Digital Transformation in Healthcare: Michael Gardner Of Virsys12 On How Medical Practices Can Use Digital Transformation To Provide Better Care
An Interview With David McNeil
Stay current. It is very easy to stay complacent because of the pace of the office. Join local professional organizations such as MGMA and take time to read the journals that highlight or discuss trends in your field.
As a part of our series about “Medical Practices Can Use Digital Transformation To Provide Better Care”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Michael Gardner, Virsys12.
With over 25 years of experience in healthcare, Michael Gardner serves as the Chief Strategy Officer at Virsys12. Combining his experience across payers, large health systems, clinically integrated networks, and ACOs within the healthcare industry with his creativity and problem-solving ability, Gardner will provide industry leadership and knowledge for Virsys12’s growth and market expansions including strategic partnerships and customer relations.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I have been very fortunate in my career path to see healthcare from multiple perspectives. I started my career working for a physician-owned IPA (Independent Practice Association) and then went on to work for large healthcare systems and a large commercial and Medicare Advantage insurance plan. Just before joining Virsys12, I worked for a company that supported large health systems across the nation as they moved into value-based care programs. I’ve seen endemic areas of waste in the healthcare industry throughout my career, and I am passionate about a future where technology can improve both access to care and quality of care. Creating an accessible future for healthcare is my passion.
Can you share the most interesting or most exciting story that has happened to you since you began at your company?
After two years of working from home alone, there are few things more exciting than being back with coworkers in the office. I had the privilege of attending two conferences, HIMSS in March and AHIP in June, and the energy you gain from seeing folks in person is both amazing and uplifting.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Then, can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I have only been in my current role with Virsys12 for 6 months, so I have spent a lot of time listening and learning. I spent the first 25 years of my career working for large health systems and insurance companies. Because of this, so many of the tech things that my team now takes for granted are new to me. Technology unlocks access to care and is key to building member and patient engagement. Being a part of a technology-based company has taught me just how much hard work has gone into making healthcare more streamlined.
You are a successful leader. Which three-character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Openness. I have always been willing to take on new roles and responsibilities that, on paper, I may not have appeared to be “traditionally” qualified for. Although I am not clinically trained, I was once asked to oversee a large critical care department in a hospital system. If I did not have an openness to taking on different roles, I would not have had the opportunities I’ve had across the healthcare ecosystem.
Learning Mindset. I have always and will always be learning something new. I love reading and taking classes. I am 52 and just this year started a Doctoral Program at Vanderbilt University studying Leadership and Learning in Organizations.
Relationship Focused. Throughout my career, the most important part of every job has been the people. The people I get to work with, the teams I was part of, the teams I led — the most important part of showing up in life is remembering that people are the most important part of everything we do.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
At Virsys12, one of the most important things our company is working on is automating workflows that remove or reduce waste from the healthcare eco-system. Our V12 Network App is one example of how we are helping payers to modernize age old systems and processes. The V12 Network helps patients understand how to access healthcare and which providers are in their network. These are basic tasks that the healthcare system has overcomplicated. We are helping to make access to healthcare simple so that patients can get the care they need when they need it.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview about Digital Transformation in Healthcare. I am particularly passionate about this topic because my work focuses on how practices can streamline processes to better serve their patients. For the benefit of our readers, can you help explain what exactly Digital Transformation means? On a practical level what does it look like for a medical practice to engage in a digital transformation?
Digital Transformation to me means providing a digital solution to a pain point in a process, or using technology to remove a barrier to expedient, efficient, cost-effective care. Whether that means checking patients in at the office using their smartphones instead of paper forms on clipboards or providing ongoing education to members in a manner that people are entertained by today such as Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. How can we tap into the digital platforms that people are already using and repurpose those for making a better experience? I think the day we stop utilizing the word “fax” to discuss any healthcare related administrative process will show we are serious about digital transformation.
What are the specific pain points that digital transformation can help address in a medical practice?
I have worked in healthcare my entire career, and I still have issues that require insight and thoughtful time to solve, whether it be switching a pharmacy or moving my medications to a 90-day refill program. I know healthcare, and I’m challenged and frustrated by the system. Automation and digital transformation can reduce administrative waste, leaving more time for providers to focus on patients. It can also meet patients where they are and make the entire healthcare system easier to navigate. Ease of use often means more people can take better advantage of what healthcare can provide to them, including preventative care.
