:07:13,964 --> 00:07:14,865 or they develop 203 00:07:15,245 --> 00:07:18,685 a catheter associated urinary tract infection. So truly 204 00:07:18,685 --> 00:07:20,604 by leveraging the virtual care center as a 205 00:07:20,604 --> 00:07:23,100 whole, which is, you know, a set of 206 00:07:23,100 --> 00:07:23,600 different 207 00:07:23,980 --> 00:07:26,939 people working in a centralized fashion to be 208 00:07:26,939 --> 00:07:29,500 able to help to screen through patients and 209 00:07:29,500 --> 00:07:31,740 and put things into place to help them 210 00:07:31,740 --> 00:07:33,580 to get out of the hospital quicker and, 211 00:07:33,580 --> 00:07:36,634 you know, without experiencing any harm has been 212 00:07:36,634 --> 00:07:39,035 a really big initiative, and we were able 213 00:07:39,035 --> 00:07:41,435 to really kind of blow away our targets 214 00:07:41,435 --> 00:07:42,254 and our goals. 215 00:07:42,634 --> 00:07:44,714 I think that as we look at 2026, 216 00:07:44,714 --> 00:07:46,794 it's about how to bring all these things 217 00:07:46,794 --> 00:07:48,819 together so that we're looking at it, you 218 00:07:48,819 --> 00:07:50,660 know, as a continuum of care for patients 219 00:07:50,660 --> 00:07:52,660 and not in little buckets. So, you know, 220 00:07:52,660 --> 00:07:54,980 to the patient, their care is going to 221 00:07:54,980 --> 00:07:55,480 be 222 00:07:56,100 --> 00:07:58,019 everything from when they see their doctor to 223 00:07:58,019 --> 00:08:00,180 how they manage their chronic disease, to how 224 00:08:00,180 --> 00:08:02,279 they take their medication, to how they communicate 225 00:08:02,339 --> 00:08:03,939 with the health system and not just their 226 00:08:03,939 --> 00:08:06,225 physician, but all the people that they interact 227 00:08:06,225 --> 00:08:08,225 with. And then when they do have something 228 00:08:08,225 --> 00:08:10,064 that's going on that is, you know, out 229 00:08:10,064 --> 00:08:11,764 of their sort of normal, 230 00:08:12,705 --> 00:08:15,045 expected course, how do we then 231 00:08:15,425 --> 00:08:17,040 provide links to them so that we have 232 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:19,120 clean handoffs and we don't have fragmented care 233 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:21,520 across that journey? So when a patient needs 234 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:23,199 to go to the hospital, you know, how 235 00:08:23,199 --> 00:08:24,960 do we make sure everybody on their their 236 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:26,960 care their existing care team knows about it? 237 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:28,819 How do we smoothly get into the hospital, 238 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:30,339 take care of them well, 239 00:08:30,675 --> 00:08:32,434 and, you know, get them home as quickly 240 00:08:32,434 --> 00:08:34,355 as possible or where wherever they need to 241 00:08:34,355 --> 00:08:35,095 best be, 242 00:08:35,554 --> 00:08:37,075 and make sure that we don't sort of 243 00:08:37,075 --> 00:08:38,995 drop the ball at each step in those 244 00:08:38,995 --> 00:08:39,495 processes. 245 00:08:39,875 --> 00:08:40,615 And so 246 00:08:41,154 --> 00:08:43,394 I think that when you have a large 247 00:08:43,394 --> 00:08:44,934 system with a lot of different, 248 00:08:45,519 --> 00:08:47,759 competing priorities, sometimes it's difficult to tell that 249 00:08:47,759 --> 00:08:50,000 story. But if you reframe it from a 250 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:52,019 patient centric point of view, everyone 251 00:08:52,399 --> 00:08:54,799 has experienced a time where perhaps they or 252 00:08:54,799 --> 00:08:56,399 a loved one has, has gone through those 253 00:08:56,399 --> 00:08:59,105 different stages. And I think they that that 254 00:08:59,105 --> 00:09:01,024 frustration resonates with people, and we can see 255 00:09:01,024 --> 00:09:01,524 certainly 256 00:09:01,904 --> 00:09:02,404 outcomes, 257 00:09:03,105 --> 00:09:05,524 that that we wouldn't want if we don't 258 00:09:05,585 --> 00:09:06,945 make sure that we make all that a 259 00:09:06,945 --> 00:09:09,605 lot more clean and smooth. And so 260 00:09:09,904 --> 00:09:13,120 I think technology is gonna be extremely enabling 261 00:09:13,259 --> 00:09:16,379 in that space, especially within those transitional moments. 