1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:02,730 This is Laura Ddo with the Becker's Healthcare Podcast. 2 00:00:03,350 --> 00:00:05,450 I'm thrilled today to be joined by Dr. Russell Horton, 3 00:00:05,520 --> 00:00:08,730 medical Director of Clinical Innovation with Banner Innovation Group, 4 00:00:08,730 --> 00:00:10,690 part of Banner Health. Dr. Horton, 5 00:00:10,690 --> 00:00:12,250 it's a pleasure to have you on the podcast today. 6 00:00:14,370 --> 00:00:16,340 Yeah, thanks for having me. It's a pleasure to be here. 7 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:18,460 Now, I know we have a lot to talk about. 8 00:00:18,460 --> 00:00:20,180 Banner is such an innovative health system, 9 00:00:20,180 --> 00:00:23,420 and definitely I'm excited to dig into some of the things that you're working on 10 00:00:23,420 --> 00:00:27,140 right now and really how you're seeing healthcare move and evolve. 11 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:28,820 But before we dive into my questions, 12 00:00:28,820 --> 00:00:31,060 can you tell me a little bit more about yourself and your background? 13 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:36,650 Yeah, happy to. Uh, I'm a general pediatrician by training, um, 14 00:00:37,230 --> 00:00:40,370 and did all my training out here in Arizona and, uh, 15 00:00:40,370 --> 00:00:45,170 joined Banner about 10 years ago in clinical practice and then moving into sort 16 00:00:45,170 --> 00:00:49,050 of physician leadership roles. Uh, did that for a while and, 17 00:00:49,070 --> 00:00:50,570 and really loved it. And then, um, 18 00:00:50,570 --> 00:00:54,570 as we went through covid started to work more with the Banner Innovation Group a 19 00:00:54,570 --> 00:00:58,770 little bit, and, uh, when an opportunity came open as their medical director, I, 20 00:00:58,930 --> 00:01:01,090 I jumped on that. And, um, you know, 21 00:01:01,090 --> 00:01:03,850 the Banner Innovation Group's role within Banner Health Banner's, 22 00:01:03,850 --> 00:01:08,810 a large health system. We're in six states, primarily Arizona. And, uh, 23 00:01:08,990 --> 00:01:11,690 our role as the innovation group is to try to help, uh, 24 00:01:11,690 --> 00:01:15,410 look at solutions for today's problems that are forward thinking and innovative, 25 00:01:15,550 --> 00:01:20,410 but also, um, help to find solutions that we may need in 10 years. 26 00:01:20,830 --> 00:01:25,290 And, um, to help drive some of what we do with the strategy, what we do with, 27 00:01:25,350 --> 00:01:30,210 uh, venture investing, what we do with, um, piloting, testing new technologies, 28 00:01:30,370 --> 00:01:34,650 partnerships we wanna form with other companies. Um, so it's a wide, uh, 29 00:01:34,650 --> 00:01:38,290 kind of swath of what we are involved in. And as the medical director, 30 00:01:38,390 --> 00:01:43,290 my role is to really bring some clinical perspectives to what 31 00:01:43,290 --> 00:01:46,610 the group is doing to make sure that we're clinically relevant, 32 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:51,570 that the voice of the clinicians and our clinical staff is really being heard, 33 00:01:51,830 --> 00:01:53,570 um, at a, at a more corporate level. 34 00:01:54,190 --> 00:01:58,970 And so I'm really honored to be that voice for the group, and I'm really, uh, 35 00:01:58,980 --> 00:02:00,330 doing some exciting things here. 36 00:02:01,590 --> 00:02:03,120 Well, that's awesome to hear. And, you know, 37 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:07,040 definitely seems like a really great place to be kind of in that intersection 38 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:10,480 between the clinical care as well as the innovation, the technology, 39 00:02:10,940 --> 00:02:15,040 and really seeing, you know, where healthcare is headed. Given your role, 40 00:02:15,050 --> 00:02:18,640 where do you see some of the big opportunities really for Banner and healthcare 41 00:02:18,640 --> 00:02:21,600 in general, as well as the headwinds that you have your eye on right now? 42 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,530 Yeah, I think the opportunities are, are numerous, um, 43 00:02:26,670 --> 00:02:31,410 the healthcare landscape as it's changed in the past few years and more, uh, 44 00:02:31,410 --> 00:02:35,490 competitors have gotten into this arena. And certainly, you know, 45 00:02:35,490 --> 00:02:37,290 we had the Covid pandemic, 46 00:02:37,550 --> 00:02:42,410 but also just everyday challenges that come up has really pushed us to, 47 00:02:42,870 --> 00:02:46,850 to look at where our opportunities might be, not in the typical areas. Um, 48 00:02:46,950 --> 00:02:50,330 so outside of just typical, we provide care, we deliver it, 49 00:02:50,330 --> 00:02:53,810 and