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Becker’s Healthcare Podcast
AI, Smart Hospitals, and Innovation at Houston Methodist with Michelle Stansbury
00:22:12
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- [00:02]
Announcer
The most important healthcare decisions don't happen in isolation. They happen when leaders come together. Becker's 16th annual meeting brings together more than 3,500 hospital and health system executives this April in Chicago. With 800 speakers from Ascension, Cleveland Clinic, Common Spirit, and more, the conversations get real. Leaders will share how their scenario planning for policy shifts brief breaking through value based care barriers and building clinical teams that translate new ideas into real world care. Join top decision makers in the room April 13th through the 16th. For the agenda and event details, visit BeckersHospitalReview.com and click on the Events tab in the upper right.
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Laura Darda
This is Laura Darda with the Beckers Healthcare Podcast. I'm thrilled today to be joined by Michelle Stansbury, Associate Chief Innovation Officer and Vice President of IT Applications at Houston Methodist. Michelle, it's a pleasure to have you on the podcast today.
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Michelle Stansbury
Oh, thank you so much. I always appreciate being able to talk with you, Laura. Absolutely.
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Laura Darda
Well, I'm excited for our conversation too, because I think we always have a chance to get behind the curtain of some of the cool things you're doing at Houston Methodist. I know you've got a lot of innovation going on there, very sophisticated technology, AI, automation, and more. And so I know we'll get into some of that. But before we do, for those who are just starting to listen to our podcast, could you share a little bit more about yourself, your background in Houston Methodist?
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Michelle Stansbury
Sure. Well, I've been at Houston Methodist almost 34 years now, which is just amazing in itself. I know I get asked all the time, what has kept you there? And I would say it's probably the opportunities to be able to do so many different new things, to be able to help the health system grow and to help make sure that our patients and our clinicians are working in the best environment that they can. So that's what kind of keeps me there and love what I do. And it's just a great organization.
- [01:55]
Laura Darda
That's fantastic to hear and, you know, really having that true mission of bringing the patient first and providing that type of great care to the community makes a huge difference. Now if we could zero in on the last year or so, could you tell us about the most important projects or initiatives that you were working on? What did you do and what were the results?
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Michelle Stansbury
Well, as I think we have talked before, we opened up our Cypress Hospital, which we had been talking about quite a bit as our smart hospital of the future, which had many of the new capabilities that, you know, everyone from AI to automation overall to the patient room being Smart, you know, video capabilities across the organization, you know, just those ease of use things for overall, our patients. I know we've had several people ask, well, did you just what were the learnings from that hospital? But the good news is we didn't just bring up all those technologies just at our Cypress hospital. We had been implementing those things across our other hospitals. We've got eight other hospitals as well, because one, we wanted to learn from them, have our staff overall give us feedback to make sure that was truly bringing the value to the organization. There were a few things that were just Cypress, because when you're building a hospital from the ground up, you're able to build the infrastructure needed to support certain things like environmental controls. That's very hard to go back and retrofit into an older building. But I will tell you, our patients have absolutely loved that. They've been able to control the lighting to overall. They have voice activation where it is that they can turn on certain things, turn it off, open the blinds, close the blinds, you know, so those little creature comforts that somehow we've gotten to come accustomed to in hotel rooms, we're now being able to do those for our patients. And while we thought it was a nice touch, it was really something our patients love. They love having the ability to be able to talk to Alexa in the room, to getting Alexa to do some of these things for them as well. But just the true overall, that facility, it was amazing. When it opened up within a very short timeframe, it was completely full. So we had to very quickly turn around and figure out how it is that we could open up more of the space. I think they're already looking at how they can add on additions to the space as well, because patients have really enjoyed the services that they're getting, but also just knowing how that the hospital operates and the staff have really embraced overall this concept of what's next, what's new. We just recently we've had ambient intelligence for our physicians for quite a while. And overall within our physician practices, we've moved it so the hospitalists are