Week 4

By Connor Ledbetter:

Class today was similarly structured to our other Health Informatics classes to date this quarter. Yet, even with the similar presentation of material, I walked out of the classroom feeling as though I had gleaned more, today, than most days. The business case presented Team Jefferson with the opportunity to propose recommendations for a CMIO to implement a “fully integrated EMR system”. A daunting undertaking on its’ own. However, as we read on through the business case, there was the proverbial wrench thrown in when the CEO of the organization decided to cut the implementation timeline in half. Effectively and swiftly shifting the daunting task, to a monumental nightmare.

What I enjoyed most was that our conversation, and that of the class, was not as technically founded as others had been and focused more on the people component of the implementation process. Specifically, change management and working to get everyone on board and supportive of the change. I found this conversation to be more fruitful than others due to the overarching nature that change management encompasses. The ability to persuade people to support change and effectively navigate a project through the minefield of personal opinions and opposition that will inevitably arise when change occurs, is a skill that will serve all of us well no matter our career path. In any position or undertaking, ultimately, it comes down to the people. Today's class allowed me to foster growth in my own ability to effectively implement change through insight from my team, and conversation from the class, on how to work with, persuade, relieve, and encourage people which, in my opinion, was an invaluable experience.