we get paid for it, you know, we wanna look outside of that. So, um, 50 00:02:54,130 --> 00:02:57,930 I think an area that is certainly not, uh, news to anybody maybe, 51 00:02:58,110 --> 00:03:01,720 but that is huge for the, uh, a large health system like us, is our data. 52 00:03:02,060 --> 00:03:05,680 You know, we have a lot of data, we have a lot of patients, and we've, um, 53 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:09,200 helped them through a lot of things. And that's created this huge map. 54 00:03:09,340 --> 00:03:13,800 And what's really cool about it is that if we can harness that in the right way, 55 00:03:14,660 --> 00:03:18,080 and we can bring it into all the aspects of what we do, 56 00:03:18,180 --> 00:03:21,120 it really just makes us better, more efficient, uh, 57 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:24,240 better providers for our patients. And so, um, 58 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:27,600 I see that as a huge area where we can, um, 59 00:03:28,220 --> 00:03:32,680 really set banner up to be ready for whatever comes our way, 60 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:37,280 because we know what it means and how to deal with it. Um, so, 61 00:03:37,620 --> 00:03:39,920 uh, we also have a, uh, a, 62 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:44,480 a really cool arm of our health system that's our insurance division, 63 00:03:44,620 --> 00:03:47,680 and that is, uh, looking to help how, you know, 64 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:51,960 how do we become a payer as well as a provider, 65 00:03:52,580 --> 00:03:54,040 and how do we, uh, 66 00:03:54,450 --> 00:03:58,480 clinically integrate those together so that we are providing the best experience 67 00:03:58,500 --> 00:04:02,520 for our patients so that we are providing the best value-based care for our 68 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:05,440 patients. Um, and that we really create, uh, 69 00:04:05,670 --> 00:04:09,040 what we like to think of as a truly integrated, uh, 70 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:12,160 health system so that we are helping you through every part of that journey, 71 00:04:12,340 --> 00:04:13,280 not just one piece. 72 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:16,680 And I think that's what a health system will set up well to do. So those are, 73 00:04:16,780 --> 00:04:20,200 are opportunities that I think have a lot of, um, 74 00:04:20,380 --> 00:04:24,560 of reach and importance for us. And so, um, we're looking at that, uh, 75 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:29,280 very closely. You know, you mentioned headwinds. I think that as a clinician, 76 00:04:29,500 --> 00:04:34,200 the first thing that I think about, of course, is staffing and our people. Um, 77 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:38,000 a lot of things have moved virtually or automated or AI driven, 78 00:04:38,300 --> 00:04:42,000 but really it's about people. And so, um, 79 00:04:42,140 --> 00:04:46,520 at Banner we have some of the best, um, clinical staff and, and, um, 80 00:04:46,770 --> 00:04:50,880 operations leaders and providers that you can find. But you know, 81 00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:52,640 they can only do so much, right? 82 00:04:52,660 --> 00:04:56,600 And so we wanna make sure that we're setting up our teams to be successful. 83 00:04:57,460 --> 00:05:01,400 And where the innovation group and my role really comes in is what is the role 84 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:04,480 of a provider? What's the top of our license, as we say, 85 00:05:05,060 --> 00:05:09,320 and how do we make sure that our, our nurses, our MAs, our case managers, 86 00:05:09,340 --> 00:05:12,720 our doctors, our nurse practitioners, uh, PAs, 87 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:16,920 everyone involved in care of a patient is really operating at the top of that 88 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:21,000 license. And so, um, where can we automate and innovate those things? 