using it, but now it is. We're trying to get our nurses. And so we just recently talked to Epic about doing ambient listening for our nurses. And of course Cypress was like, raise their hand. We want to be first. We want to be first. We're willing to, you know, pilot whatever is necessary. So it's the good news when you have so much enthusiasm towards innovation to be able to find the clinicians, the patients who are willing to be able to See and test out those things because it makes it easier on us overall as an organization. But that was one. The other is we have been working on a workday go live. So that was a two year project that just went live January 1st for our supply chain, HR Finance and our research institute. It has gone extremely well. I'm so very proud of that team. I wish I could give them all kudos here right now. We made our first payroll. No issues. We've been able to order supplies and get them into the hospitals. Very little issues. And we're working through our very first month in close right now. So that big, big initiative. Anybody that goes through these big massive projects like installing EPIC or installing a new ERP system, you know, it's just a big. The thing that excites me the most, I will tell you is back at the Workday Rising conference they had showcased all of their new AI capabilities, especially over in supply chain and then with finance and even within hr. So I'm excited to sort of bring those and start to embrace them overall within the organization to be able to help in those processes that we can utilize AI for. The other was really system access. We've been really on this journey for the last couple of years and have really done well with overall having our patients now with the bi directional texting capabilities, allowing them to be able to create new appointments just by text based solutions. Overall having the voice technology that allows them to be able to talk with an agent and then an artificial agent and then be able to get to where that they need to. So you know, it's interesting to see the dynamics and the evolution of how different departments work with these newer technologies that are out there, sometimes it's a little challenging, sometimes it's not. I would say when we brought overall camera technology with AI to be able to help us see where we have the opportunities to open up more or time, that was a little challenging with our physicians. I kind of liken it back. I tell people all the time, I'm like, well how would you feel if I told you I was going to put a camera in your office? Because I need to see where it is that we can increase efficiencies and so forth. Everybody it's like yes, you can see where that can make people nervous. But once the physicians really saw the opportunities that was bringing to get them back or time, one of our biggest cardiovascular surgeons who was not real happy in the beginning to hear him come back later and really describe how that has overall helped him and the organization that was Like a win win. So, you know, that was only kind of a few. I think the last piece was this past year we, while in 2011, we came up with our 12 bets for the hospital of the future. We came up with our 10 new beds for our healthcare intelligent healthcare system of the. Which really is just playing on the things that we've already done and how can we make them better overall as an organization. But that's just kind of a few things what keeping us a little busy overall for the last year.
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Laura Darda
Oh, that's amazing to hear. And you know, that is a lot going on and a lot of positive change happening. Especially when you think about, you know, how much it takes not only to bring the technology in and integrate that into workflows and processes, but then too, to your point, in being able to work with the team and have them adopted and feel comfortable with the technology and willing to move forward, you know, that's incredible to have that kind of buy in too. So, yes, I think there's a lot of work for you and your team, but it sounds like it's gone really well so far.
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Michelle Stansbury
No, I will tell you, it's the one thing that I appreciate so much because we have such operational engagement on everything that we do. Right. And during our initiatives on anything that works, you're seeing operational individuals and it. They're partnering, they're like one team. And that's what the exciting part is, is when you see that happen that there is no more of, well, it needs to handle this. Well, no, we'll take care of it. It is. No, they are kind of one group that is working on all of these things together. And how can they quickly, you know, come to resolution that it is bringing us value into the organization? Then, oh, okay, now we need to like, roll it out. That's what it is exciting to see is when the team comes together, it's a very amazing what they can accomplish. And I have just, you know, seen it time and time again and just think that we are very fortunate the way that we are set up to be able to do that for Houston Methodist.
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Laura Darda
Absolutely. That's amazing to hear and great to understand that structure that you're working with now. Looking into the next year or so, what are some of the top priorities and headwinds that you're focused on?
