Perspectives on Health and Tech Oracle Health

The very definition of healthcare communication has shifted over time. Today, fewer clinicians practicing at the bedside have highlighted the need for advanced communication tools and processes.

Join Jason Schaffer, MD, vice president and chief medical information officer at Indiana University Health, and Liz Harvey, MSN, chief nursing officer at Oracle Health, as they discuss the evolution of clinical care team communications and how increased demand for healthcare has made better collaboration tools both a necessity and an opportunity for innovation.

Hear them discuss:
• How have trends in healthcare communication changed? (1:20)
• What types of technology are now available for teams and what are the benefits for patients and caregivers? (3:21)
• Important points teammates should agree on regarding critical communications (8:04)
• Knowing your message responsibility and escalation paths in critical situations (12:35)
• How to create flexibility with communication when needed (15:20)
• How can a unified communication strategy help organizations proactively address system-wide challenges? (17:20)

Notable quotes:

“We should be separating technologies for the right speed and urgency of communication.” – Jason Schaffer, MD

“We can’t solely rely on technology. We have to engage our brains and use the years and years of school that we have all spent learning how to be clinicians as we start to look as some of these messages that we receive and talk about the criticality.” – Liz Harvey, MSN

The Federal Joint Health Information Exchange connects the health records of the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Coast Guard by helping provide continuity of care from the time Veterans enter the service, throughout active duty, and the rest of their life. Now that the Joint HIE has been live for more than two years, what successes are we seeing? How has it impacted Veterans and improved the care they receive? Listen as Amanda Cournoyer, interoperability director of the Electronic Health Record Modernization Integration Office at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, talks about advocacy and interoperability at VA with Sam Lambson, Vice President of Interoperability at Oracle Health. Hear them discuss: • Amanda’s personal journey from active military service to working in interoperability at VA (1:50) • An overview of a few of the interoperability solutions VA is implementing to improve care for Veterans (7:53) • Why interoperability is a big deal for Veterans’ and active-duty service members’ care (11:45) • Why it’s a benefit to VA providers and community care providers (14:10) • What she is looking forward to improving in data exchange nationwide (15:11)

With significant and ongoing changes in the health industry in recent years, healthcare leaders have had to rapidly adapt to new ways of thinking and doing in order to stay resilient in the face of change. Yet some leaders push past the status quo and view these opportunities as a chance to explore new avenues for patient care, new partnerships for growth, and new ways to ease provider burden and boost their workplace culture. In this episode, Johnny Luu, vice president and chief marketing and communications officer of Oracle Health, talks to Stephanie Trunzo, senior vice president and general manager of Oracle Health, at Oracle Cerner Health Conference about her experiences within change management and how to instill enterprise-level thinking within one's team. They'll discuss: • Bringing entrepreneurial experience into larger organizations to become an intrapreneur (0:55) • How you need to think about the people first in transformation process (1:45) • How to embrace and mitigate risk and create a safe space for your team to create change alongside you (3:54) • How to avoid becoming stale and losing clarity and instead surrounding yourself with fresh ideas and people to stay sharp (6:58) • Getting an entrenched workforce onboard with change (11:09) • What we should be thinking about when trying to instigate long-term change (14:10) • What they’re excited about in bringing Oracle and Cerner together (16:50) • Pandemic introduced change, but how healthcare can now bring consumers along (18:38) Notable quotes: “We don’t work for org charts. We work for people we believe in. We work for the purpose that makes us get up and be excited about the work that we’re doing. It’s not different for the workforce you’re trying to move forward – how do you connect them back to that purpose in the first place?” – Stephanie Trunzo “Do you want to be right, or do you want to get it right? If you’re on the path of ‘be right’ you’re going to be blind to the kinds of changes that need to happen.” – Stephanie Trunzo “People sometimes fall in love with complexity. The very things that they want to change is what they derive their own value from … you want to help them see that by making this thing simpler they actually can show value in a much more important and different way.” – Stephanie Trunzo