89 00:05:21,090 --> 00:05:23,000 Where can we bring in, you know, 90 00:05:23,260 --> 00:05:27,920 AI or a new company or a software to really help drive, um, 91 00:05:28,570 --> 00:05:32,040 those staff members to be doing what they love and what they're best at, 92 00:05:32,100 --> 00:05:36,480 and not being mired in the kind of small tasks that take up so much time, 93 00:05:37,220 --> 00:05:41,440 but, um, they don't necessarily need to be doing, um, all day long. 94 00:05:42,020 --> 00:05:46,800 So, um, I think that, uh, it's going to, it, it's a great opportunity, 95 00:05:46,940 --> 00:05:51,040 but it is gonna be a headwind to try to think about as staffing becomes more of 96 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:53,360 a challenge, how do we, um, 97 00:05:53,710 --> 00:05:57,200 find ways to push back on that and make sure that we are, of course, 98 00:05:57,200 --> 00:05:58,760 bringing in new people all the time, 99 00:05:58,820 --> 00:06:02,960 but also really helping the people we have to, to love their job. 100 00:06:04,660 --> 00:06:08,520 That's so fascinating, and I think especially the last thing you mentioned, um, 101 00:06:09,140 --> 00:06:12,320 making sure that people love their job and getting them to a space where they 102 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:14,440 remember why they got into healthcare and, 103 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:16,320 and really the impact that they're having. 104 00:06:16,980 --> 00:06:20,560 Is there anything that you're doing right now differently at Banner, uh, 105 00:06:20,620 --> 00:06:24,880 to really help people, uh, you know, remember these things and, 106 00:06:24,900 --> 00:06:28,760 and fall back in love with what it means to be in healthcare in a healthcare 107 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:30,160 provider? Or, you know, 108 00:06:30,340 --> 00:06:33,480 how do you go about that in the current climate of healthcare in, 109 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:35,040 in given the tools that we have? 110 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:39,970 Yeah, yeah, that's a great question. And it, it's a, it, 111 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:43,690 it's a challenge with a lot of different answers, I think. And so, uh, 112 00:06:43,710 --> 00:06:47,530 not to say that we've, we've got every single answer, but I think we've got a, 113 00:06:47,530 --> 00:06:49,530 a, a good sense of where we want to go. And, you know, 114 00:06:49,530 --> 00:06:52,970 part of the Banner Innovations group job in the last couple years was helping 115 00:06:52,970 --> 00:06:56,770 Banner develop its strategic plan, right? What are the pillars of, 116 00:06:57,270 --> 00:07:00,490 of what we do and how we want to do it. First, we help create a vision, 117 00:07:00,490 --> 00:07:03,810 which is to be the most trusted healthcare partner for our patients. 118 00:07:04,350 --> 00:07:08,410 But then now this strategic planning and one of our pillars, um, 119 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:12,050 there's three main pillars is is called one team. And our, 120 00:07:12,110 --> 00:07:14,930 our one team pillar really is about what you just said, 121 00:07:14,930 --> 00:07:19,130 which is we want teams to feel connected, teams to feel supported. 122 00:07:19,230 --> 00:07:23,530 We want our staff at every level to feel like they're part of something that's 123 00:07:23,530 --> 00:07:26,890 big and great and, and working for the greater good. Um, 124 00:07:27,190 --> 00:07:30,290 and supporting them in that way is huge. You know, I think, um, 125 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:34,890 just to pull out one example, I, I think the world of nursing is, 126 00:07:35,190 --> 00:07:37,930 is woefully underrepresented in a lot of ways, 127 00:07:38,030 --> 00:07:41,730 but especially when it comes to innovative technology, right? There's not, 128 00:07:42,830 --> 00:07:47,010 um, there's a, there's a lot of things out there that will, um, allow, uh, 129 00:07:47,010 --> 00:07:50,970 doctors and nurse practitioners and, and those types of providers to, 130 00:07:51,430 --> 00:07:55,490 to streamline their day, to have better help through technology. 131 00:07:55,490 --> 00:07:58,890 Nurses are still kind of out there just really slogging through it, 132 00:07:58,910 --> 00:08:00,370 and they've got a really hard job, 133 00:08:00,590 --> 00:08:03,970 and our nurses do an amazing job at what they do, but, you know, 134 00:08:03,970 --> 00:08:08,810 could we help them more? And so I think on a, on a lot of levels, uh, 135 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:12,770 it's about saying, Hey, we're trying to help. Give us some time. 136 00:08:12,870 --> 00:08:15,690 Let us work on it. We want your input. Uh, 137 00:08:15,690 --> 00:08:17,930 we want to know how you feel about this. 138 00:08:18,030 --> 00:08:21,690 And so we're always talking with the people in the field, right? 139 00:08:21,690 --> 00:08:25,450 We don't wanna just stand up on a mountain and proclaim things because that, 140 00:08:25,450 --> 00:08:30,410 that doesn't tend to lead to great results. So, um, you know, I think for us, 141 00:08:30,410 --> 00:08:34,370 it's been great to help develop that strategy for the health system and then 142 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:37,650 also now be able to look at, okay, how do we actually do that? 143 00:08:37,710 --> 00:08:39,250 And I think nurses are a great example. 