Latest / Becker’s Healthcare Digital Health + Health IT / Cynthia Salisbury, MSN, RN, System Executive Director of Nursing Operations at Providence

Transcript

Cynthia Salisbury, MSN, RN, System Executive Director of Nursing Operations at Providence · Becker’s Healthcare Digital Health + Health IT

• 0:02
  At athenahealth,
• 0:03
  we know your ambulatory practice wants healthier, a
• 0:06
  healthier business, healthier care teams, and healthier patients.
• 0:10
  But the complexities of modern health care tech
• 0:12
  make it hard for you and your care
• 0:14
  teams to focus on what matters
• 0:16
  most? That's where athenahealth can help. Our AI
• 0:19
  native all in one solutions reduce administrative burdens,
• 0:22
  streamline billing and payments, and deliver critical insights
• 0:25
  when clinicians need it most. That means fewer
• 0:28
  clicks, more time for patients, and stronger bottom
• 0:31
  lines.
• 0:32
  Lines. Practicing medicine is complex, but running a
• 0:35
  practice can be that much simpler with athenahealth.
• 0:38
  See how simpler is healthier@athenahealth.com.
• 0:43
  Hello, everyone. This is Scott King with the
• 0:45
  Becker's Healthcare Podcast. Thrilled today to be joined
• 0:48
  by a very special guest, Cynthia Salisbury, assistant
• 0:51
  executive director nursing operations
• 0:53
  at Providence. Cynthia, how are you doing today?
• 0:56
  I'm great, Scott. How are you? I'm good.
• 0:59
  Thanks so much for joining us. You know,
• 1:00
  we have a lot to to get to,
• 1:02
  a lot of important things, obviously,
• 1:03
  happening in health care. But before we do
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  that, I just wanted to see if you
• 1:06
  can please introduce yourself a little bit and
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  just tell us about your background.
• 1:11
  Sure. Yes. Thank you for having me. I'm
• 1:13
  happy to be here. So Cynthia Salisbury.
• 1:16
  I, I am a nurse. I have, practiced
• 1:18
  in a nurse as a nurse practitioner as
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  well in the past.
• 1:22
  Prior to moving into,
• 1:24
  health care administration,
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  I started my role in health care administration
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  and quality,
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  and then I served for over a decade
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  as the regional chief quality officer,
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  for the Texas, New Mexico region of Providence.
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  And and then they're focusing
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  chief nurse executive role, also with Providence.
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  When I was in that role,
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  I actually worked with our system level chief
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  nursing officer, Syl Trocagnier,
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  to develop and then to implement and pilot
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  our virtual nursing program at Providence known as
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  the co caring program.
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  From there, I, moved to the north division
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  chief nursing officer where I served in the
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  Puget Sound in Washington state as well as
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  Alaska.
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  And as our co caring virtual nursing program
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  started to really take off,
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  I moved to the enterprise level and joined
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  the SILL as the
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  system level chief nursing I'm I'm sorry, executive
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  director
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  of,
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  nursing operations serving the system.
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  And in this role, now I focus on
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  innovation, new models of care, and application of
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  technology to nursing care delivery.
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  Well, thank you for sharing that that background
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  information. It's incredibly impressive to hear
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  how many different sectors of a health system
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  you've worked in. I mean, you've you've gotten
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  so much great experience in different areas, it
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  sounds like.
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  Yes. It's amazing. You know? And looking back,
• 3:01
  you never know where your career is gonna
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  take you. But as I look back on
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  it, it has really,
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  prepared me for this role today, which, which
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  I which I just absolutely love.
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  Absolutely. I I think that kind of brings
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  us to our first question. You know, you're
• 3:17
  with your experience, you're ready to address a
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  lot of the challenges in health care that
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  we're seeing, and there are a lot of
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  challenges and headwinds right now, obviously.
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  My question is, what opportunities and headwinds do
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  you have your eye on right now?
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  Yeah. You know,
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  many systems right now, I think, are feeling
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  some relief from the extreme nursing shortages that
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  we experienced over the past several years.
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  And I, I think many of my colleagues
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  may be getting complacent
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  thinking that the threat is over,
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  but this is not the case. So if
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  we consider
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  the baby boomer population now and in the
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  near future
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  leading to a large increase in our aging
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  population
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  along with fewer nursing graduates to meet the
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  predicted demand for care
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  and the average age of our current RN,
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  staff
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  nursing.
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  And so then leading to higher expected rates
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  of retirement
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  and the need to step away from bedside
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  care.
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  So considering all of those things, we really
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  must continue to prepare for our future so
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  we do not end up repeating what we
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  just went through, which was an extreme shortage
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  of our end serving at the bedside,
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  threatening the ability for us to effectively meet
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  the growing care needs of our communities
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  because this truly remains a very real threat.
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  So in in in really kind of watching
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  that and and understanding
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  that is the true forecast for our future
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  in health care and in nursing,
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  I really do have my eye on the
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  expansion of technology and nursing care delivery to
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  enhance the experience and efficiency of our nursing
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  workforce
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  and really leaning in to this technology
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  to serve as a resource for creating the
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  best place to provide and reserve
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  and receive care
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  in terms of experience,
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  outcomes, and operational efficiency
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  or cost of care.
