Stephanie Lahr: It’s time for health systems to change focus from optimization to transformation

In this episode, Dr. Stephanie Lahr, CIO and CMIO of Monument Health, discusses how as a community-based health system, they transformed their healthcare delivery in a short time during the pandemic. With the knowledge of technology and informatics, Dr. Lahr's clinical background is helping the health system choose the right tools at the right time to solve the right problems. Monument Health is part of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. They are based in South Dakota, where the rural population accounts for fifty percent of the total population. Before the pandemic hit, the health system was already using several antiquated tools such as telephones, paper fliers, questionnaires, etc., to cater to the population spread apart by miles. However, as the pandemic hit, Monument Health rapidly evolved its technology environment in just two weeks. They started using tools like COVID-19 nurse triage, RPM, online testing, and more to manage their patients. Dr. Lahr also states that healthcare systems can improve their quality and efficiency by having a strong foundation in data and analytics. Data is the language of transparency; access to it can help patients know more about their health information. In terms of digital patient engagement, using a combination of automated tools to maintain a personalized care experience is the key to improve care delivery.