262 00:09:16,379 --> 00:09:18,379 And, you know, we're able to really kind 263 00:09:18,379 --> 00:09:20,480 of leverage some of those centralized resources 264 00:09:20,779 --> 00:09:23,679 on with the technology layered on top to 265 00:09:24,345 --> 00:09:26,904 communicate and even evaluate what is the best 266 00:09:26,904 --> 00:09:29,464 thing for for an individual. So I think 267 00:09:29,464 --> 00:09:30,985 that's what we're looking at doing. It's you 268 00:09:30,985 --> 00:09:32,664 know, I think we we expect it to 269 00:09:32,664 --> 00:09:34,264 be challenging, but I think we're prepared for 270 00:09:34,264 --> 00:09:35,485 it in 2026. 271 00:09:36,519 --> 00:09:38,360 That makes a lot of sense. I, you 272 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:41,000 know, think that's really exciting prospect and and 273 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:43,480 definitely appreciate the idea of, you know, kind 274 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:45,639 of bringing that story and telling that story, 275 00:09:45,879 --> 00:09:47,960 with with your team and so they can, 276 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:50,039 you know, really understand what you're trying to 277 00:09:50,039 --> 00:09:52,835 do and how important it is, to continue, 278 00:09:53,375 --> 00:09:55,855 down this path so, you know, the community 279 00:09:55,855 --> 00:09:57,774 has access to care, and you're able to 280 00:09:57,774 --> 00:09:59,715 continue to do things officially and effectively. 281 00:10:00,175 --> 00:10:01,535 What do you think the hardest thing you'll 282 00:10:01,535 --> 00:10:02,894 have to do in the coming year will 283 00:10:02,894 --> 00:10:03,210 be? 284 00:10:04,170 --> 00:10:06,170 The the hardest thing always to me is 285 00:10:06,170 --> 00:10:07,769 just picking the things that you wanna work 286 00:10:07,769 --> 00:10:10,090 on. We don't have infinite resources. I do 287 00:10:10,090 --> 00:10:12,350 think that automation, technology, 288 00:10:12,889 --> 00:10:14,730 all the exciting things that are happening with 289 00:10:14,730 --> 00:10:17,415 artificial intelligence and, you know, the agents we 290 00:10:17,415 --> 00:10:19,095 get to work with as sort of trusted 291 00:10:19,095 --> 00:10:21,115 digital companions in our care delivery 292 00:10:21,495 --> 00:10:23,754 are going to help us with that. But, 293 00:10:23,815 --> 00:10:26,134 you know, ultimately, I think that you only 294 00:10:26,134 --> 00:10:27,835 have so much even with those enablement 295 00:10:28,215 --> 00:10:30,215 layers. And so I think we just have 296 00:10:30,215 --> 00:10:32,075 to make sure that we tie everything back 297 00:10:32,379 --> 00:10:34,459 to what are our north stars, what are 298 00:10:34,459 --> 00:10:37,500 we looking at from aspirational goal perspective. So, 299 00:10:37,500 --> 00:10:39,019 you know, how do we impact the the 300 00:10:39,019 --> 00:10:40,620 things that matter to our patients the most 301 00:10:40,620 --> 00:10:42,059 and our system the most so that we 302 00:10:42,059 --> 00:10:42,720 can stay, 303 00:10:43,259 --> 00:10:45,819 you know, financially well positioned for what's coming 304 00:10:45,819 --> 00:10:47,774 in the next couple of years. Another thing 305 00:10:47,774 --> 00:10:50,014 that I think is difficult to manage, especially 306 00:10:50,014 --> 00:10:52,674 on the technology side, is it's just happening 307 00:10:52,894 --> 00:10:55,615 at such a rapid pace that we're asking 308 00:10:55,615 --> 00:10:58,355 people to think about things different and practice 309 00:10:58,414 --> 00:11:00,975 differently. And, you know, that doesn't just that 310 00:11:00,975 --> 00:11:02,674 doesn't just apply for for 311 00:11:03,110 --> 00:11:06,070 physicians or clinicians. It's it's true for everyone 312 00:11:06,070 --> 00:11:08,330 who's kind of done things almost, 313 00:11:08,950 --> 00:11:11,350 by brute force, I think, over the past 314 00:11:11,350 --> 00:11:11,850 several, 315 00:11:12,629 --> 00:11:14,950 decades in health care. And so, you know, 316 00:11:14,950 --> 00:11:17,764 change is hard, but showing people again, the 317 00:11:17,764 --> 00:11:19,684 most important thing is what what is in 318 00:11:19,684 --> 00:11:21,044 it for our patients and and how do 319 00:11:21,044 --> 00:11:22,965 we make people's lives better and get them 320 00:11:22,965 --> 00:11:24,404 out of work on time, get them home 321 00:11:24,404 --> 00:11:25,225 with their families. 