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  So I'm very interested
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  in removing,
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  the burden from our nurses, and I know
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  many of my colleagues are are are right
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  there with me in that. So we're looking
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  at administrative documentation burden, cognitive burden, alarm fatigue.
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  And so we really need to lean into
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  technology to serve as a resource to our
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  newer nurses as well to support enhancing competence
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  and confidence.
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  And we need to allow all disciplines on
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  the care team to work at their highest
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  scope through the use of our tech resources
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  that can create efficiencies in our workflows.
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  So I definitely have my eye on continuing
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  to expand our virtual nursing,
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  program, virtual care in total in the inpatient
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  space,
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  as well as leaning into other tech solutions,
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  including AI.
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  You know, Cynthia, I thought it was really
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  interesting you used the term
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  complacency.
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  And just a follow-up question to that,
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  do you think some of your
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  colleagues or or people you're referring to
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  may be complacent
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  because they kinda use COVID as a barometer
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  for a headwind? You know, saying like, oh,
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  you know, we got through COVID. We can
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  get through anything. Do you think that maybe
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  factors into it?
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  I think that could factor into it. And,
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  also, I think that, you know, whenever we
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  were going through COVID and recovering from COVID,
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  all of us were feeling that shortage of
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  our end working at the bedside. We it
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  we we were,
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  really having to rely on our agency nurses
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  to come in and help us to provide
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  the care that we needed. And now we're
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  we're starting to see that,
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  really lessen, and and we are able to,
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  you know, retention has gone up, has has
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  improved.
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  Our recruitment has improved. And so as we
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  start to see all of these, which are
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  providing great relief, and that's wonderful,
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  I think there's a tendency to say, okay.
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  It's over. Like, we're good now. Right. And,
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  and and that, I think, can be, a
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  a a definite risk if if we become
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  too complacent in that. We need to look
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  forward to our future and what is in
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  store for us and know that, you know,
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  we have to be smart today
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  so we don't end up in that same
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  situation in the future.
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  100%.
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  And you mentioned recruitment. A lot of times,
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  obviously, you see,
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  recruitments,
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  lead to growth for a system. But how
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  are you thinking about growth and adding value
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  to your
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  organization? Well, you know, one of the most
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  important things is truly understanding
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  what
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  the largest pain points are
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  and what are the true opportunities
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  within within within our health system. Right? So
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  really identifying those
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  first
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  and then understanding
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  precisely
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  how
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  the the technology,
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  the different solutions that are available to us
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  are going to address
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  those opportunities, those pain points.
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  And then finally, what it will mean for
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  our team, what effort will it take from
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  our team
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  to optimize and realize the full vision
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  for the application
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  of this solution to care delivery.
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  So all of those components are necessary
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  for the development of a smart road map
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  and strategy.
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  So after the identification
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  of that, then we have to prepare our
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  team
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  for engagement and embracing that technology,
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  including AI,
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  and in doing so effectively.
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  So this involves change in how we practice
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  today
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  to ensure that these resources function optimally and
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  provide the intended benefits.
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  So we have to align our teams with
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  this vision,
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  gain their confidence, alleviate their fear through being
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  very
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  done so that they then are invested in
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  making the changes that will be necessary in
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  their practice.
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  And that has to begin now
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  so that we, so that we are able
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  to be successful in adoption
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  as well as in realization of the true
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  benefits of the of these solutions.
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  Yeah. And, you know, a lot of times
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  you have to a system has to make
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  investments to see that that change you're referring
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  to. And I wanted to ask you, what's
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  one risk or investment worth making this year?
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  So I'll tell you.
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  What I see is the biggest risk right
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  now is being stagnant, like we were talking
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  about. Yeah. Just being stagnant, doing nothing, or
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  continuing to follow the status quo and
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  convincing ourselves that everything will be alright.
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  We are in a massive time of transformation
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  in health care, and we have to step
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  up. We have to get on the bus
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  or get left in the dust
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  struggling to catch up. And and I think
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  that this is going to be a very
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  difficult struggle
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  for those who do not act now.
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  So for us here at Providence, we are
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  continuing to enhance our utilization of virtual health
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  in the acute care space,
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  including in nursing, spreading to additional care areas
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  and patient populations,
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  and then also spreading the use of this
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  technology to other disciplines
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  to enhance the interdisciplinary
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  practice of the care team,
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  creating efficiencies in care and increasing the experience,
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  the quality, and the cost of care for
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  our patients, and really looking at the full
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  continuum of care as well and having it
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  translate from the acute care space to the
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  ambulatory space
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  to foster health, in the community as well.
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  Another thing is,
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  looking at the hospital room of the future.
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  I know many systems are doing this as
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  well, and that really involves integration
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  of solutions.
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  So everything works together cohesively,
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  creating one effective and efficient model of care
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  delivery.
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  So interoperability
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  is essential and redundancy,
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  and we must eliminate redundancy
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  of solutions,
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  including software and hardware.
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  We have to be more streamlined.
