Linda Stevenson

CIO at Fisher Titus Medical Center

Can you please provide a little introduction about yourself

Energetic and passionate digital leader with a masterful track record in transforming organizations to drive greater business outcomes and empower people through technology.

Linda Stevenson is currently the Chief Information Officer at Fisher-Titus Health in Norwalk, Ohio, where she is working to bring the organization back to its very impressive Most Wired Status. With over 30 years in healthcare, Linda has had the opportunity to support all areas of the hospital, from clinical areas to revenue cycle. Throughout her career, she has lead teams at many of our Cleveland area hospitals, including The Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth, Southwest General and most recently worked for The Cerner Corporation. Much of her experience was in managing major hospital initiatives which included HIPAA, Data Security and Privacy, Meaningful Use, and electronic medical record implementations, among others. Linda received her MBA from Cleveland State University, is a Project Management Professional, was nominated for the OHA Healthcare Worker of the Year award and was awarded a CHIME Healthcare CIO Bootcamp scholarship.

What has your journey to your position been like? What path have you taken?

Started as a biller in the patient accounting department, with my organization and analytic skills, moved into IT shortly thereafter. Supported many applications, which lead to project management of many major implementations, including EMR, HIPAA, privacy, security, and Meaningful Use. My love of leadership and empowering others then lead to my IT leader roles.

Has it always been your vision to reach the position you’re at? Was your current role part of your vision to become a tech leader?

Yes, I knew this is how I could make a difference!

Have you had a role model or mentor that has helped you on your journey?

Terry Rini-Barber was my former CIO, who mentored me to be the best I could be. and gave me great feedback to improve.

How do you see the role of the technology leader evolving over the next 5 years?

• More need to be proactive in predicting technology solutions.
• Need to be a strong business partner, understanding the needs of the business operations.
• Need to be a protector of the org, with a strong focus on security

What skills do you think leaders of the future will need in order to thrive?

• People skills, emotional intelligence
• The need to think about the big picture, to really help the organization be prepared
• Be a mentor to ensure that we have the right talent and succession planning for ongoing success

How do you keep current with new skills, technologies and personal development?

Reading, Attending Conferences, Networking with peers.

What do you see as the next leap in technology that will impact your business or industry in particular?

Predictive analytics has such promise in improving our patient’s experience and health.

“Work on emotional intelligence, outward mindset and giving back, then the rest will come.”

If you were mentoring a leader of the future, what advice or guidance would you give to help them on their way?

Most people going into IT focus on the technology, they need to understand that to grow and thrive in this environment you need to focus on the people (employees, patients, co-workers, etc.). Work on emotional intelligence, outward mindset and giving back, then the rest will come.

Is there anything in particular that you would still like to achieve in your career or what is the next step on your journey?

I would love to continue to lead the IT journey for community hospitals. It is my passion to help them be successful for those hospitals still trying to survive on their own. While doing that my passion is to mentor other leaders and share my years of experience to help them be successful.

If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?

It is hard to pick one thing. I would love to live in a world where people are always kind to each other and where we would put people’s health above profit.

Other details that you’d like to add:

I am a yoga teacher and Integrative Health Practitioner, which helps me to give back to people in improving their wellness, body, mind and spirit.

A big thank you to Linda Stevenson from Fisher Titus Medical Center for sharing her journey to date.