The document discusses the importance of executive sponsorship for healthcare analytics programs. It argues that having the right executive sponsor, who is a high-level member of the C-suite, strongly correlates with the success of an analytics program. An effective sponsor understands the strategic value of data, can promote the analytics program across the organization, and ensures it has the resources needed to achieve goals like improved clinical outcomes. Selecting the appropriate executive sponsor is identified as a key factor for organizations to leverage data as a strategic asset.

1. The Missing Ingredient in Healthcare Analytics:
The Executive Sponsor

2. © 2018 Health Catalyst
Proprietary. Feel free to share but we would appreciate a Health Catalyst citation.
The Missing Ingredient in Healthcare Analytics
The old saying in healthcare that
organizations are data rich and information
poor has never been truer than it is today.
The chasm is growing between those
organizations that are effectively lever-
aging data as a strategic asset and those
that are generating more and more data.
The latter are also likely perpetuating more
analytic point solutions yet failing to
harness data to strategically transform the
organization in a lasting and impactful way.

3. © 2018 Health Catalyst
Proprietary. Feel free to share but we would appreciate a Health Catalyst citation.
The Missing Ingredient in Healthcare Analytics
While any number of dynamics play into the
data-rich, information-poor conundrum, the
experiences of executives across the
industry reveal a key strategy in the data
balance game:
Executive sponsorship for the
healthcare analytics program.
This strategy involves identifying the right
executive sponsor, at the right level in
the organization, to provide oversight of
an enterprise data management and
analytics program.

4. © 2018 Health Catalyst
Proprietary. Feel free to share but we would appreciate a Health Catalyst citation.
Strong Executive Sponsorship for a Healthcare Analytics
Program Correlates One to One with Success
In a complex environment like healthcare,
identifying the key issues that spell out doom for
an enterprise program are never straightforward,
but understanding them is critical to program-
level success.
In the current state of the healthcare industry,
there appears to be a strong correlation between
identifying the right executive-level sponsor and
the level of success the analytics program
enjoys across the enterprise.

5. © 2018 Health Catalyst
Proprietary. Feel free to share but we would appreciate a Health Catalyst citation.
Strong Executive Sponsorship for a Healthcare Analytics
Program Correlates One to One with Success
Identifying the right corporate C-suite executive
to sponsor the efforts of the chief analytics
officer (CAO)/chief data officer (CDO) is nearly
as instrumental in program-level success as
the amount of capital and operating resources
invested into the program itself.
At one organization, the executive responsible
for system strategy and planning (a member of
the corporate C-suite team) functioned as the
executive sponsor for the enterprise data
management and analytics program.
The CDO directly reported to this executive.

6. © 2018 Health Catalyst
Proprietary. Feel free to share but we would appreciate a Health Catalyst citation.
Strong Executive Sponsorship for a Healthcare Analytics
Program Correlates One to One with Success
Both the executive sponsor and CDO were ardent
supporters and evangelists for the role data played
in the strategic transformation of the organization.
This organization has experienced significant
levels of clinical outcomes improvement:
Reduced mortality rates in patients with severe
sepsis who were admitted into the ICU from the
ED from 20.8 percent to 8.7 percent.
Decreased the number of blood transfusions by
12,000 during a four-year period, eliminating
$3,000,000 in unnecessary cost.

7. © 2018 Health Catalyst
Proprietary. Feel free to share but we would appreciate a Health Catalyst citation.
Four Elements of a Great Executive Sponsor
Healthcare executives can use four criteria to
identify a great C-suite level executive sponsor
for their enterprise analytics program:
1. Choose a Single Accountable Leader
2. Find a Sponsor with Passion for and
Knowledge About Data
3. Look Beyond Title to Ensure the Executive
Sponsor Has the Clout and Vision for Analytics
4. Build a Partnership with the CIO

8. © 2018 Health Catalyst
Proprietary. Feel free to share but we would appreciate a Health Catalyst citation.
Four Elements of a Great Executive Sponsor
1. Choose a Single Accountable Leader
To promote and sustain successful enterprise
analytics, organizations must designate one, and
only one, C-suite level executive as the analytics
program sponsor.
This is preferred rather than relegating this critical
role lower in the organization or attempting
sponsorship by committee.
As with any initiative of strategic enterprise
importance, there must be a single, accountable
leader at the right level in the organization to own
the successful outcome of the analytics program.

