John Glaser has been an astute observer and recognized leader in the health care industry for over thirty years. He has written a regular column for Hospitals & Health Networks in which he comments on a wide range of topics, including improving organizational performance through health information technology (HIT), changes in HIT architecture, challenges in leveraging data, and the evolution of the role of IT leadership. Glaser on Health Care IT: Perspectives from the Decade that Defined Health Care Information Technology is a collection of some of the most widely read articles that have been published in H&HN Daily, H&HN Weekly, and Most Wired Online in the past decade (2005–2015). The columns are dated to show their original publication dates, and the material is organized into four broad themes: HIT Applications and Analytics Challenges Improving Organizational Performance through HIT IT Management Challenges HIT Industry Observations Each section offers readers an intimate look at the myriad issues associated with getting IT "right" and the organizational performance gains that can be achieved in doing so. Moreover, the book examines the power and potential of the technologies available to health care providers today, as well as the transformative nature of those we have yet to fully embrace. From seasoned CIOs and consultants to software developers and nurses, this book provides invaluable insights and guidance to all those seeking to make the delivery of care safer, more effective, and more efficient through the application of health care IT. Foreword by Russ Branzell, President and CEO, College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) Co-published with Health Forum, Inc.

Healthcare IT is under tremendous pressure in today’s environment: Budgets are shrinking; staff are in short supply; cloud, mobile, and data are driving expansion and innovation. Consumer expectations are high while agility and speed to market for many HIT organizations is low. The exponential growth of data sources and the need to empower healthcare with data-driven intelligence is pushing capabilities. The words "digital transformation" are infused in just about every discussion and serve to amplify organizational expectations of IT. In this environment, IT departments have to retool, rethink, and revise their way of operating. Few have the option of starting from scratch; the vast majority of organizations have built IT functions over decades. Now, it’s time to remodel and renovate for the future. This book walks the reader through the process of determining what type of IT function they have today and what they’ll need tomorrow. It discusses how to assess and analyze IT capabilities and then develop and implement a plan to renovate in place. By retooling now, the IT function can successfully meet the growing demands of the organization in the future. When approached in a planful manner, this process of renovating can energize the entire organization and help foster innovation and transformation along the way.