Communicating Effectively with the C-Suite

Kenneth Maddock, BSEET Vice President of Clinical Engineering and Telecomm Services, Baylor Health Care System
2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation www.aami.org

2/15/2014

What is the C-Suite?

Healthcare executives such as: Chief Executive Officer Chief Information Officer Chief Technology Officer Chief Operating Officer Chief Financial Officer Chief Medical Officer Chief Nursing Officer
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2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation www.aami.org

Top six concerns among healthcare executives:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
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Financial challenges Patient safety/quality of care Care for the uninsured Physician-hospital relations Personnel shortages Healthcare reform
2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation www.aami.org

Establishing Credibility
Establish credibility by: Doing a good job Know Your stuff Prepare ... Then prepare for the unexpected Know the benefits & challenges technical, clinical, & business
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2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation www.aami.org

Establishing Credibility
Establish credibility by: Interacting with others Be more than the repair guys; get involved in your customers business Show interest in their issues Everyone is positive and professional 100% of the time!
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2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation www.aami.org

Establishing Credibility
Establish credibility by: Collaborating with others to expand your knowledge of the hospitals big picture Get involved in projects outside of your area Figure out what problems need to be solved and help to solve them Dont be afraid to take risks, be a leader
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2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation www.aami.org

Establishing Credibility
Establish credibility by: Being a healthcare professional, not just a technology professional. Learn all aspects of the business, such as:
Finance Clinical applications Non-technical regulatory issues
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2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation www.aami.org

Understanding your Audience

As medical technology professionals, we are masters of technical intricacies, details, and minutia.

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2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation www.aami.org

Understanding your Audience

Hospital executives focus on the big picture. They oversee many departments, budgets, functions, and employees.

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2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation www.aami.org

Understanding your Audience

Executives operate systemically and institutionally, and they report to a Board of Directors, striving toward a mission. They act on a vision and strategies.
This is the level at which they engageand the level at which we must demonstrate our value.
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2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation www.aami.org

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Understanding your Audience

Keep communication brief, simple, and factual Speak their language (remember the healthcare executive priorities financial concerns and patient safety) Be prepared!

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2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation www.aami.org

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Speak Their Language

Human Factors Human factors is the discipline that studies how human beings interact with technology as well as how technology affects human performance, primarily in industrial setting.

Making the right thing to do the easy thing to do!

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2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation www.aami.org

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Speak Their Language

Accountable Care Organization An Accountable Care Organization, or ACO for short, is a health system model with the ability to provide, and manage with patients, the continuum of care across different institutional settings, including at least ambulatory (outpatient) and inpatient hospital care and possibly post acute care.
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Speak Their Language

Medical Home The Medical Home, also known as the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH), is defined as an approach to providing comprehensive primary care... that facilitates partnerships between individual patients, and their personal providers, and when appropriate, the patients family
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2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation www.aami.org

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Understanding your Audience

Avoid tech-speak or biomed jargon Be a technology facilitator, not a roadblock Remember that they think in sound bites Focus on the things you have in common with them (saving money, patient safety, patient satisfaction, increasing revenue, improving outcomes)
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2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation www.aami.org

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Understanding your Audience

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2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation www.aami.org

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What Does Success Look Like?

Collaborative partnerships with IT, clinicians, and others Being viewed as a reliable group that solves big problems Using metrics to measure and demonstrate success

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2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation www.aami.org

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Real-Life Examples
Executive Sponsor for IT transition at newly acquired site Leading effort to manage mobile equipment throughout organization Leadership cultivates relationships

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2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation www.aami.org

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Goal 4 of AAMIs Strategic Plan

Define profession and qualifications for clinical technology management and its role and value in healthcare delivery.

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2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation www.aami.org

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AAMIs Technology Management Council

The TMC is helping to raise the profile of medical technology professionals through efforts such as: Biomedical/Clinical Engineering Appreciation Week A new brochure designed specifically for the C-Suite Developing a standardized name for the profession, and defining qualifications for the field Establishing a core curriculum for BMET educational programs AAMIs Benchmarking Solution The CE-IT Community Providing networking opportunities And much more

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2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation www.aami.org

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References & Resources

AAMI Technology Management Council (TMC)
TMC Connect (www.aami.org/tmcconnect)
complimentary resources, sample documents, and more

AAMIs Benchmarking Solution (www.aami.org/abs)

compare performance, policies, and procedures against similar departments at other facilities

TMCs LinkedIn page (www.linkedin.com)

1,000+ members sharing best practices

TMC BMET Profession video (www.aami.org/student)

to raise awareness of the BMET field YouTube and Vimeo

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2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation www.aami.org

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Questions?

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2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation www.aami.org

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