Former Kimberly-Clark, Timberland, and Walmart technology executive Suja Chandrasekaran has been named Chief Information and Digital Officer (CIDO) of CommonSpirit Health a $29 billion nonprofit Catholic health system operating in 21 states. In this role, Chandrasekaran will lead the integration and modernization of technology systems to connect the 142 hospitals and more than 700 care sites of CommonSpirit Health, which was formed from the February merger of Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health.
An important component in the alignment of CommonSpirit Health is to create interoperability between the technology capabilities of the formerly independent health systems. Chandrasekaran will be tasked with redesigning business processes with forward-looking technology and operating models that connect the 150,000 employees and 25,000 physicians across the different geographies and communities of CommonSpirit Health, in addition to designing digital capabilities to transform the patient experience.
Chandrasekaran’s first priorities as CIDO will be to:
- Set the operational technology strategy for CommonSpirit Health;
- Deploy systems to ensure the hospitals and care facilities are supported by a high-perfoming technology infrastructure;
- Digitize core processes and improve the use of analytics and artificial intelligence across the organization;
- Design digital experiences that empower patients and consumers to seamlessly navigate their care; and
- Inspire and lead the IT professionals of CommonSpirit Health.
Chandrasekaran will report to CommonSpirit Health CEO Kevin Lofton, who noted “Suja’s experience driving technology and digital transformations across major consumer-driven corporations will set the trend for how we integrate today’s emerging technologies into a health system. To truly change health care in our country, we need the very best leaders at the table. Suja has a distinct vision to accelerate the development of innovative operating capabilities and new digital pathways to support our people as they deliver the highest quality of care to our patients.”
Chandrasekaran said, “I believe technology can play a unique role in health care. By linking CommonSpirit Health’s clinical and digital strategies and modernizing work processes, we can free up time for our physicians and staff to focus on their number one priority – the patient. Whether you work for CommonSpirit Health or are a patient or family member, we are all consumers who expect technology to provide easy, engaging experiences in our everyday lives. I look forward to working with the talented individuals across CommonSpirit Health as we integrate technologies that will lay the foundation to create healthier communities across the country.”
Chandrasekaran has a master’s degree in business systems from Monash University, and a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Madras.
Peter High is President of Metis Strategy , a business and IT advisory firm. His latest book is Implementing World Class IT Strategy . He is also the author of World Class IT: Why Businesses Succeed When IT Triumphs . Peter moderates the Technovation podcast series. He speaks at conferences around the world. Follow him on Twitter @PeterAHigh.
