When the pandemic hit, Mt. San Rafael had already modernized its infrastructure with digital solutions from companies such as NetApp, Splunk, VMware and Imprivata. “We were fully virtualized, we had cloud-based initiatives, and we had a very strong and mature cybersecurity program,” Archuleta says.
When the health system suddenly had to set up telehealth clinics and send staff members home to work, the transition happened with ease, he says, “because the foundation we’d built was solid.”
Currently, Mt. San Rafael is leveraging everything from advanced analytics to robotic process automation as part of its digital transformation journey. Administrators are deploying workflow solutions to automate patient scheduling and billing, while clinicians are using artificial intelligence to predict patient outcomes and personalize treatment plans.
Overall, the organization is leaning into virtual care and other digital platforms that clinicians, staff and patients alike came to rely on during the pandemic. Archuleta says his team is committed to “staying ahead of the curve” when it comes to digital health.
“The way we see it, technology has become a critical enabler of our mission to deliver high-quality care,” he says.
Taking Digital Health Strategies from Vision to Reality
Archuleta spoke back in March at the ViVE 2023 digital health conference in Nashville, Tenn., telling attendees that healthcare was “antiquated” compared with sectors such as energy and finance. His message, he says, was intended to serve as a rallying call for the industry.
“We’re doing the most important thing there is: taking care of people and saving lives,” he says. “I think it’s time for us to step up and be at the forefront of innovation and digital transformation.”
Though other healthcare leaders agree, surveys have found that many are having trouble getting their plans off the ground. “Healthcare’s digital mindset and execution are not always aligned,” according to an analysis from Huron Consulting.
Healthcare organizations are investing in technologies such as cloud applications and data platforms, says Huron Managing Director David Devine, “but they’re struggling to connect these tools to their patients and to use cases where they can really make a difference.”
One major medical system that has successfully turned its vision for digital health into reality is Pittsburgh-based UPMC. In 2017, the health system shifted its digital transformation campaign into high gear by moving to a new, state-of-the-art data center, says CTO Christian Carmody.
“We were growing really quickly, and we knew it was important to position our infrastructure to support and enable that no matter what,” he says.
Click the banner below to learn how a modern data analytics program can optimize care.
