Blue Shield of California executive vice president and chief information officer Lisa Davis recently connected with Venky Ananth, global head of Infosys Healthcare and host of the PaceSetters podcast, which explores the future of health care with industry leaders. In the episode, Davis discussed technology’s role in transforming our healthcare ecosystem and achieving Blue Shield’s Health Reimagined goals — to create more personalized, holistic, high-tech and high-touch experiences for members and providers.
Below we share highlights from the conversation, ranging from the need for real-time data sharing to women in leadership. Be sure to listen to the full interview here: "Healthcare Transformation Requires Bold, Holistic Change", Lisa Davis.
Tell us about your career and what led you to Blue Shield of California.
Through my background working in the federal government, academia and technology, I collaborated with healthcare and pharmaceutical companies and saw that the health sector needed to be digitally transformed. I’m drawn to opportunities that have big impacts and the potential to drive change, which is what brought me to Blue Shield of California. I wanted to contribute to our mission to create a healthcare system that is worthy of our family and friends and sustainably affordable.
Previously, as vice president and general manager of enterprise and government for the data center group for Intel, I helped corporations with their digital transformation strategies. As chief information officer at Georgetown University, I helped modernize the institution’s technology infrastructure and capabilities. And before that, I served as chief information officer for the U.S. Marshals Service in the U.S. Department of Justice, and for Counterintelligence Field Activity in the U.S. Department of Defense.
What is Blue Shield’s technology strategy, and what are you currently focused on?
Our healthcare system isn’t currently designed to provide personalized digital experiences like those in retail or banking. We’re changing that by deploying new care models and workflows, where interconnected platforms enable seamless experiences. This makes it possible to deliver whole-person care, taking into account the full context impacting and influencing a person’s life — socioeconomic factors, nutrition, genetics and more.
Can you share examples of tech initiatives supporting Health Reimagined goals?
In order to drive business transformation, we initially needed to prioritize moving our data to a cloud-first environment, which gives us the opportunity to make data available in near real-time. Our intelligent data hub, the Experience Cube, for example, brings together member, provider and payer data in one single source of truth.
The data then flows into Blue Shield’s Care Connect platform, which consolidated member data from 13 systems into a single view. It serves up actionable insights for our teams to streamline healthcare coordination and ensure members are connected to the right care and services — at the right time, place and cost — so they receive the most impactful care and support possible. Once we opened up the flow of care-gap data from the Experience Cube into Care Connect, our care managers addressed more than 1,700 care gaps, such as pain assessments, medication reviews, depression screenings and more — in just four weeks.
What advice do you have for women interested in pursuing leadership roles?
I have often found myself being the only woman in the room throughout my career, so I’ve had to build my confidence and take — not ask for — my seat at the table. You need to identify your goals, look toward your long-term path and know that you can overcome the obstacles in your way. It takes a combination of grit, determination and perseverance, something I believe every girl and woman has and can tap into.
We also need more role models for young girls to look up to — they need to see women in leadership roles and have the confidence to pursue studies and careers in science, technology, engineering and math. Young girls also need support networks, including family, friends and colleagues, to encourage them to pursue their interests and reach their goals.
For more, listen to the podcast interview here: "Healthcare Transformation Requires Bold, Holistic Change", Lisa Davis.