Editor’s note: To succeed in digital healthcare, every hospital and health system needs an agent of change to take on the tough task of coordinating tight budgets, updating and integrating old computer systems with newer web technology and creating consensus for consumer- and web-driven healthcare in institutions that often are notorious for red tape and bureaucracy.

Spectrum Health executive vice president and chief operating officer Christina Freese Decker

At Spectrum Health,  a not-for-profit health system comprised of 12 hospitals, including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, 180 ambulatory and service sites and 3,200 physicians and advanced practice providers based in Grand Rapids, Mich., that digital healthcare leader is executive vice president and chief operating officer Christina Freese Decker.

Freese Decker joined Spectrum Health as an administrative fellow in July 2002 and over the course of her career has advanced through the ranks of executives to be named chief operating officer in April. Prior to her new assignment, Freese Decker served as president, Spectrum Health hospital group.

Spectrum Health was an early adopter of digital healthcare among hospitals in Michigan—including the first to offer a telehealth service for patients both inside and outside the hospital.

In 2006 Spectrum Health began posting average prices for many of its common procedures on its website and in 2008 added information on what Medicare, Medicaid and commercial health insurers paid the health system on average for procedures. In 2009 Spectrum also launched an online cost estimator based on the average prices listed for nearly 250 adult procedures.

Two years later, Spectrum updated its MyHealth digital healthcare portal with features that allow patients to set up a family account, access benefits and eligibility information from Spectrum’s Priority Health plan, view growth charts for children and see immunization records.

The MyHealth portal also enables patients to view lab results, e-mail their doctor, renew prescriptions, request appointments for routine doctor visits and preregister for some procedures, pay bills for hospital services, and track health conditions, allergies and medications.

In 2015 Spectrum introduced MedNow, a consumer telehealth program for online care for cold and flu, earache, pink eye, sprains and strains, sinus problems and other less serious conditions. MedNow also includes online consultations for cardiology, diabetes, infectious disease, wound care, vascular services, oncology and other follow-up care, and virtual tools that track and review patient heart rates and other important data.

Recently, as part of a new series of interviews with digital healthcare leaders at leading hospitals and health systems, Internet Health Management sat down with Freese Decker to find out why consumer-driven web technology is a priority for Spectrum Health and her leadership role in making that happen.

What is your role in expanding digital health care at Spectrum Health now and in the next five years?

The way consumers engage with us is changing all the time. We need to move quickly to provide consumers with new ways of improving their health conveniently, using devices they have in their hands every day. That means our teams must embrace digital health tools with similar passion as consumers. My role is to help our teams see the possibilities and new ways of connecting that make a difference for consumers. We need to challenge the status quo, provide strategic direction and motivate our teams to offer intuitive ways for healthcare to become easier to navigate and access. Within five years, I expect that digital health care will be part of everyday life.

What is your management style and how does it apply to your executive management of digital health?

First, hiring the right people is key. We need people who are willing to embrace and lead change. This is an exciting time to be in healthcare. We are transforming what this industry will look like in the future. I like to empower people to come forward with new ideas and bold thinking. I motivate and mentor people to develop their strengths and grow in ways that will help us best serve consumers. My job as a leader is to continually steer the focus toward the consumer, to encourage digital thinking as we work to exceed expectations and to empower team members to take action on our initiatives.

How do you rank digital priorities? What gets funded and what doesn’t?

We have a multi-disciplinary steering committee that vets, approves and ranks our digital health initiatives. Of course, it is difficult to prioritize and always entails significant discussion, but the committee understands the increasingly influential and vital role technology plays. We have finite resources so we evaluate the initiatives based on the value to consumers and our ability to implement them in an efficient and effective manner.

What do you worry most about digital healthcare initiatives as the executive in charge?

We have great opportunities and potential to improve the way we interact with consumers in healthcare. Consumers expect the same digital experiences in healthcare as they have in other industries. However, our industry also presents unique challenges when it comes to protecting patient health information and privacy. While we want to make it as easy and convenient as possible for consumers, we must do so using great care and caution. We balance the high expectations of consumers with ensuring we have the right safeguards for private and secure platforms.