144 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:42,530 Lots of other examples of the course out there, but that's, um, you know, 145 00:08:42,570 --> 00:08:44,090 a big one at top of mind, I think. 146 00:08:45,150 --> 00:08:47,040 Certainly. Yeah. Yeah. I love that. 147 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:50,400 And that's so helpful to know and think through. Um, especially I, I, 148 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:53,600 I think every organization is really seeing similar things with our nurses, 149 00:08:53,780 --> 00:08:57,880 so I appreciate, uh, your ideas and expertise there. Now, 150 00:08:58,310 --> 00:09:00,680 when you think about, um, your role and, 151 00:09:00,680 --> 00:09:03,880 and you've talked through some of the ways that you're continuing to grow and 152 00:09:03,900 --> 00:09:05,480 add value to Banner overall, 153 00:09:05,580 --> 00:09:08,320 but is there anything else that you really wanna share with us? And, 154 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:11,760 and how do you really make sure that any of your initiatives or projects that 155 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:14,960 you're working on really continue to add value overall? 156 00:09:17,290 --> 00:09:18,100 Yeah, I, 157 00:09:18,100 --> 00:09:22,860 I think one of the first things just to like zoom out a little bit 158 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:24,340 on that question, um, 159 00:09:24,710 --> 00:09:29,460 would be to really embrace what we're seeing with competition from other 160 00:09:29,590 --> 00:09:32,420 areas, right? Because that, that competition from every, 161 00:09:32,660 --> 00:09:37,380 everyone from Amazon to Walmart, Walgreen, you know, insurance pay writers, and, 162 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:42,700 um, we've got, uh, you know, best Buy jumping into healthcare. And, you know, 163 00:09:42,980 --> 00:09:47,740 I think a lot of that kind of pushes me and our teams to think more 164 00:09:47,740 --> 00:09:52,100 about how do we create new opportunities for ourself. 165 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:54,580 Cuz when I heard that Best Buy was going into healthcare, right? 166 00:09:54,620 --> 00:09:55,540 I was thinking like, you know, 167 00:09:55,540 --> 00:09:59,180 that's where I bought a DVD player in the nineties, and like, 168 00:09:59,840 --> 00:10:02,700 why are they doing healthcare? But when I thought about it a little more, 169 00:10:02,720 --> 00:10:05,980 it really makes sense and I, I, I feel like, um, 170 00:10:06,490 --> 00:10:09,780 they are doing what we are trying to do, which is how can we get it, 171 00:10:10,370 --> 00:10:15,100 provide better care to the people that we want to provide care to? And so, uh, 172 00:10:15,180 --> 00:10:18,100 I try to look at it from a, a lens of, you know, 173 00:10:18,100 --> 00:10:20,620 there's a lot of things happening out in the world in healthcare, 174 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:25,820 and that's hopefully pushing us and honing us into something even sharper. Um, 175 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:30,700 so, uh, that's kind of a, a zoomed out view. But then like, moving in, 176 00:10:30,940 --> 00:10:34,500 I think what we want to do is really make sure that we are, um, 177 00:10:36,020 --> 00:10:40,260 creating value-based care structures that matter and that are important for our, 178 00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:43,100 our patients and the people that we care for and their families. 179 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:48,420 And that we are trying to be prepared for that in every way. So having the, 180 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:53,580 the, um, IT infrastructure, having the right kind of, um, 181 00:10:54,230 --> 00:10:55,340 staff capabilities, 182 00:10:55,340 --> 00:10:58,740 having the right kind of department set up so that we have this insurance 183 00:10:59,060 --> 00:11:02,500 division and we have risk-based contracts and we have, uh, 184 00:11:02,500 --> 00:11:06,500 value-based care that's kind of keeps creeping in little by little every year, 185 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:10,460 but are we gonna be ready for when that finally happens? And so I, 186 00:11:10,540 --> 00:11:14,220 I think that's a great area for us to really grow and add value is, 187 00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:16,980 is literally through value-based care, um, 188 00:11:16,980 --> 00:11:21,860 because we all know it's coming and we have to be ready to, um, 189 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:25,900 