Becker’s Healthcare Podcast Recap: Driving Innovation and Transformation at MedStar Health with Bill Sheahan

In a recent conversation on the Becker’s Healthcare Podcast, sponsored by eVisit, William Sheahan, SVP and Chief Innovation Officer at MedStar Health, discussed how technology is only one piece of the puzzle when driving digital innovation and transformation.

“Technology is just technology,” Sheahan shared. “Unless you can really take that step back and focus on the people and process changes, it’s difficult to realize all of that opportunity and value that we all know exists in digital care.”

One of the challenges healthcare delivery systems face is finding a technology partner that offers more than a point solution. Artificial intelligence (AI), for example, is key to future success, but it must be thoughtfully integrated into a cohesive care model. Technology partners need to engage with the leadership team, the innovation team, frontline providers, and other key stakeholders, while also studying patient workflows to fully understand the overarching vision of a program.

Advice on picking a technology partner?

Sheahan shared how it can actually be unsettling when a technology company assures stakeholders that change will be easy or just “a button push.” In health care, such simplified answers often raise more questions, particularly about whether the technology company truly understands the complexity and effort required to implement meaningful change.

“I really want to hear from those partners how hard this is,” Sheahan explained. “Because the truth is, it is very hard work to change what are large, ingrained processes, and the way we’ve operated health care for so long. The right partners get that and dig into that work with you.”

Sheahan emphasized that MedStar Health’s technology partners are essential to the success of promoting and operationalizing digital care programs at scale.

To hear more from William Sheahan on driving innovation and transformation at MedStar Health, listen to the entire Becker’s Podcast here.