During the pandemic and social and economic unrest of the last few years, there was a dramatic increase in demand for mental health services. Stigma had already been on the decline, and now, available mental health services are on the rise. Some patients are now seeking treatment for the first time, while others are continuing decades-long treatment with better coordinated services. Many don’t travel this journey alone. The help their family, friends and caregivers provide is critical—for some, a caregiver’s records have provided the only continuity of care. Travis Dalton, general manager of Oracle Health, and Danny Gladden, director of behavioral health for Oracle Health, talk about their personal experiences in this area and how Oracle Cerner and Oracle Health can work together with health systems and clinics to alleviate the administrative burdens of caregivers to provide better care for behavioral health patients. Hear them discuss: • How do you think the last few years have changed how the general public talks about mental health and wellness? (3:30) • Why is mental health and well-being a personal driver for you? Can you share more about your experience being a caregiver? (7:11) • Recently, it’s been estimated that 70% of behavioral health records are still on paper. And many patients don’t have a personal advocate to help them keep track of their records and treatment plans. What are some of the biggest challenges that are still being addressed in behavioral health? (12:55) • What are some ways health care systems and providers can help alleviate the burden for mental health caregivers and patients? (17:45)

It's estimated that 80% of an individual’s health is determined by nonclinical factors, such as socioeconomic, behavioral and physical environments. Today more than 38 million people in the United States are facing hunger, including one in six children. Those struggling with food insecurity are at increased risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Hunger impacts their stress levels and ability to care for themselves and others. Hunger also impacts their performance at work and school; it’s even been linked to suicide risk. Yet some of the most vulnerable communities don’t know how to take advantage of free food resources. In this episode, members of University Health, a safety net hospital in Kansas City, share how they’ve been working to increase access to resources for one of their most food-insecure communities—immigrants and refugees. Guests: • Gloria Diamond, Director, Oracle Cerner • Susan Oweti, Supervisor of Cultural Health Navigation / Arabic Interpreter and Director of UH One World Food Pantry, University Health • Deborah Sisco, Manager, Patient Advocacy and Engagement – Quality Resources, University Health • Alison Troutwine, Project Manager, University Health Hear them discuss: • How does your cultural health navigator program help identify patients as food insecure? (1:30) • What feedback have you heard? (7:12) • How are social determinants of health being addressed at the community level? (10:54) • Tell us about how University Health formed a partnership with a local food bank? Why did you pursue that route instead of only doing referrals? (13:09) • Since many recipients of your pantry come from different cultures, how have you provided foods that are tailored to your community’s needs? (15:00) • How do you build a food program that makes an impact and is sustainable for the long term? (20:10)

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. In general, 45% of individuals who die by suicide will have seen their primary healthcare provider within one month of their death, but only 20% will have seen a mental health professional. During the last few years, there has been an increased awareness and focus on mental health. Despite the increased availability of mental health apps and virtual connections to providers, the demand for services is still high. Recently, a national three-digit crisis number, 988, was rolled out in the US to help connect anyone in need with suicide prevention and crisis resources. What can health systems and providers do on a larger scale to help prevent suicide? In this episode, Danny Gladden, director of behavioral health at Oracle Cerner, talks with Dr. Caitlin Thompson, clinical psychologist and chief clinical officer at Red Duke Strategies, who formerly served as the national director of suicide prevention at Veterans Affairs. Hear them discuss: - Demystifying crisis lines—what happens on the call, how it’s utilized by patients and providers (2:34) - With the increase in mental health screenings at non-behavioral appointments, the importance of training, and how to help your non-behavioral staff feel comfortable talking about mental health and suicide with patients (6:47) - How asking if someone is suicidal opens doors to conversation (9:30) - The availability of training and safety plans to help staff (12:10) - Non-behavioral staff mental health check-ins during appointments (15:10) - Safer Communities Act and risk mitigation that has helped (17:00) - New areas of research, interventions (18:25)