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Michelle Stansbury
Well, I think one of the biggest things, and I love to tell people this because, you know, sometimes you can get so caught up in the innovation that you don't really stop and think, how are you really getting the Greatest benefit of all from these big transactional systems like epic. Right. And I will give EPIC really kudos here that they have come a long way with their product in certain areas that, you know, we're now seeing. We don't need this third party that we were working with. We can now transition over to epic, which is great because most organizations are really having to become very financially responsible as well. And so it is. Where are we looking at that? Potentially we had a third party that we're going to be moving overall to epic. I will say one of the last things that we did not implement back in 2014 when we initially installed EPIC was their lab system. It wasn't beaker wasn't where it needed to be at the time, but now it is. And so we're transitioning over to that new labs, which is a big project in itself. It's another two. I love these big two year projects, you know, but you know, that is one piece. You know, we've got other systems that we're looking at overall transitioning. But I think the big piece overall all for us is how are we embracing overall AI capabilities where they're available to see where it's overall helping us as an organization. And you know, it's I, I'll give you an example. We use ServiceNow within our IT organization and they've come out with a lot of AI capabilities and you can really get caught up in the coolness factor. I almost say it that way. But what are the models, what are the things that they have built overall with on top of that AI? And how is our data, is our data clean for us to be able to use and trust it because AI is built overall to be able to increase efficiencies. That's what it should be, not overall, right to overall add cost to the organization or add additional processes and not be able to reduce overall kind of the labor cost where you can get some of those efficiencies at. But I would say I talked about, we've been looking for a vendor for us to be able to do ambient listening for our nursing staff for year and a half, if not more than that. And it kind of talked to several different vendors that were out there and never really were able to get traction where we needed to. Exciting part is that EPIC is now has, has that functionality. We're getting ready to start a pilot with them in our Cypress Hospital. So very anxious to see because nurses are just as overburdened with documentations as physicians are. And so whatever we can do to help over all that. You know, we started our virtual visits to be able to take admits and discharges from them, to be able to take overall rounding activities and so forth. But there's still just that documentation burden. So another great piece that now we can overall use for our nurses. But first and foremost, I mean, it's just, I think if you begin to look at our, you know, intelligent healthcare system of the future beds we really need to pick out. What are we going to focus on this year? And we've got a retreat coming up here very soon. I think it's two weeks from now is where we're going to start to decide what are those key areas and key projects that we're going to focus on kind of going forward this year.
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Laura Darda
That's fantastic to hear and you know, so important to have that time to come together together with your colleagues and make those decisions. And you know, I think when you're talking about bringing in technology, AI, ambient and you know, the different partners that you're working with and systems that you're collaborating with, I know, you know, you've been at this for a good long while, more than a decade in terms of innovation and working with Houston Methodists. So do you feel like you're in a time now where you're doing more pilots? Are you settling in? How are you thinking about, you know, where you, you want to identify places, especially as you're, you know, are kind of a mature innovation organization but always still trying to be cutting edge as well?
- [14:12]
Michelle Stansbury
No, you know, look, I think that there is a time and actually, you know, Roberta, which I know you've spoken with before, I think it's a time for us. We're not out trying to look for little niche products anymore. I think that where we have found overall is that we've got some really good vendors that we're partnering with. So what more can we partner with to enhance what their product does or even something new overall within our organization instead of a pilot here, Pilot here. I mean, you know, I think for a while we had probably like, you know, 25 pilots going on at a time. And we're not there as an organization. We're trying to really mature what we have. As I said, we know where we want to go, but I think it's. Let's make those decisions wisely instead of just trying to pilot every single little thing that is out there that is building new. I mean, I will. You know, look, AI is exploding. It is just exploding across the health care industry. And I think all over the place. And you really got to decide what are you going to do, right? What are those things you really want to focus on that are really going to bring the greatest value to the organization? And not every single little pilot. I mean, I've got so many vendors that are calling me, hey, I've got this, you know, niche AIF solution and this one, can we come, you know, and kind of show it to you? And you know, I. I hate to say no so many times, but I think this is where some innovation groups can get so overwhelmed by so much that's coming at them. You really have to decide as an organization, what are you going to focus on? Which is what I said that we're going to try to do as an innovation group is this is going to be our focus for 2026, but it's going to go in line with what we said that we want to move forward with our intelligent health care system of the future or bring back overall, are we getting the greatest value from the things that we've already done, or is there more that we can do to truly stretch and get more of that ROI that we thought that we were going to be able to get? So that's what I think. Overall, our initiatives are moving forward. So I would say it's Houston Methodist doing all these new pilots. No, I don't. I think what we're trying to do is just really mature what we have and really stretch to get the greatest value of what we've got already. And it's not to say that we won't, because, look, we're doing the pilot with epic, we're doing another pilot with some other. A few other ones. But it's not the massive things that we were doing in the very beginning
- [16:33]
Laura Darda
that makes a lot of sense. You know, it is really helpful to kind of ground in how you're thinking about the future and what that looks like for you. And, you know, what do you think the hardest thing you'll have to do in the next year will be?
