The Role of Data and Advanced Analytics in Transforming Healthcare

Routine doctor’s visits are beginning to be replaced by regularly monitoring one’s health status and remote consultations. The inpatient setting is being improved by more sophisticated quality metrics drawn from an ecosystem of interconnected digital health tools. The care patients receive can be decided in consultation with decision support software that is informed not only by expert judgments but also by algorithms that draw on information from patients around the world, some of whom will differ from the “typical” patient. However, recent developments in data analytics also suggest barriers to change that might be more substantial in the health care field than in other parts of the economy. Despite the immense promise of health analytics, the industry lags other major sectors in taking advantage of cutting-edge tools. Most health care organizations, for example, have yet to devise a clear approach for integrating data analytics into their regular operations. This program will focus on the role that data and advanced analytics play today and the potential role they will play in the future to impact operations, patient care, quality, safety, engagement & wellness, and healthcare costs. Attendees will learn the type of data and analytics that are in use today at health systems, lessons healthcare can learn from other industries, the challenges health systems face in integrating vast amounts of disparate data in real time and how to make the insights useful to the right people at the right time. The panel will also discuss how to optimize existing data and analytics initiatives at their organization.

Moderator:

Nick Kagal, FACHE, FHIMSS

HX Client Success Manager

Press Ganey

Panelists:

David Gano, MSOD

Executive Director of Performance Improvement

CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic

Ernie HackneyAVP, Financial Operations and Decision Support

UT Health East Texas

David Gano never thought healthcare was a destination where he would land, much less become passionate for. Over his nearly thirty-year professional career, he has served as the finance officer for a large non-profit organization, managed a venture capital start-up, had several consulting engagements, and for the past 14 years has been with CHRISTUS Health.

For the last nine years, David has led all access and analytics initiatives for now over 400 CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic locations as the Executive Director of Performance Improvement. This Clinic Performance Improvement Team of 31 FTEs is responsible for the build and management of over 1,700 clinician scheduling templates, the design, education, and distribution of all Ambulatory Operational Reporting used by CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic and all reporting designed and shared to Senior System Leaders.

The Clinic Performance Improvement Team is also charged with supporting the IS Teams in all Clinic acquisitions and Epic implementations in addition to identification and operationalization of revenue enhancement and cost saving initiatives for CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic.

David is Lean Six-Sigma certified through Purdue University, holds a Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness from Stephen F. Austin State University, a Master of Science from Murray State University in Organizational Development and has completed all coursework for his Ph.D. in Organizational Development and Change from the University of Texas at Tyler.

In his personal time, David enjoys traveling with his family, restoring and racing classic Volkswagen Beetles.

Ernie Hackney has 17 years of healthcare experience in the field of hospital decision support, financial reporting, and financial operations. Ernie joined UT Health East Texas in December of 2018 as Market Director of Financial Reporting, and in June of 2021 was named Market AVP of Financial Operations and Decision Support. Previously, Ernie worked for 5 years as a Division Financial Analyst with Community Health System in Franklin, TN and for 5 years with St. Thomas Health Midtown, an Ascension owned hospital in Nashville, TN. He graduated Belmont University in Nashville, TN with a Bachelor’s degree in accounting.

Nick Kagal has three decades of experience in the healthcare industry and has held leadership roles with several major DFW provider organizations including Parkland Health & Hospital System, HealthSouth & Medical Center of Plano. Nick is a Customer Success Executive at Press Ganey, and was previously the Vice President of Marketing, Business Development, and Customer Success at SpinSci Technologies, a leading patient engagement solutions provider. Prior to this Nick served as the Senior Director of Customer Success with Premier Inc for the Western United States.

Nick received his BA in Biology & Psychology from Austin College and an MBA from the Texas A&M University. He is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and the Healthcare Information Management and Systems Society (HIMSS) and serves on the boards of both ACHE of North Texas and DFW HIMSS. Nick has also been a national reviewer, moderator, and presenter for the Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition, served on the HIMSS National Professional Development Committee, and currently serves on the Governance and Operations Chapter Task Force. Nick lives in McKinney, Texas, and is an avid sports fan, a weekend warrior athlete, a long-distance cyclist and plays guitar & bass in the local cover band Sonic Dissonance.