to kind of have everything in place ahead of time because, you know, 190 00:11:25,900 --> 00:11:28,540 there's still a lot of fee for service happening out there. But I, 191 00:11:28,660 --> 00:11:33,580 I do think that Banner is really trying to be proactive in 192 00:11:33,580 --> 00:11:38,220 this area so that we are creating value for our patients before we're forced to 193 00:11:38,220 --> 00:11:41,100 do it. And so that we are, are not, um, 194 00:11:41,450 --> 00:11:45,140 kind of struggling to play catch up when that time comes. You know, 195 00:11:45,140 --> 00:11:46,500 I think another area that's, 196 00:11:46,500 --> 00:11:49,580 that's really cool and something that we're working on right now and, 197 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:52,740 and as a system, but, uh, we've been tasked with a few, 198 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:56,640 a few challenges in the innovation group is, uh, to help, you know, 199 00:11:56,640 --> 00:11:58,720 how do we build out what the hospital or the, 200 00:11:58,780 --> 00:12:02,440 the hospital campus really of the future looks like. Um, 201 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:06,680 I think as these competitors that I was talking about have, 202 00:12:06,950 --> 00:12:09,320 have brought new light to healthcare, 203 00:12:09,830 --> 00:12:14,480 it's really shown how we as health systems are, are I think, set up, 204 00:12:15,140 --> 00:12:15,900 um, 205 00:12:15,900 --> 00:12:20,520 really succeed in this area because we are part of this community 206 00:12:20,570 --> 00:12:24,840 where we've been around for a while, we're a trusted name, but, um, you know, 207 00:12:25,110 --> 00:12:29,360 they, competitors like Amazon or Walmart are, have really created a, 208 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:35,040 a consumerism model that has taught people how to look 209 00:12:35,220 --> 00:12:39,800 for all things in their life as what's the best gonna be for me, for my family, 210 00:12:40,540 --> 00:12:44,600 um, and how can you provide me the best service that allows me to live the best 211 00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:49,320 kinda life that I wanna live, right? And so what we're trying to design with, 212 00:12:49,350 --> 00:12:53,720 with sort of a hospital campus of the future is how do we create that new space, 213 00:12:54,100 --> 00:12:56,800 um, because we're always gonna need a physical space in healthcare, 214 00:12:56,800 --> 00:12:59,320 even though so much of it can be done virtually, and that's great, 215 00:12:59,340 --> 00:13:02,000 but we're still gonna need physical spaces. Um, 216 00:13:02,020 --> 00:13:04,920 and how do we design that so that, you know, 217 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:09,520 we're at the leading edge of what it means to be involved in your healthcare, 218 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:14,160 where it's comfortable, where it's inviting, where it's convenient as as can be, 219 00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:17,200 and where you're going through maybe one of the hardest experiences of your 220 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:19,960 life, um, or of a family member's life, 221 00:13:20,460 --> 00:13:23,920 but you feel like you're in a place that's safe and welcoming and is, and, 222 00:13:23,980 --> 00:13:26,400 and you feel like you're in the right place. Um, 223 00:13:26,820 --> 00:13:30,000 and so we're really excited to be working on some of that work as well within 224 00:13:30,020 --> 00:13:33,120 the innovation group and, and, and all that that entails. 225 00:13:35,780 --> 00:13:38,930 Absolutely. I think that's a really great point, and definitely getting, 226 00:13:39,190 --> 00:13:41,330 you know, as you mentioned, uh, 227 00:13:42,090 --> 00:13:46,130 a headstart on the work environment and the things that are really gonna be 228 00:13:46,130 --> 00:13:49,970 important and beneficial to healthcare providers and workers, you know, 229 00:13:50,230 --> 00:13:52,930 in the value-based environment is so crucial and so critical. 230 00:13:52,950 --> 00:13:56,650 And it's great that, um, you at Banner have so much, uh, 231 00:13:56,650 --> 00:14:00,130 of that data and information that you're able to, uh, utilize, I'm sure, 232 00:14:00,130 --> 00:14:03,610 and leverage for some of the things that you're working on. And you know, too, 233 00:14:03,610 --> 00:14:04,730 as you've been talking through, 234 00:14:04,740 --> 00:14:07,730 we've talked about some of the workforce shortages and some of the challenges, 235 00:14:08,230 --> 00:14:12,210 um, that, that organizations are going through on a large scale, but you know, 236 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:16,450 certainly that you're experiencing too, uh, with, with the current environment. 