Driving Positive Healthcare Changes in the Bronx | Dr. Jitendra Barmecha, CIO of SBH Health
In a recent interview, Dr. Jitendra Barmecha, CIO of SBH Heath, spoke with Janae Sharp, founder of the Sharp Index, about the challenges of being a CIO in the healthcare industry. The discussion covered staffing, interoperability, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry. Dr. Barmecha shared the perspective of a mid-sized group in the Bronx and spoke about a scheduled go-live with Epic and Oracle while maintaining normal business operations.
Dr. Barmecha started by addressing the issue of interoperability, which has been a long-standing challenge in the healthcare industry. Dr. Barmecha also discussed the importance of meaningful information at the point of care and data use for population health management and continuity of care. Interoperability is just scratching the surface of data exchange, building for a future where patient needs, including housing, food, and equity concerns, are understood in order to enable patients to access the healthiest lives possible.
The conversation then shifted to the topic of staffing, which is a major concern for many CIOs in the healthcare industry. Dr. Barmecha acknowledged the unique challenges of healthcare, where services are provided in person and technology is not typically developed in-house. He discussed the need for cross-training during the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasized the importance of resilience and business continuity planning.
Dr. Barmecha also touched on the impact of the pandemic on the industry as a whole, noting that it accelerated the digital capabilities of healthcare organizations. He highlighted the importance of e-learning, network access, and hardware during the pandemic. Dr. Barmecha's interview shed light on the challenges CIOs face in the healthcare industry as they navigate a complex and constantly evolving landscape from staffing to interoperability to business continuity planning.
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Jitendra Barmecha, MD, MPH
SBH Health System
Janae Sharp
The Sharp Index