322 00:11:25,605 --> 00:11:27,445 And so I think that we have to 323 00:11:27,445 --> 00:11:30,004 be able to enable our workforce of the 324 00:11:30,004 --> 00:11:32,105 future with the technology of today. 325 00:11:32,404 --> 00:11:34,600 But how to do that is challenging, and 326 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:36,600 it's gonna be really different for different types 327 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:38,379 of of groups that we need to be 328 00:11:38,519 --> 00:11:41,639 cognizant about. So but, you know, what's exciting 329 00:11:41,639 --> 00:11:43,639 about that is now we have this whole 330 00:11:43,639 --> 00:11:45,480 new set of assets and resources that we 331 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:46,919 can use to take better care of people, 332 00:11:46,919 --> 00:11:48,955 and we can take some of that burdensome 333 00:11:48,955 --> 00:11:51,034 work, the kind of the death by a 334 00:11:51,034 --> 00:11:53,434 thousand clicks, I call it, and shift that 335 00:11:53,434 --> 00:11:55,195 off of our, you know, the backs of 336 00:11:55,195 --> 00:11:56,335 our our people. 337 00:11:56,794 --> 00:11:58,715 And so even though it'll be hard, I 338 00:11:58,715 --> 00:12:01,595 think it's very, very exciting and looking forward 339 00:12:01,595 --> 00:12:03,695 to to seeing it play out. 340 00:12:04,679 --> 00:12:05,740 Absolutely. I, 341 00:12:06,199 --> 00:12:06,699 definitely 342 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:09,240 understand how challenging that can be. And I 343 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:10,459 think, you know, looking at, 344 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:14,279 AI technologies, there's so many different opportunities that 345 00:12:14,279 --> 00:12:15,659 come available. I can imagine, 346 00:12:16,065 --> 00:12:18,245 from your perspective, you're getting pitches 347 00:12:18,625 --> 00:12:21,345 and new technologies every single day. So making 348 00:12:21,345 --> 00:12:23,504 sure that you've got that focus, truly is 349 00:12:23,504 --> 00:12:26,065 important. And I know every health care minute 350 00:12:26,065 --> 00:12:27,985 and dollar is precious, and and thinking through 351 00:12:27,985 --> 00:12:29,009 that lens can, 352 00:12:29,410 --> 00:12:31,410 you know, really be grounding it, it seems 353 00:12:31,410 --> 00:12:33,730 like. Now before we wrap up, I wanted 354 00:12:33,730 --> 00:12:35,570 to ask as well about growth. Where do 355 00:12:35,570 --> 00:12:37,090 you see some of the best opportunities for 356 00:12:37,090 --> 00:12:38,790 organizational growth in the future? 357 00:12:39,330 --> 00:12:41,009 So I I think this kinda goes back 358 00:12:41,009 --> 00:12:43,410 to that that same concept of the patient 359 00:12:43,410 --> 00:12:46,004 journey across the different types of the care 360 00:12:46,004 --> 00:12:48,485 continuum. And so, you know, looking at patients 361 00:12:48,485 --> 00:12:49,865 that are just, you know, 362 00:12:50,325 --> 00:12:52,105 seeing their doctor, doing their regular 363 00:12:52,644 --> 00:12:55,284 visits, getting their preventative care, how do we 364 00:12:55,284 --> 00:12:58,024 make that really smooth and easy for people? 365 00:12:58,399 --> 00:13:00,639 And, you know, I think that in that 366 00:13:00,639 --> 00:13:02,320 space, what I see is being able to 367 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:02,820 apply, 368 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:05,840 some large scale population models to be able 369 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:08,000 to determine. Okay. So you may have, you 370 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:10,559 know, large large group of patients and a 371 00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:13,039 certain percentage of them have different stages of 372 00:13:13,039 --> 00:13:13,860 chronic disease. 