Can you provide one anecdote of what in Spectrum Health’s digital health program you are most proud of?

I’m extraordinarily proud of our team and the progress we have already made in our digital strategy. The two initiatives I am most proud of are our transparency efforts and MyHealth. Spectrum Health has long been a leader in transparency, going back to when we first published costs for certain procedures on our website in 2006. Today we offer an unprecedented amount of information to consumers through our Find a Doctor tool, physician reviews and Priority Health’s price estimator feature. In addition, MyHealth, our patient portal, provides all of a patient’s information in one place, integrating information about office visits, lab results, appointments and insurance coverage. We have nearly half a million MyHealth users and continue to add functionality to this tool. I’m proud that we are leading in our level of engagement and information sharing with consumers.

Can you provide one anecdote of what in your digital health program you are least proud of and how did you change it?

There is so much to tackle when it comes to our digital strategy and not always enough resources to do everything we want to do. We have made choices about moving certain programs and services forward before others. For example, we jump-started our MedNow virtual visit offering because we wanted to address increasing consumer demand for this technology. Next on the list will be expanding our existing telemonitoring for outpatient and inpatient services. I’m extremely proud of what we have accomplished to date and confident that we can keep the momentum going across a variety of digital tools.

What are some digital healthcare initiatives you are currently leading?

We have several digital initiatives under way but the most sweeping effort is called Nexus. It involves moving our clinical and revenue cycle systems to one electronic platform. At the same time, we decided to redesign our careflows and processes to optimize care and the patient experience. This effort is touching every aspect of our hospital group and medical group. When complete next spring, our system will be connected at every Spectrum Health location across 13 counties, from physician offices to our acute care hospitals to post-acute locations. Most importantly, patient information will be readily accessible and up-to-date regardless of where they enter our system of care. As a leader, I made this effort a priority and engaged a strong team of operators.

Together we are transforming several aspects of our operations:

• Fine tuning our decision-making process, making it more disciplined yet nimble
• Boosting our integration as a system, truly coordinating processes and care flows across departments and locations
• Leading through change, providing our leaders with tools to assist their teams through significant change and respecting our people in the process
• Moving us to one Spectrum Health experience, one Spectrum Health way to care for those we serve

How is digital healthcare leading to value-based outcomes?

Value-based outcomes are dependent on two key factors: We must offer care that is effective and efficient and consumers must be more engaged in their health. Digital tools help on both fronts. For example, our MedNow virtual visits enable consumers to connect with us virtually for low-acuity visits. A MedNow visit costs considerably less than a low-acuity visit in the emergency department or at an urgent care location. In addition, the MedNow consumer is accessing care conveniently on their terms, increasing the likelihood they will engage with us again in the future, if needed. This encourages them to take care of themselves and address health issues before they become more serious. After their virtual visits, consumers can see their visit notes and follow up directions in our MyHealth patient portal.

Another example is the Cost Estimator offered by our health plan. Members can search for providers, locations and services based on cost. In the two years since its launch, consumers have saved more than $6 million by opting for lower-cost diagnostic procedures and elective tests. I also believe digital healthcare encourages patients to stay engaged with us. This is an important step toward wellness and managing health issues and chronic disease.

Hospital and health systems many times don’t like and sometimes won’t change for a more digital way of doing business. How are you the change agent at Spectrum Health?

I recognize that digital will be the primary way we connect and engage with consumers in the future. I’m excited about this transformation but I realize others may not be as comfortable with it. I see my role as the champion of digital in our organization. I frequently talk about the importance of our digital strategy and how we need to meet consumers where they are on this journey. I help teams see how digital tools can better serve consumers and also present an exciting growth opportunity for our people. This is an opportunity for our teams to learn new skills and stretch their knowledge on behalf of our consumers. It’s new territory but we need to be comfortable and embrace it with enthusiasm. In five years, it will be another tool, like a stethoscope, that we will use every day.