9. © 2018 Health Catalyst
Proprietary. Feel free to share but we would appreciate a Health Catalyst citation.
Four Elements of a Great Executive Sponsor
1. Choose a Single Accountable Leader
The right sponsor will exponentially increase the
odds for achieving a highly successful,
sustainable program.
The executive doesn’t require a specific C-level
title; the chief physician officer, chief strategy
officer, chief operating officer, chief financial
officer, chief information officer, etc., can all
potentially fill the executive sponsor role.
The specific title is far less important than
identifying the right individual.

10. © 2018 Health Catalyst
Proprietary. Feel free to share but we would appreciate a Health Catalyst citation.
Four Elements of a Great Executive Sponsor
1. Choose a Single Accountable Leader
In addition, the executive sponsor doesn’t
necessarily need to be a direct report to the CEO.
However, this individual should be a direct
member of the corporate C-suite team with a
seat at the executive table.

11. © 2018 Health Catalyst
Proprietary. Feel free to share but we would appreciate a Health Catalyst citation.
Four Elements of a Great Executive Sponsor
2. Find a Sponsor with Passion for and Knowledge About Data
The most successful analytics programs have a
top company executive accountable for analytics
efforts who is passionate and knowledgeable
about the strategic importance of analyzing data.
The executive doesn’t need a comprehensive
understanding of analytical methodologies and
processes or the tools and infrastructure that
support the program (that’s the role of the CAO,
CDO, or the head of the program).

12. © 2018 Health Catalyst
Proprietary. Feel free to share but we would appreciate a Health Catalyst citation.
Four Elements of a Great Executive Sponsor
2. Find a Sponsor with Passion for and Knowledge About Data
In the rare case that the CAO is a direct member
of the corporate C-suite team, she serves as both
the executive sponsor and the executive with
subject matter experience to execute the program
(e.g., responsible and accountable in the RACI
model for project success).
Either way, the C-suite level executive sponsor
must have significant credibility and a strong
relationship with the other top-level executives to
keep them engaged and supportive of the
analytics program.

13. © 2018 Health Catalyst
Proprietary. Feel free to share but we would appreciate a Health Catalyst citation.
Four Elements of a Great Executive Sponsor
3. Ensure the Executive Sponsor Has the Clout and Vision for Analytics
In my experience, a number of organizations
seem, as default, to have the head of analytics
(i.e., CAO or CDO) report to the CIO.
After all, the analytics program and the
CAO role itself is inherently technical in
nature and deals primarily with information,
which, not coincidentally, is the same “I” as
found in the title CIO.

14. © 2018 Health Catalyst
Proprietary. Feel free to share but we would appreciate a Health Catalyst citation.
Four Elements of a Great Executive Sponsor
3. Ensure the Executive Sponsor Has the Clout and Vision for Analytics
This reporting relationship is only effective when
the CIO has the knowledge, passion, and
organizational clout described above to
effectively function as the executive sponsor.
Unfortunately, a CIO who isn’t a highly engaged
sponsor, a full member of the C-suite team, or
effective in promoting the program will likely be
a significant impairment to the long-term vitality
and viability of the analytics program.

15. © 2018 Health Catalyst
Proprietary. Feel free to share but we would appreciate a Health Catalyst citation.
Four Elements of a Great Executive Sponsor
4. Build a Partnership with the CIO
In situations where the CIO doesn’t directly
function in the role of the executive sponsor,
extra efforts by both the executive sponsor and
the CAO/CDO to engage the CIO in the overall
program success are critical.
A non-supportive CIO can almost single-
handedly stifle the enterprise analytics program’s
ability to achieve high levels of success.