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Michelle Stansbury
I think, really, and this is just probably all healthcare systems, they're really trying to really look and look at what is bringing the greatest value to the organization. I mean, we're all being hit hard, right? From governmental changes to payer changes to everything else. And yet you want to provide the best care overall to your patients and having our clinicians utilizing the best tools that will help them do that. But you still have to remain financially stable. So I think that's where it is. How can we, as I said, how can we ensure that we're getting the greatest value overall from our investments that we have and what other new things that maybe we need to focus in on that will help us during that journey? And I think everybody's on that journey, right? I haven't spoken to one health system that is not on that journey right now. And, you know, fortunately we have as an organization, have always done well. But it's still the one thing that I do appreciate about Houston Methodist is if they get some sort of an inkling, you know, where we need to tighten our belt, we do it right away. We don't wait until things are really bad, you know, to come back. And it just helps us to kind of main stable as an organization? No, we're not just tightening and not doing anything right. No, we just need to be very conscious about what we are doing to ensure it's bringing the value. And I think that's where we're at, is just truly ensuring that the work that any of us are doing on the innovation side is truly bringing that value that we thought that it would. And if it's not, we need to move on to something else.
- [18:18]
Laura Darda
That makes a lot of sense. And, you know, with such clarity of being able to have that into any decisions you're making, looking at, you know, what that value is and bringing it front and center. I can imagine with your partner conversations as well as how you're thinking about, you know, new technology opportunities as well. And speaking of that, you know, when you look at growth, where do you see growth headed, especially for the innovation side?
- [18:41]
Michelle Stansbury
No, I mean, look, there's. There's always. I think you always need to look out. As I said, I think this greatest opportunity where everybody has kind of had it, is how are we evaluating what's the appropriate AI usage in our organization. Right. Because there's. I think there's such a tremendous opportunity, which I'm very excited about. I mean, like I said, I've seen a lot of things that overall workday can bring. I've seen, you know, so epic's already been doing some things for us. I think some of the other vendors that we are utilizing right now that have brought us value in AI, how can we extend that? How can we extend it beyond and be thinking about other use cases? I do know that we are really looking at. You know, I've said before, when you look at remote monitoring, we took all the tools and we utilized them in house to learn from them. I think we're now we're trying to see what can we do. What are the things that we can extend beyond the walls of Houston Methodist to really engage overall that population and be able to truly get to some type of remote monitoring of overall our patients while they're at home. So it's the thing that we are looking at and trying to focus on in that area as well. But, you know, of looking at, you know, a truly operational control center. Right. Because we've got these nine different hospitals. How are we utilizing them to the best capacity that we can? And all of our clinics. I would tell you the exciting thing that we introduced overall last year in our clinic space was a vendor that looked at. They used RFID technology to put them on staff to see where they could gain efficiencies overall in that clinic to be able to open up more appointments. That was phenomenal. I would have never guessed that we could have gotten the efficiencies and the appointment that we have gained just by using that technology. I mean, it was, you know, when you ask a provider, well, we need to create more appointments. I'm already booked. There's no way that you can. But the data, and this is what excites me the most about data. And I've said data doesn't feel, data doesn't lie. Data just gives you information to be able to have them come back with true data, to say, well, if you would just sort of change your practice patterns, here's where we could align more appointments to come in overall. And that just makes it better for the patients, it makes it better for the clinicians. And that's what overall what excites me the most. And I think I told you the reason that I love being at Houston Methodist is we are very, so much patient centric, you know, and trying to make sure nobody wants to come to the doctor, nobody really wants to come to the hospital, but when they do, is it in a way and ease of use for them, in the way that they overall their preference and their family members? You know, I just think back to the video technology that we've done that allowed family members to be able to join those discussions right overall with the physicians. I mean, that's what the end of the day that it comes down for me with what excites me overall, not just the technology piece, but to be able to hear from our patients and our clinicians what it's doing for them. I love that.
- [21:43]
Laura Darda
Michelle, thank you so much for joining us on the podcast today. This has been a really fun conversation. I've learned a ton and feel like it's so exciting, the potential and opportunities there in healthcare today. So I appreciate your time. I look forward to seeing you as well in April. I know you'll be speaking at our annual meeting and really providing some great, great insights and spotlighting, you know, the things you're doing at Houston Methodist there as well. So I look forward to seeing you as always. It's such a great to have you. Time to have you.
- [22:08]
Michelle Stansbury
Yep. Thank you for having me.