237 00:14:16,590 --> 00:14:21,570 So given the limited healthcare resources, whether it's the workforce or, um, 238 00:14:21,570 --> 00:14:22,403 on the financial side, 239 00:14:22,540 --> 00:14:26,890 where do you see as being an important area to continue to innovate and, 240 00:14:26,890 --> 00:14:29,290 and take risks and, and make investments, um, 241 00:14:29,290 --> 00:14:31,770 even in a year that's a little bit challenging for most? 242 00:14:34,870 --> 00:14:35,840 Yeah. Um, 243 00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:41,280 I think that certainly streamlining processes 244 00:14:41,300 --> 00:14:44,760 for our clinical teams is, is important. And again, you know, my, 245 00:14:44,780 --> 00:14:48,160 my bias is towards the clinical team, of course, but, um, 246 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:53,600 I do think that as resources become stretched pretty thin and, 247 00:14:53,700 --> 00:14:56,280 you know, there's a doctor shortage, there's a nursing shortage, 248 00:14:56,380 --> 00:14:57,640 and there has been for a while, 249 00:14:57,700 --> 00:14:59,680 and there unfortunately probably will be for a while, 250 00:15:00,260 --> 00:15:04,320 we have to make sure that we are really, um, 251 00:15:05,430 --> 00:15:10,280 designing workflows and technology for those people on the front 252 00:15:10,280 --> 00:15:13,520 lines so that their day is moving smoothly. Um, 253 00:15:13,670 --> 00:15:15,840 they can see all the patients they want to see, 254 00:15:15,910 --> 00:15:19,680 they can add in a patient if they need to because they know that we've got their 255 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:22,680 back when it comes to better documentation, um, 256 00:15:22,780 --> 00:15:26,760 better coverage of all the different things they have to ACO measures and 257 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:30,280 value-based care metrics and all the things that we also have to do, you know, 258 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:33,800 answering messages, refilling prescriptions, um, you know, 259 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:37,920 checking on a call light in the hospital. All this stuff, um, is, 260 00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:41,880 is an investment, but I think has to be made because one, um, 261 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:44,640 someone will do it and we don't wanna lose people to, 262 00:15:45,140 --> 00:15:49,800 to another organization that has decided to be more, you know, more on the, uh, 263 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:53,520 front edge of that. Um, but I think it's also about, um, 264 00:15:53,980 --> 00:15:57,280 making sure that we are, um, investing in, 265 00:15:57,380 --> 00:16:01,040 in things that maybe don't always have the, the biggest, um, 266 00:16:01,500 --> 00:16:06,360 ROI or the biggest kind of huge revenue impact number. Um, you know, 267 00:16:06,380 --> 00:16:09,720 we take a lot of pitches from a lot of companies and, um, 268 00:16:09,720 --> 00:16:11,680 that's always part of it, and that's important. You know, 269 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:15,560 we need to make sure we can keep the doors open, keep the lights on, but, um, 270 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:20,840 I think what we're gonna see is that it's gonna be hard to quantify the return 271 00:16:21,140 --> 00:16:25,960 on really investing in your staff in a monetary way. Um, 272 00:16:26,140 --> 00:16:27,840 and so, you know, there's ways to do it, 273 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:31,280 and I think there's a lot of great companies out there trying to do that. Um, 274 00:16:31,300 --> 00:16:33,560 but I think it will be a risk, it will be a little bit of a, 275 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:35,760 a leap of faith to say, you know, um, 276 00:16:35,900 --> 00:16:39,920 we need to do this because it's what's gonna make us continue to be a great care 277 00:16:40,160 --> 00:16:44,840 provider. And, um, I think, uh, that I, 278 00:16:44,910 --> 00:16:48,560 that banner is trying to do that in, in a responsible way, um, 279 00:16:48,590 --> 00:16:52,640 because there's a lot of people's lives that, uh, depend on banner, uh, 280 00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:55,400 from within and from without. And so, um, it, 281 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:58,880 it's an interesting time certainly to be in this space because there's a lot of, 282 00:16:59,220 --> 00:17:02,680 of changes and a lot of, uh, cool things coming our way and, 283 