Becker’s Healthcare Podcast Summary: "Building a Scalable, Efficient Health System with Workday"
Release Date: July 17, 2025
Introduction
In the latest episode of the Becker’s Healthcare Podcast, host Lucas Voss engages in an insightful conversation with Phil Wood, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Cape Fear Valley Health System in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The discussion centers around leveraging Workday’s ERP system to foster scalable growth, enhance employee engagement, and drive efficiency and cost savings within a mid-sized health system.
Overview of Cape Fear Valley Health System
Phil Wood provides an introduction to Cape Fear Valley Health System, highlighting its expansive network:
“Cape Fear Valley Health System is a not-for-profit health system based here in Fayetteville, North Carolina. We are eight hospitals and 93 plus clinics with over a thousand physicians and more than 8,000 skilled professionals. And we all have one focus, our patients.”
(00:36)
Phil has been serving as the CIO for over twelve years, navigating the evolution of IT within healthcare alongside a CEO who shares a strong IT background. This synergy has been pivotal in implementing technological advancements that prioritize patient care and operational excellence.
Growth Strategy and Challenges
Discussing growth, Phil emphasizes the strategic acquisition of independent physicians and practices to expand services:
“It’s always going to be continuing to grow and that is done with more and more independent physicians coming on practices that we may acquire as we try to serve our community and offer those services.”
(02:30)
One of the primary challenges in this expansion is integrating disparate systems and, more critically, aligning organizational cultures. Phil underscores the importance of cultural alignment in ensuring the success of IT initiatives:
“Culture is really important to us. And those practices offered great services and Cape Valley Health does the same thing too. But we try to align those cultures and that’s one of those things for our success... that culture has to be aligned.”
(04:00)
Implementation of Workday ERP
Two years prior to the podcast, Cape Fear Valley Health System embarked on its ERP journey with Workday. Phil delves into the decision-making process and the structured governance model established to oversee the implementation:
“We have an overall IT Governance council that oversees all types of things involving IT systems, applications, services... we have a Workday committee that reports up to that IT Governance council as well.”
(05:30)
This hierarchical structure includes subcommittees focused on Human Capital Management (HCM), finance, and supply chain, ensuring specialized attention to each domain within Workday’s ecosystem.
Impact on Scalability, Efficiency, and Cost Management
Phil highlights the tangible benefits realized from adopting Workday’s ERP system:
“By going to Workday, we think of things like time and attendance, learning management systems... reduce cost... reduce manual errors.”
(06:02)
The unified platform has enabled the organization to streamline processes, lower operational costs, and enhance scalability. Additionally, integration with existing Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems like Epic has optimized scheduling and advanced analytics, contributing to overall efficiency.
Enhancing Employee Experience through Workday
A significant outcome of the Workday implementation is the improved employee experience. Phil shares metrics and feedback indicating high adoption rates and satisfaction:
“Our employees, it is now at their fingertips. They love being able to access and see their pay... recognition, rewards... We are at 49% for our mobile usage of Workday, which was really pretty good for the workforce.”
(08:21)
The accessibility of Workday’s cloud-based solutions has not only enhanced daily operations for HR and finance teams but also played a crucial role in talent acquisition and retention by providing employees with transparent and convenient access to essential information.
Integration with EMR and Reducing Burnout
Phil discusses the interplay between Workday and their EHR system, emphasizing its role in mitigating clinician burnout:
“Scheduling and advanced scheduling, these are things that when we have that interoperability with Workday to Epic, it is serving such a great purpose.”
(07:50)
By automating and optimizing scheduling processes, the organization has alleviated administrative burdens on healthcare providers, allowing them to focus more on patient care.
Advice for Fellow Healthcare CIOs
Towards the end of the conversation, Phil offers valuable advice to other CIOs, especially those in small to mid-sized health systems:
“Building a business case is really important... don’t just chase [AI] for that one word... think about the true impact... training is really super important... make sure that you have a vendor that’s a partner that is going to help you with your implementation and process.”
(10:22)
Key takeaways from Phil’s advice include the necessity of a robust business case, thoughtful integration of AI technologies, comprehensive training programs, and fostering strong partnerships with vendors to ensure successful implementation and adoption of new systems.
Conclusion
Phil Wood concludes by reflecting on the positive transformations brought about by Workday’s ERP system:
“This system Workday has been really a great product for us.”
(13:00)
Lucas Voss thanks Phil for sharing his experiences and insights, underscoring the significance of cultural alignment and strategic governance in driving technological advancements within healthcare organizations.
Listen to more episodes of the Becker’s Healthcare Podcast by visiting Becker's Hospital Review Podcast Page.