Carolinas HealthCare takes on Superman with the total IT team approach
With more than 900 locations and upwards of 60,000 employees, Carolinas HealthCare System gives new meaning to the phrase ‘go big or go home.’ It’s only fitting then, that its IT department is making a considerable impact – implementing solutions that coincide with the executive strategies of the system at large while keeping an eye trained to the ever-changing healthcare climate.
It’s this integrative approach along with a total teamwork mindset that has played a key role in Carolinas’ IT success, according to Craig Richardville, CIO for the sprawling system, which happens to be the largest healthcare delivery network in the Southeast.
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“One of our secrets to success is to be extremely collaborative and take the total team approach,” Richardville said.
The employees composing Carolinas’ IT team epitomize this total package; not only are they good listeners, but they also possess the ability to convince others of the power that technology holds for various functions in the healthcare world, Richardville noted. A dedication to patient care is also significant within the Carolinas IT ethos.
“The other piece would be caring and commitment,” he added. “We’re in this industry for a reason; it’s a lot different from other industries. Our mission is to be able to provide healthcare and services to the patients … and it really [influences] what we do and how we do things.”
What’s more, the IT team is very much a part of expanding and implementing the overarching framework that carries Carolinas forth – meaning they aren’t just listening to major discussions within the system – they’re also starting them.
“We are very well integrated into the strategy of the system,” Richardville said. “We’re very well integrated into the operations of the system. We’re there to help enable the strategy and make the operations more efficient and effective. We’re really sitting at the same table and being part of those discussions.”
Despite the external, political factors that challenge the department currently and will continue to do so moving forward – the mounting regulations wracking health IT innovation have certainly kept the department on its toes – Richardville concurs that as long as such collaborative traits persist, Superman need not apply.
“For us, we are here to care for others,” he said. “This is not a Superman approach. This is a teamwork approach. Where somebody falls, we all fall.”
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