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:04,280 and we're just trying to sort those out. 284 00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:09,030 Absolutely. I, I think that's such an important point. And, you know, 285 00:17:09,460 --> 00:17:13,590 looking through, um, ways to keep your eye on the future and what's going to, 286 00:17:13,650 --> 00:17:16,870 you know, what you still need to build and, and grow, how do you, uh, 287 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:20,910 think about that and measure some of those things that can be hard to see an 288 00:17:20,910 --> 00:17:22,030 immediate return on investment, 289 00:17:22,130 --> 00:17:25,270 but you know that down the line it is gonna make, uh, 290 00:17:25,370 --> 00:17:28,990 the organization even stronger a as we move forward and, you know, 291 00:17:29,100 --> 00:17:31,590 ideally get out of some of the challenges that we're in today. 292 00:17:33,570 --> 00:17:36,900 Yeah, yeah. And this is where I think data really comes back into the picture. 293 00:17:37,020 --> 00:17:40,940 I mean, it never really left the picture, but it, it's certainly there is, is, 294 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:45,500 um, the better we understand how all the different little cogs of, 295 00:17:45,560 --> 00:17:48,820 of this big machine move and work and interact with each other, 296 00:17:49,340 --> 00:17:53,400 the better we can create, um, sort of a model of, hey, you know, 297 00:17:53,420 --> 00:17:56,360 if you gave a nurse some time back, 298 00:17:56,380 --> 00:18:00,200 or if you had a doctor who didn't have to spend so much time documenting, 299 00:18:00,300 --> 00:18:04,600 or you could do this procedure virtually at home, um, 300 00:18:05,140 --> 00:18:09,720 how would that impact, you know, the office so there are more rooms open, um, 301 00:18:09,900 --> 00:18:12,840 if those rooms are open, can we see more patients and help more people, 302 00:18:12,940 --> 00:18:15,800 you know? And, and, um, that's really, 303 00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:19,120 I think one of the things we're trying to get is that easy access to 304 00:18:19,120 --> 00:18:22,880 understanding all the things that maybe we didn't have to think about before. 305 00:18:22,940 --> 00:18:23,773 You know, a lot of, 306 00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:28,480 a lot of infrastructures is put into place for all of us years 307 00:18:28,580 --> 00:18:32,400 before, and, um, some of this stuff wasn't even on the horizon yet, 308 00:18:32,500 --> 00:18:35,760 and now we're having to think about it. But I think it is, it is possible. 309 00:18:35,820 --> 00:18:40,160 And I think that if we are smart about it, and I think, um, 310 00:18:40,390 --> 00:18:44,080 like banners trying to do with a group like ours and with these strategic 311 00:18:44,390 --> 00:18:47,680 pillars, you know, building on the, like I, the idea of one team, 312 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:52,680 like we talked about, we want to be a personalized, integrated, easy to access, 313 00:18:53,060 --> 00:18:57,240 um, company for our patients. We want our, um, covered lives, our, 314 00:18:57,260 --> 00:19:00,600 our insurance members to feel like they are part of, um, 315 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:05,040 a really easy flow chart that's gonna move them from their insurance selection 316 00:19:05,220 --> 00:19:08,120 all the way through their care for their whole life. You know, 317 00:19:08,120 --> 00:19:10,200 and those pillars really drive a lot of what we do. 318 00:19:10,220 --> 00:19:14,400 And so we're trying to make sure that on both sides of that we're creating the 319 00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:16,440 future. And, and I think, um, I think we are. 320 00:19:18,830 --> 00:19:22,420 Absolutely. I, I love it. And that's just so helpful to the, to think about and, 321 00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:25,380 um, you know, really keep an eye on the future and, 322 00:19:25,380 --> 00:19:29,140 and know how important that is. Before we wrap up our conversation, 323 00:19:29,260 --> 00:19:31,420 I wanted to dig a little bit deeper along those lines. 324 00:19:31,670 --> 00:19:34,420 Where do you see big opportunities for growth and development, 325 00:19:34,490 --> 00:19:38,300 whether it's within your role or the teams you work with over the next two to 326 00:19:38,300 --> 00:19:40,940 three years as healthcare continues to evolve and change? 