373 00:13:14,165 --> 00:13:15,845 Which of the patients that really need to 374 00:13:15,845 --> 00:13:18,085 be able to see a specialist for that 375 00:13:18,085 --> 00:13:20,325 particular disease state, and at what point do 376 00:13:20,325 --> 00:13:21,925 we have the resources that match to it? 377 00:13:21,925 --> 00:13:24,725 And then how do you think about, you 378 00:13:24,725 --> 00:13:25,545 know, providing 379 00:13:26,370 --> 00:13:29,990 virtual or telemedicine access or even asynchronous access, 380 00:13:30,529 --> 00:13:31,750 to be able to deliver 381 00:13:32,289 --> 00:13:33,509 care and help to guide, 382 00:13:34,210 --> 00:13:37,250 local care teams like patients' primary care physicians 383 00:13:37,250 --> 00:13:39,090 to be able to, you know, manage everything 384 00:13:39,090 --> 00:13:40,309 up until that point. 385 00:13:41,125 --> 00:13:42,964 You know, I I I think medicine's been 386 00:13:42,964 --> 00:13:43,464 incredibly, 387 00:13:44,644 --> 00:13:45,144 reactive 388 00:13:45,524 --> 00:13:46,024 historically, 389 00:13:46,725 --> 00:13:48,804 and we need to be able to use 390 00:13:48,804 --> 00:13:51,784 these these real assets that we see 391 00:13:52,164 --> 00:13:54,164 to create systems that are looking at the 392 00:13:54,164 --> 00:13:55,784 looking at the future and, 393 00:13:56,679 --> 00:13:58,600 matching patients to the resources they need the 394 00:13:58,600 --> 00:13:59,720 most and the ones that need it the 395 00:13:59,720 --> 00:14:02,039 most at the right time. So, truly, it 396 00:14:02,039 --> 00:14:04,539 all just comes together to think about 397 00:14:04,919 --> 00:14:07,799 how do we provide that orchestration layer and 398 00:14:07,799 --> 00:14:10,519 care traffic control to patients in a way 399 00:14:10,519 --> 00:14:11,019 that, 400 00:14:11,595 --> 00:14:13,434 partners with them and and does it in 401 00:14:13,434 --> 00:14:14,955 a way that seems right because it's not 402 00:14:14,955 --> 00:14:16,815 gonna be one size fits all to everybody. 403 00:14:16,955 --> 00:14:18,955 We can't just force people to use particular 404 00:14:18,955 --> 00:14:21,034 types of apps or, you know, not everyone's 405 00:14:21,034 --> 00:14:23,595 gonna feel comfortable using digital tools in the 406 00:14:23,595 --> 00:14:24,254 same way. 407 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:26,740 But how do we make sure we're thinking 408 00:14:26,799 --> 00:14:29,120 thoroughly about, you know, who does benefit from 409 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:30,399 it and how we get into their hands 410 00:14:30,399 --> 00:14:31,539 as quickly as possible? 411 00:14:32,639 --> 00:14:33,679 Got it. That's, 412 00:14:34,079 --> 00:14:35,679 makes a lot of sense. It is so, 413 00:14:35,679 --> 00:14:39,235 so helpful to think through that, perspective and 414 00:14:39,235 --> 00:14:41,074 keep that in mind. Thank you so much 415 00:14:41,074 --> 00:14:42,754 for joining us on the podcast today, doctor 416 00:14:42,754 --> 00:14:44,834 Ford. This has been such a fascinating and 417 00:14:44,834 --> 00:14:46,995 inspiring conversation, and I look forward to connecting 418 00:14:46,995 --> 00:14:48,834 with you again soon. Thank you so much, 419 00:14:48,834 --> 00:14:50,809 Laura. It was great talking to you and 420 00:14:50,949 --> 00:14:53,350 looking forward to, being up in Chicago for 421 00:14:53,350 --> 00:14:55,350 Becker's event in the next, couple of months 422 00:14:55,350 --> 00:14:57,589 in April. Oh, absolutely. Yes. I know you'll 423 00:14:57,589 --> 00:14:59,350 be speaking on a panel, and we'll be 424 00:14:59,350 --> 00:15:01,529 able to continue much of this conversation, 425 00:15:01,909 --> 00:15:03,534 and touch on many of these themes too. 426 00:15:03,534 --> 00:15:05,294 And it's always such a fun opportunity to 427 00:15:05,294 --> 00:15:07,455 see people in person and, you know, really 428 00:15:07,455 --> 00:15:08,735 get to know them a little bit more 429 00:15:08,735 --> 00:15:10,575 deeply. So I'm looking forward to that as 430 00:15:10,575 --> 00:15:11,554 well. Thank you.