16. © 2018 Health Catalyst
Proprietary. Feel free to share but we would appreciate a Health Catalyst citation.
Four Elements of a Great Executive Sponsor
4. Build a Partnership with the CIO
The executive sponsor must partner with the
CIO to pursue a balanced approach that allows
for the massive unleashing of data needed to
transform the organization, while ensuring
implementation of effective controls (i.e.,
governance, policies, processes, and
technologies) to protect data and information.

17. © 2018 Health Catalyst
Proprietary. Feel free to share but we would appreciate a Health Catalyst citation.
Prioritize the Executive Sponsor
A highly effective analytics program relies
on the right executive sponsor at the
helm—a C-suite level sponsor who fully
understands the vision and the potential
for enterprise analytics.
This sponsor has the commitment,
influence, and relationships to drive
an enterprise-wide analytics and
outcomes improvement program.
The program must span, operations,
clinical, and administrative functions.

18. © 2018 Health Catalyst
Proprietary. Feel free to share but we would appreciate a Health Catalyst citation.
Prioritize the Executive Sponsor
This executive sponsor also needs support.
In the best organizations, an executive governance
structure ensures that other key executives help drive
the analytics program forward and remain
accountable for results and improvements
in their respective functions.

19. © 2018 Health Catalyst
Proprietary. Feel free to share but we would appreciate a Health Catalyst citation.
For more information:
“This book is a fantastic piece of work”
– Robert Lindeman MD, FAAP, Chief Physician Quality Officer

20. © 2018 Health Catalyst
Proprietary. Feel free to share but we would appreciate a Health Catalyst citation.
More about this topic
Link to original article for a more in-depth discussion.
The Missing Ingredient in Healthcare Analytics: The Executive Sponsor
The Best Way to Maximize Healthcare Analytics ROI
Bobbi Brown, MBA, Sr. VP; Leslie Hough Falk, Sr. VP
The Best Approach to Healthcare Analytics
Tom Burton, President of Professional Services
Transforming Healthcare Analytics: Five Critical Steps
Ann Tinker, MSN, RN, Professional Services, Sr. VP; Dan Hopkins, Professional Services, VP
The Number One Secret of Highly Effective Healthcare Data Analysts
Sarah Provan, BS, Operations ASO, VP; Caitlin Kelly, Clinical Data Analyst
Healthcare Analytics Platform: DOS Delivers the 7 Essential Components
Imran Qureshi, Chief Software Development Officer

21. © 2018 Health Catalyst
Proprietary. Feel free to share but we would appreciate a Health Catalyst citation.
Other Clinical Quality Improvement Resources
Click to read additional information at www.healthcatalyst.com
Ryan is a recognized healthcare IT executive and leader for aligning business and technology strategies.
His focus is on establishing strong relationships with business and clinical leaders throughout the
organization and across the industry. He understands how to effectively bring key leaders into the strategic
planning process and encourage collaboration and cooperation across divisions and operating units. He
fosters business understanding of the value that information technology presents in achieving superior
customer satisfaction, driving bottom line efficiencies, and enhancing the operations of health care organizations. He is
often sought out by health care systems nationally to help them understand the role that IT plays in improving the
value of organizations to their internal and external constituencies. Ryan has 20+ years of experience as a results-
oriented leader with strong business and technology delivery, and execution experience. He is a hands-on leader who
understands the CEO vision and how to make it work throughout an organization. He has an exceptional ability to
understand and communicate technology to the “C” suite in health care organizations. He has played a key role in
defining strategic initiatives for improving physician relationships through innovative IT services. He has served in
multiple technical and business leadership roles, with experience spanning strategic planning, organizational
alignment, focus on best practices, online services, IT operations and infrastructure, information security, and clinical
information systems. His strength is in defining and aligning business and technology strategy. Specialties: Senior
technology and executive business management skills, business strategy, consumer digital strategy, data
management and analytics, online services, healthcare IT, architecture, product development, and IT operations
management.
Ryan Smith