327 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:48,170 Yeah, I, boy, I think there's probably a lot of answers there. Um, 328 00:19:48,690 --> 00:19:53,350 I, I would say that for me clinically and in my role, 329 00:19:53,630 --> 00:19:55,990 I, I really want to see us, um, 330 00:19:57,300 --> 00:20:01,150 make that investment in, um, helping, uh, 331 00:20:02,450 --> 00:20:07,150 the clinical providers that we have really streamline what they do and decrease 332 00:20:07,370 --> 00:20:11,710 the burnout. That is such a problem now. Um, and you know, as you know, 333 00:20:11,730 --> 00:20:15,670 as most people know, um, healthcare burnout is a real problem. 334 00:20:15,850 --> 00:20:19,870 And so I, I wanna make sure that we're doing everything we can to do that. 335 00:20:19,930 --> 00:20:24,190 And I think the way we do that is, is everything we've been talking about. But, 336 00:20:24,730 --> 00:20:27,550 um, I, I feel like, um, 337 00:20:28,820 --> 00:20:32,990 what we are hopefully gonna be doing, um, within our group is, 338 00:20:33,890 --> 00:20:37,070 is helping to create a streamlined path for innovation, right? 339 00:20:37,190 --> 00:20:41,630 I think that every health system, uh, everyone, you know, in all, 340 00:20:41,850 --> 00:20:45,550 all fields of, of business really, um, want to innovate, 341 00:20:45,550 --> 00:20:47,720 want to be at the cutting edge of the future. And, 342 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:50,440 and that's great what we want to do, um, 343 00:20:50,470 --> 00:20:54,120 because we are such a large health system and we have so many different delivery 344 00:20:54,370 --> 00:20:58,240 areas for care, so many different, um, ways that we touch people's lives, 345 00:20:59,580 --> 00:21:04,200 uh, I think a, a cool area for us and for me and our team is gonna be, um, 346 00:21:04,460 --> 00:21:08,720 how we create sort of this fast lane to innovation, right? 347 00:21:09,220 --> 00:21:14,200 And how we create a streamlined process where we are working well with our IT 348 00:21:14,290 --> 00:21:18,080 teams. We have great IT teams, but they get a lot put on them. 349 00:21:18,220 --> 00:21:21,800 And so how do we make sure that we're bringing them things in the right way with 350 00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:24,400 the right information they need? How do we, you know, 351 00:21:24,420 --> 00:21:27,800 access the data we have in the right way? How do we, um, 352 00:21:27,990 --> 00:21:31,720 take the infrastructure we have and um, and keep 353 00:21:33,470 --> 00:21:37,960 remolding that into, into something that's nimble and adaptable for the future? 354 00:21:38,620 --> 00:21:43,560 And so we're really trying to create that lane where, um, and I, uh, 355 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:46,320 one of my colleagues, uh, calls it the fast lane. And, 356 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:50,760 and I think that's exactly what we want it to be, right? That we have an idea, 357 00:21:50,980 --> 00:21:55,680 or a company or a project or someone from our insurance division 358 00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:59,240 comes to us and says, Hey, you know, we, we'd really love to be better at this. 359 00:21:59,620 --> 00:22:02,440 And we, we just go, we hit the gas pedal and, 360 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:05,480 and we start figuring out what it's gonna be. Um, 361 00:22:05,820 --> 00:22:08,880 that's gonna take some time and that's gonna take a, a, a lot of work. 362 00:22:08,980 --> 00:22:13,960 But I think we're certainly at banners set up to do that, uh, and to see us, um, 363 00:22:14,030 --> 00:22:15,960 just even more leading the way into the future. 364 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:18,520 I love that. 365 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:22,360 That's such an amazing message and I can imagine inspires many within the 366 00:22:22,360 --> 00:22:23,760 organization. And Dr. Horton, 367 00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:26,200 thank you so much for joining us for this podcast episode. 368 00:22:26,360 --> 00:22:29,120 I really appreciate your time, and it's been great hearing from you. 369 00:22:30,790 --> 00:22:32,120 It's been great. Thank you so much. 370 00:22:32,770 --> 00:22:33,500 Absolutely. 371 00:22:33,500 --> 00:22:37,040 And I know we'll talk through many of these themes further at our Health IT 372 00:22:37,070 --> 00:22:39,920 digital Health and Revenue Cycle event in October. Um, 373 00:22:40,220 --> 00:22:43,200 I'm excited to see you there. I think it'll be a lot of fun and, and definitely, 374 00:22:43,660 --> 00:22:46,360 um, a great time to just keep an eye on, you know, 375 00:22:46,360 --> 00:22:48,880 innovation and technologies and where the field is headed. 376 00:22:50,610 --> 00:22:53,900 Yeah. I, I can't wait. I hope to see lots and lots of people there to, 377 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:55,620 to keep pushing us into the future.