After what it called an “extensive nationwide search,” Intermountain Health has chosen a familiar face to be its new chief digital and information officer.
WHY IT MATTERS
Ryan Smith, who had held several senior IT leadership roles at the Salt Lake City-based health system for almost 20 years – and who also served a separate, more recent stint as chief information officer there from 2020 to 2022 – will take the reins as CDIO starting in early 2025.
Smith currently serves as interim president and chief executive officer at Graphite Health, a nonprofit collaborative of health systems, including Intermountain, working toward a “common digital language” for healthcare data across the information ecosystem.
Smith began his career at Intermountain in the mid-’90s, spending nearly two decades in various data, network and technology roles, before leaving to serve as CIO at Phoenix-based Banner Health in 2013.
After five years there, he went on to serve as a senior VP and advisor at analytics firm Health Catalyst, before returning as CIO of Intermountain during the pandemic. He’s been at Graphite Health for the past three years.
As the new CDIO at Intermountain, Ryan will report chief strategy officer Dan Liljenquist, the health system said, and will serve as a member of the Enterprise Leadership Team.
Smith will lead Intermountain’s Digital Technology Services, including DTS Operations, Digital Services, Data Services, Clinical Informatics, Information Security and Information Technology, with leaders of each team will reporting directly to him.
THE LARGER TREND
For his first go-round as Intermountain CIO, starting in 2020, Smith had taken over for the health system’s longtime IT leader, Marc Probst.
Two years later, as Intermountain completed its mega-merger with Colorado-based SCL Health, that role was expanded to CDIO and filled by SCL’s Craig Richardville.
Richardville – who earlier this year shared some insights about assessing and choosing IT vendors – stepped down at Intermountain this past July.
ON THE RECORD
“This opportunity is deeply meaningful to me,” said Smith, in a statement about his new role. “I’m excited for the opportunity to make healthcare an easier, safer experience for patients, members and caregivers alike.”
“I’m confident that Ryan is the right leader to help Intermountain successfully navigate both opportunities and obstacles as a model health system in the complex world of healthcare that lies ahead,” added Intermountain Health president and CEO Rob Allen. “He will lead DTS to support our mission, vision, and strategy to simplify, expand proactive care, and improve the healthcare experience for our caregivers, patients, members, and communities.”
Mike Miliard is executive editor of Healthcare IT News
Email the writer: mike.miliard@himssmedia.com
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS publication.
Source : Healthcare IT News