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  We can't continue to function as as kind
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  of like hoarders in how we adopt solutions,
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  and then and then we'll end up looking
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  like we should be on some kinda, you
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  know, hardware technology
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  hoarder solute
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  show, right,
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  with a mess of solutions and equipment everywhere,
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  but nothing actually being used because it's not
• 11:47
  optimized to its full potential.
• 11:50
  So to really do this right, it takes
• 11:51
  diligence, it takes discernment,
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  and strong interdisciplinary
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  and interdepartmental
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  collaboration
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  to determine the best solutions and then to
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  standardize
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  and optimize for your system.
• 12:05
  So we have to invest the time
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  and the effort in preparing our teams for
• 12:10
  this success.
• 12:12
  And, you know, the financial investment is a
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  hard one to talk about particularly in these
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  times, but we can't forget about that other
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  really important investment, and that is time and
• 12:21
  effort.
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  We have to get on board now. The
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  time is now to start to prepare our
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  teams.
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  So we have to identify the highest priority
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  opportunities,
• 12:32
  the available and evolving solutions that can truly
• 12:35
  address these challenges,
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  determine our strategy. Are we gonna be an
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  early adopter versus waiting and learning from others?
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  And regardless of this decision,
• 12:44
  understanding the technology and what needs to change
• 12:49
  in order for us to be successful. So
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  is that how we document, how we communicate?
• 12:54
  Do we need to focus on delegation, on
• 12:57
  trust, diligence, attention to detail?
• 12:59
  So in summary,
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  we must embrace technology,
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  we must standardize and integrate our solutions and
• 13:06
  platforms,
• 13:06
  and we must prepare our teams for success,
• 13:10
  and that has to start now.
• 13:13
  I think that's very well said. Obviously, I
• 13:16
  think one of the ways a system can
• 13:18
  get away from being stagnant or remaining stagnant
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  is embracing
• 13:22
  emerging tech and and just, you know, figuring
• 13:24
  out which emerging techs can can help a
• 13:26
  system thrive and and be efficient and saving
• 13:29
  time and and and effort, as you were
• 13:32
  saying, Cynthia.
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  The last thing I wanna ask you, where
• 13:36
  do you see the best opportunities for growth
• 13:38
  in the future?
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  You know, I I I think I have
• 13:43
  to I'm I'm gonna have to to side
• 13:46
  with AI on this one. It it is
• 13:47
  the continued evolution of AI as a resource
• 13:50
  for all clinicians.
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  I think AI has has a true,
• 13:56
  potential to remove burden and allow higher levels
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  of care,
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  actually elevating the practice
• 14:03
  of all of our disciplines, including RNs,
• 14:06
  and supporting a higher level of quality safer
• 14:09
  care,
• 14:10
  better outcomes, reduce cost of care, all of
• 14:13
  these things.
• 14:14
  We are starting to lean into generative AI
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  for sure.
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  Looking at predictive AI, we have some of
• 14:20
  that happening as well that that really has
• 14:22
  the potential for safer outcomes.
• 14:24
  And I have my eye on the development
• 14:26
  of the more autonomous AIs and how these
• 14:29
  are being developed and tested with a sharp
• 14:31
  eye on safety and guard rails and guard
• 14:34
  rails, but definitely
• 14:36
  definitely showing curiosity about the possibilities around that.
• 14:40
  I think, you know, some of the things
• 14:41
  that we have to watch for with those
• 14:43
  more autonomous models are are really strict guardrail
• 14:46
  parameters,
• 14:47
  keeping clinicians closely in the loop and ultimately
• 14:50
  in the driver's seat always with safety checks.
• 14:53
  And,
• 14:55
  this, you know, this is a really
• 14:57
  exciting
• 14:58
  time,
• 14:59
  and we must approach this with a heightened
• 15:02
  diligence
• 15:04
  and the highest of intention
• 15:07
  in order to realize the true opportunity and
• 15:09
  benefits
• 15:10
  of the technology solutions that are that are
• 15:13
  arising within health care.
• 15:15
  Cynthia, thank you so much for joining us
• 15:17
  on podcast. It was a wonderful conversation. I
• 15:19
  look forward to working with you again soon.
• 15:22
  Thank you so much. Thank you for having
• 15:24
  me.
• 15:27
  At athenahealth,
• 15:28
  we know your ambulatory practice wants healthier,
• 15:31
  a healthier business, healthier care teams, and healthier
• 15:34
  patients.
• 15:35
  But the complexities of modern health care tech
• 15:37
  make it hard for you and your care
• 15:39
  teams to focus on what matters most?
• 15:41
  That's where athenahealth can help.
• 15:43
  Our AI native all in one solutions reduce
• 15:46
  administrative burdens,
• 15:47
  streamline billing and payments, and deliver critical insights
• 15:50
  when clinicians need it most.
• 15:52
  That means fewer clicks, more time for patients,
• 15:55
  and stronger bottom lines.
• 15:57
  Practicing medicine is complex, but running a practice
• 16:00
  can be that much simpler with athenahealth.
• 16:03
  See how simpler is healthier at athenahealth.com.