What are the obstacles that prevent a medical practice from engaging in a digital transformation?
Cost can certainly be a barrier to entry. Finding the right solutions that bring the most value to the provider’s panel of patients can be challenging. Medical practices may not have the largest margins to reinvest in innovation and technology. Often, they are saddled with outdated, yet expensive, legacy systems and are apprehensive about making additional investments. The solution is often to patch these systems to stay afloat rather than investing in new technology that will truly transform the practice and the patient experience. We encourage practices to move away from these legacy systems and invest in cloud-based technology that offers flexibility and room to grow.
Decision overload is another obstacle. There are so many solutions available that offices experience analysis paralysis. Instead of doing something, they do nothing because it is the path of least resistance. Medical practices need a partner they can trust to assess their individual needs and provide a custom scalable solution.
Managing a healthcare facility is more challenging than it has ever been. Based on your experience or research, can you please share with our readers a few examples of how digital transformation can help a medical practice to provide better care? If you can, please share a story or example for each.
Patient portals are transforming the way information is accessed. Patients no longer have to wait for a follow-up call or specifically request a medical record. They can access their medical records, diagnosis, test results and more from their phone, computer or tablet. This access allows patients to take more authority over their healthcare and provides an opportunity for enhanced communications between a medical practice and their patients.
Using data as a way to provide more personalized patient care is at the forefront of the digital transformation. Medical practices that prioritize organizing, analyzing and aggregating data can eliminate administrative waste and run more efficient practices and, most importantly, use the findings to better understand patients and affect better outcomes.
Can you share a few examples of how digital interactions or digital intake processes can help create a frictionless patient experience and increase access for patients?
A digital intake process can greatly improve the patient experience. Rather than completing multiple forms prior to each visit, Virsys12 can help implement a digital solution that eliminates the need for paper forms. Consumers are programmed to complete information in an efficient manner. Why should healthcare be one of the few remaining industries to rely on outdated methods of collecting information? A more efficient intake process can help build patient loyalty, which is important in an era where patients are willing to switch providers for a better overall experience. Text reminders and follow-ups to confirm appointments are also preferred by many patients and can reduce the number of “no show” patients. \
Based on your opinion and experience, what are your “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Effective Medical Practice” and why.
- Bias towards action. Don’t let status quo hold you back from doing something to innovate. Start something new today and see how it works.
- Ask your patients what they want. Create a process / mechanism to hear from your patients and get feedback about what is working and what is not working for them as they engage your medical practices.
- Stay current. It is very easy to stay complacent because of the pace of the office. Join local professional organizations such as MGMA and take time to read the journals that highlight or discuss trends in your field.
- Clarity around expectations. Make sure every member on the team understands the practice’s mission and that they can tie their day-to-day tasks back to that mission. Each member on the team should be able to easily articulate how what they are doing at any given moment supports the mission.
- Continuous feedback. Provide the team with continuous feedback about what is working and where improvements are needed. Use Performance Evaluations as tool to provide regular feedback to team members, not just during annual reviews.
Because of your role, you are a person of significant influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most people, what would that be? You never know what your ideas can trigger.
As important as the digital transformation is in making healthcare more patient-centric and accessible, technology and digital applications can have a downside in the real world. I would like to Slow the World Down. We live in a time when we have more access to more information than we ever had; we are constantly bombarded with information and asks; we can be “online” from the minute we wake up until the minute we go to bed. Even when people are not at work, they can still be “at work” mentally, or literally with e-mails and messages on our phones.
When we keep our bodies in a constant state of stimulation it can cause so many of vital functions to deteriorate over time. I have a meditation practice I started years ago, and I am pretty diligent about it. I think feeling calm leads to better decision making. When we slow down, we also have time to think and make better decisions. I think if leaders across all industries could slow down, we could speed up transformation.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Please visit the Virsys12 website: https://virsys12.com/
Follow Virsys12 on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/virsys12/
Or, you can find me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-w-gardner-mba-013b55b
This was truly meaningful! Thank you so much for your time and for sharing your expertise!
About The Interviewer: David McNeil is the President of PatientPop, a Tebra company, a market leader in practice growth technology. McNeil is highly committed to helping the company build a modern go-to-market organization that delivers great value to practices in a time of rapid change in healthcare. McNeil’s business insights have been featured in publications such as Medical Economics and Los Angeles Business Journal.
