When he arrived at the medical center this month, Michael Ash, M.D., joined a clinical enterprise immersed in change, with a job title of chief transformation officer. It’s no small job, for sure, but Dr. Ash is excited for the opportunities that lie ahead.
“The Nebraska Medical Center has an outstanding reputation,” he said. “I'm excited to join this visionary and talented team. It’s an honor to be given this opportunity to influence how care will be delivered.”
Dr. Ash, an internal medicine physician, has spent the last decade working for Cerner, a health information technology company that serves health care facilities all over the world.
“I value my time at Cerner and gained a lot of good experience there,” Dr. Ash said. “I’ve had the unique opportunity to see how health systems operate all over the world. I feel ready to take that experience and have more of a direct impact. I am excited to be able to do that in an organization like this, one that is well positioned for the future.”
“We’re very fortunate to have Dr. Ash joining our organization,” said Bradley Britigan, M.D., president of the clinical enterprise and dean of the UNMC College of Medicine. “He has the experience and the vision to help integrate our clinical programs and prepare them to be leaders the future.”
Dr. Ash graduated in 1994 with a bachelor of science degree in pharmacy and went on to earn his medical degree in 1998 from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. He completed his internal medicine residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and worked as an internal medicine physician prior to joining Cerner in 2003.
In his new position, he expects his experience in health care information technology to serve him well.
“In health care, information technology provides the automation to make health care safer, more efficient and higher quality,” he said. “I have committed my professional life to improving the delivery of health care. The way in which we access, administer and reimburse care is changing rapidly.
“More care will be delivered at nursing facilities, clinics and within the patient’s home and all of it needs to be coordinated. As chief transformation officer, the question is how do you pull all of this together to ensure high-quality, efficient health care?”
Dr. Ash understands that doing this will have its challenges.
“Most clinicians did not imagine using an electronic health record (EHR) when they were in medical school,” he said. “This is a big change in how they practice medicine, especially if they have spent the last several decades optimizing how they work. We have to be respectful of the impact these changes can have, both good and potentially disruptive.”
“In the next few years, we plan to be the region’s leading health system, comprised of nationally-recognized academic and community-based providers, aligned and integrated to optimize the health of our patients in the next years,” said Bill Dinsmoor, CEO of the clinical enterprise. “This will require us to transform the way we deliver care to our patients and Dr. Ash’s leadership and experience will be integral to that.”
From the customer perspective, more patients are choosing physicians who offer a patient portal, Dr. Ash said.
“The patient is telling us they want access to their records,” he said. “Even more importantly, they want their health care team using an EHR. This prevents patients from having to repeat information and ensures no matter where they are, their provider can make better decisions because they have access to all of their information.”
Joining an organization in the midst of a restructuring has its pros and cons, Dr. Ash said. But after meeting many of the leaders here, he said he’s excited and encouraged by what he sees.
“I’ve seen their passion, their skills and their demonstrated ability to lead this organization,” he said. “They get it. They know changes need to be made in how health care is administered. They’re making the important and difficult decisions now that will best position the organization into the future.”
The medical center’s Accountable Care Alliance with Methodist Hospital is also of great interest to Dr. Ash, and he said the partnership is gaining national attention.
“There are many organizations across the country talking about coordinating efficient care across the community, but they are slow to make this level of commitment,” he said. “I’m looking forward to being part of the team that will improve care of the people in our community and model this for other facilities.”
Another important priority will involve tackling the outside metrics required by the government, including meaningful use.
“The goal is to have a system that helps clinicians provide the highest quality of care without burdening our colleagues caring for our patients,” Dr. Ash said. “As a father, I want the best care possible for my children, but also appreciate that I want to spend time with them. We will be sensitive to the impact our decisions have at all levels.”
Dr. Ash looks forward to the challenging and exciting work that lies ahead. He and his wife, Danielle, have a soon-to-be first grader, Isaac, and are in the process of adopting Liam James, born just days before Christmas.
“Everyone has been very welcoming,” he said. “I’ve been to Omaha many times and I’ve always been impressed by how friendly the people are. I feel at home and so does my family.”