[{"innerBlocks":[],"name":"core\/freeform","postId":3406,"blockType":{"name":"core\/freeform","keywords":[],"attributes":{"content":{"type":"string","source":"raw"},"lock":{"type":"object"}},"providesContext":[],"usesContext":[],"selectors":[],"supports":{"className":false,"customClassName":false,"reusable":false},"styles":[],"variations":[],"apiVersion":3,"title":"Classic","description":"Use the classic WordPress editor.","category":"text"},"originalContent":"Information technology executives in healthcare can influence innovation within their organizations by drawing upon diverse individuals to bring new perspectives to solving complex vexing issues.

In many cases, that\u2019s easier said than done, says Maia Hightower, MD, chief medical information officer at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics. Many hierarchies in healthcare organizations are dominated by males, such as hospital executives and physician leadership, and women and people of color are often under-represented.

However, new research in executive decision making shows that diversity in team composition leads to better, and often more creative decisions, says Hightower, who will be sharing her insights in a presentation on May 17 as part of Health Data Management\u2019s<\/i> second Annual \u201cMost Powerful Women in Healthcare IT\u201d event, honoring those for their leadership in helping the industry improve care and patient outcomes while reducing costs.

She\u2019s a big believer in crafting teams that influence decisions in healthcare organizations, and suggests that healthcare IT provides a valuable opportunity to model diversity in such efforts to \u201camplify the effect of our decision making,\u201d providing the basis for bringing diverse experiences and viewpoints to the table.

While leadership in healthcare organizations may not be diverse, most providers have staff with a wide range of education levels, roles and ethnic backgrounds, and IT executives can draw upon those to fill roles on decision making teams, Hightower believes.

\u201cMedical assistants may only have a high school degree, while physicians and clinical scientists may be at the very top of the educational scale,\u201d she says. \u201cBy using diversity in problem solving, there\u2019s just a huge potential to create teams that leverage all of these different experiences and gain new insights for how to design our systems.\u201d

Also See:<\/b> MPWHIT Spotlight: Marion Ball applying HIT to the point of care<\/a>

Hightower suggests IT leaders should intentionally inject professional diversity, as well as ethnic diversity, into the teams that craft decisions, but just filling in roles isn\u2019t enough. In addition, IT leaders must model certain characteristics to ensure that diversity initiatives take root.

Lead with humility and respect.<\/b> Hightower says it\u2019s important to make the team a safe place where people are encouraged to share ideas. \u201cIf you don\u2019t make it an inclusive environment, it can actually work against you because members will be reluctant to share ideas,\u201d she adds. \u201cIf you value all your team members and create a safe environment where everyone knows the ground rules that there is no such thing as a bad idea, you\u2019ll be able to open to discussion of those ideas.\u201d

Lead with authenticity, bringing your whole self to the workplace. <\/b>\u201cThat encouraged team members to bring their whole identities as well,\u201d she says. \u201cAs a leader, I want to ensure that if you bring your whole self, it is OK.\u201d

Lead by offering networking and providing sponsorship for career growth.<\/b> Team members and IT staff need to know an IT executive will support diversity by identifying those who have potential for career growth and sponsor them to help them achieve their goals. That\u2019s not always easy\u2014Hightower has found that white males are often more aggressive in asking to be sponsored for career growth. \u201cThere\u2019s fewer women and people of color knocking on my door for that,\u201d she adds. \u201cIt may require reaching out to promising staff members who have a different perspective to sponsor them for key growth opportunities.\u201d
","saveContent":"Information technology executives in healthcare can influence innovation within their organizations by drawing upon diverse individuals to bring new perspectives to solving complex vexing issues.

In many cases, that\u2019s easier said than done, says Maia Hightower, MD, chief medical information officer at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics. Many hierarchies in healthcare organizations are dominated by males, such as hospital executives and physician leadership, and women and people of color are often under-represented.

However, new research in executive decision making shows that diversity in team composition leads to better, and often more creative decisions, says Hightower, who will be sharing her insights in a presentation on May 17 as part of Health Data Management\u2019s<\/i> second Annual \u201cMost Powerful Women in Healthcare IT\u201d event, honoring those for their leadership in helping the industry improve care and patient outcomes while reducing costs.

She\u2019s a big believer in crafting teams that influence decisions in healthcare organizations, and suggests that healthcare IT provides a valuable opportunity to model diversity in such efforts to \u201camplify the effect of our decision making,\u201d providing the basis for bringing diverse experiences and viewpoints to the table.

While leadership in healthcare organizations may not be diverse, most providers have staff with a wide range of education levels, roles and ethnic backgrounds, and IT executives can draw upon those to fill roles on decision making teams, Hightower believes.

\u201cMedical assistants may only have a high school degree, while physicians and clinical scientists may be at the very top of the educational scale,\u201d she says. \u201cBy using diversity in problem solving, there\u2019s just a huge potential to create teams that leverage all of these different experiences and gain new insights for how to design our systems.\u201d

Also See:<\/b> MPWHIT Spotlight: Marion Ball applying HIT to the point of care<\/a>

Hightower suggests IT leaders should intentionally inject professional diversity, as well as ethnic diversity, into the teams that craft decisions, but just filling in roles isn\u2019t enough. In addition, IT leaders must model certain characteristics to ensure that diversity initiatives take root.

Lead with humility and respect.<\/b> Hightower says it\u2019s important to make the team a safe place where people are encouraged to share ideas. \u201cIf you don\u2019t make it an inclusive environment, it can actually work against you because members will be reluctant to share ideas,\u201d she adds. \u201cIf you value all your team members and create a safe environment where everyone knows the ground rules that there is no such thing as a bad idea, you\u2019ll be able to open to discussion of those ideas.\u201d

Lead with authenticity, bringing your whole self to the workplace. <\/b>\u201cThat encouraged team members to bring their whole identities as well,\u201d she says. \u201cAs a leader, I want to ensure that if you bring your whole self, it is OK.\u201d

Lead by offering networking and providing sponsorship for career growth.<\/b> Team members and IT staff need to know an IT executive will support diversity by identifying those who have potential for career growth and sponsor them to help them achieve their goals. That\u2019s not always easy\u2014Hightower has found that white males are often more aggressive in asking to be sponsored for career growth. \u201cThere\u2019s fewer women and people of color knocking on my door for that,\u201d she adds. \u201cIt may require reaching out to promising staff members who have a different perspective to sponsor them for key growth opportunities.\u201d
","order":0,"get_parent":{},"attributes":[],"attributesType":{"content":{"type":"string","source":"raw"},"lock":{"type":"object"}},"dynamicContent":""}]

Why diverse teams can successfully boost innovation

More for you