![]() KH: So as someone who has some CIO experience, how different do you think it will be holding a permanent position, especially in a health system the size of Penn Health? So after Phoenixville Hospital, I moved into the interim CIO position at Doylestown Hospital in Doylestown, Pa., which is an independent hospital. In comparison, I’m sitting in my office as we speak, and I’m looking at both HUP (Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania) and Presbyterian Medical Center right now. MR: It’s about 30 miles, maybe a little more. And Phoenixville is pretty far out from the city, right? I say a bit of exposure because when you’re the far-out suburban hospital in a predominantly center city-based health system, you don’t get a lot of attention out there particularly if things are going well. This experience did give me a bit of exposure to the health system back then. I remained with Phoenixville Hospital to transition the IT activities to Community Health System. But while I was there, the health system sold off Phoenixville Hospital to Community Health Systems. MR: As mentioned, I was interim CIO at Phoenixville Hospital in Phoenixville, Pa., and at that time, the University of Pennsylvania Health System owned Phoenixville Hospital. KH: But you had served as interim CIO previously, correct? ![]() This was keeping it all the same for me, so it was great fit all around. I’m not sure about the other candidates that were considered by UPHS, but I know that with any position, trying to uproot your family and relocate - with new schools, new friendships, and activities - is a lot of strain on families. I live in the western suburbs of Philadelphia. So, it was for all of those reasons, plus I’m local to UPHS. I clearly think that Penn Medicine is one of the elite health systems throughout the country. MR: When you look across the landscape, I don’t know of a more prestigious, prominent, challenging and fast-paced type of opportunity that existed in the area - or the country, for that matter. KH: So things worked out, and when the opportunity presented itself you felt that it was the right move for you. Based upon that effort, and some recent needs at the health system, I was asked to assist at UPHS in an independent manner. Through MedMatica, I had the opportunity to serve as interim CIO of one of UPHS’ previously owned facilities, Phoenixville Hospital. In 2001, I formed a consulting firm (MedMatica Consulting Associates). MR: Not as an employee - but I had worked for First Consulting Group in the mid 1990s, and had been working with the health system then. KH: Before you were asked to serve as interim CIO, had you had an association with Penn Medicine? In March of this year, they announced that I was their selection. In June, the health system embarked upon a national search for a permanent CIO. At that point, the health system asked if I would step in and become the interim CIO because there were so many projects that were in a state of flux and needed guidance. George announced he was resigning in February of 2007 and departed in March of 2008. The former CIO was an individual by the name of George Brenckle. MR: I started in December of 2006 in a consulting role to perform IS leadership activities. How did this process unfold? When and how did you initially begin the consultant role, and how were you promoted to CIO? KH: Now, you were recently promoted to CIO after spending time as interim CIO under a consulting contract. Tied to that, the health system moves at an outstandingly fast pace, so our information systems (IS) organization needs to match - if not exceed - this pace across all segments of the health system. Our primary challenge surrounds the breadth and depth of services provided by the health system and the information systems support that is required. Instead, the facility will consist of a long term acute care unit, a major rehabilitation unit and a hospice unit. Those beds are coming back online in July of this year, but they’re not coming online as inpatient beds. We’ve recently purchased Graduate Health System from Tenet Health, which had Graduate Hospital associated with it.
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