Back to all Episodes

Digital Leadership in Healthcare: Navigating Complexity & Igniting Transformation

Featuring George T ‘Buddy’ Hickman,
Chief Strategy Officer, First Health Advisory

Topics:

In this episode of “Patient Journey Pioneers,” Hyro’s healthcare podcast, we dive into the world of healthcare incentives and funding, especially for organizations facing financial constraints. Buddy takes us on his remarkable journey, starting as an undergraduate engineering student with a passion for healthcare and eventually ascending to prominent leadership roles at HIMSS and CHIME.

His story underscores the invaluable role of mentorship and the support of individuals who are eager to guide and motivate you towards realizing your full potential. Buddy emphasizes the profound personal significance of the healthcare sector’s mission and the pivotal role that individuals play in propelling technological advancements within the field.

Get the latest journeys from our
pioneers directly to your inbox.

Episode Highlights

George “Buddy” Hickman, Chief Strategy Officer for First Health Advisory and a seasoned healthcare executive, shares glimpses of his diverse career, spanning roles such as a health system CIO, big four consulting partner, and current CHIME board member. The discussion kicks off with a portrayal of Buddy’s daily life, shedding light on the intricate responsibilities faced by a chief strategy officer in healthcare.

Navigating the AI Landscape in Healthcare
Buddy Hickman provides insightful perspectives on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare providers’ space. While acknowledging the excitement surrounding AI, Buddy underscores the importance of grounding decisions in fundamental principles to ensure successful integration. The conversation transitions to predictions about transformative technologies in healthcare, with a focus on breakthroughs in imaging modalities and the potential impact of AI, machine learning, and natural language processing.

Strategic Technology Adoption Challenges
Delving into the challenges faced by healthcare delivery organizations in adopting the right technology, Buddy advocates for a strategic approach. He emphasizes shared leadership governance and the critical need for managing a balanced technology portfolio that considers both risk and return. The discussion also touches on the potential departure of CIOs from the healthcare provider sector, highlighting the ongoing challenges and uncertainties in the rapidly evolving healthcare ecosystem.

Shaping Healthcare Organizations: CHIME and HIMSS Perspectives
Hickman shares some of his experiences that shaped organizations like CHIME and HIMSS, where he played key roles. He highlights the pivotal role of mentorship and collaboration in his journey, and the significance of helping others find their voices within the industry. The narrative unveils the intricate details of his involvement with these organizations and the collaborative efforts that contributed to their growth.

The podcast concludes with Buddy Hickman offering valuable advice to emerging healthcare leaders. Encouraging them to see their work as a calling, he emphasizes the importance of dedicating oneself wholly to the mission of healing, wellness, and the gift of life.

About the host

Liat Kozuch

Podcast Host at Hyro

Part production junkie, part people lover, Liat's passionate about making genuine connections and amplifying peoples’ life stories. With exposure to Hyro’s champions at leading health systems, she started Patient Journey Pioneers to expose strategies from healthcare’s most influential digital leaders and C-suite executives, who share insights that are inspiring the industry to move further and faster than ever. Join the journey as Liat continues to seek the next-best-disruptor in healthcare.

About the speaker

George T ‘Buddy’ Hickman

Chief Strategy Officer, First Health Advisory

Buddy is a five-times health system CIO and a former big 4 consulting partner. He has extensive experience in transformational leadership, digital health, data analytics, digital health governance, cybersecurity, and served nine years on CHiME’s boot camp faculty. In addition to being a public speaker and well published, he is currently a sitting member of CHiME’s board of directors, is both past board chair for CHiME and HiMSS, past chair for CHiME’s Foundation, its education foundation, HIMSS’ executive comp committee, and HiMSS analytics. Buddy sits on other health industry boards and advisory committees, and is amongst those named as the health industry CIO of the year. Buddy currently serves as chief strategy officer for First Health Advisory, a managed services security and assurance firm.

Listen to more episodes

Listen to more episodes

See all episodes
See all episodes

Be a pioneer. Bring better
digital roadmaps back to
your healthcare organization.