Today, we have the privilege of sitting down with Dr. Robert Abda, a highly accomplished individual in the field of healthcare. With a diverse background and an impressive range of skills, Robert has made significant contributions to the healthcare industry through his roles as a Senior Corporate Clinical Informaticist and a nursing faculty member at both Wilkes University and Kings College.
Robert’s educational journey is nothing short of remarkable. He holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the University of Pittsburgh, Master of Information Systems degree and Health Informatics Certification from Drexel University, along with bachelor’s degrees in Nursing and Biology/Pre-Medicine. This unique combination of qualifications has equipped him with a deep understanding of both the clinical and technological aspects of healthcare.
As a Senior Corporate Clinical Informaticist at a Fortune 500 hospital management company, Robert plays a crucial role in designing, managing and implementing various healthcare IT projects. His responsibilities range from custom software development to the implementation of new strategies for utilizing existing EHR solutions and even development of enhanced change control processes. Additionally, his surgical background allows him to contribute to perioperative clinical and IT performance improvement events, as well as assist in new Operating Room director orientations.
Beyond his corporate role, Robert also serves as an adjunct professor of nursing at Wilkes University and King’s College, where he specializes in Healthcare leadership and Nursing Informatics. He educates undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students through online nursing and informatics practicum courses and contributes to the refinement of course curricula.
Robert’s expertise extends further into the realm of clinical informatics. He has served as a Clinical Informatics System Specialist at Regional Hospital of Scranton and as a Clinical Applications Analyst at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital. In these positions, he utilized his clinical knowledge to enhance healthcare information systems and implement optimal solutions for hospital workflows.
Throughout his career, Robert has demonstrated proficiency in a wide range of skills, including informatics, Cerner Millennium, nursing, healthcare information technology, quality improvement, performance improvement, and change management. His passion for technology and healthcare has driven him to continuously seek opportunities for growth and development.
In addition to his professional endeavors, Robert is an advocate for personal fitness and wellness. He is a NASM certified personal trainer, nutrition coach, and corrective exercise specialist providing virtual and in-person personal training services tailored to the individual needs and client goals.
With his extensive experience and diverse skill set, Robert Abda has become a respected figure in the healthcare industry. Today, we have the privilege of delving deeper into his journey, insights, and contributions.
Thank you for taking time to share your knowledge and experience with our audience. Can you start by telling the audience about yourself?
I began my studies in undergraduate education in biology/pre-medicine but was actually very interested in computer science and how we can use technology in healthcare to help people. From there, I decided to attend nursing school and started my healthcare journey a decade ago, working for a small healthcare system in North Eastern PA. There I started off as an intraoperative circulating nurse. From there, I became interested in other parts of the perioperative process and had the opportunity to spend time in the preoperative and post-operative spaces as well. What drew me to this type of work was not only helping patients using curative and palliative procedures but also helping try to ease anxiety before a procedure through therapeutic nursing communication. I have always known I wanted to help people in some way, and here I was able to help many people every day with a wonderful team of healthcare professionals. However, I still yearned to increase the number of people I could help every day.
This is when the practice of nursing informatics started to take off as an occupation, and electronic documentation systems were proliferating the healthcare space. At this time, I decided to complete another degree in information systems and healthcare informatics to really get a grasp on the industry and familiarize myself with the work involved. After program completion, I had the opportunity to move to a clinical analyst position within my health system, and eventually work my way up to an informatics system specialist after our full EHR implementation. Within this position, I was able to use my clinical knowledge and interpersonal communication skills to collaborate with healthcare staff to help improve the system they use to care for patients. So, in a way, I was able to assist in caring for more patients within the healthcare system.
From there, I went on to accept a job opportunity from Universal Health Services, expanding my reach even more to over twenty-eight hospitals across the United States. This is where I still am today, and just the thought of being able to assist our healthcare staff in caring for patients in the most effective and efficient ways possible using cutting-edge technology is what really drives me every day to improve myself and help grow others around me.
Can you tell our audience about your role at UHS? What is the problem it is addressing and how is it doing so?
In my role at our healthcare management company, I help oversee the healthcare technology and EHR systems we have in place for the management of millions of patients who rely on our services. The healthcare industry, as a whole, has been undergoing significant changes and challenges, especially with the emergence of COVID-19 and other unforeseen factors. While our hospitals had implemented cutting-edge healthcare technology, we found that our healthcare staff was facing not only the strain of intensive patient care but also burnout.
In a notable report by the National Academies of Science and Engineering, burnout was identified as the number one issue affecting the entire healthcare sector, not limited to nursing alone. While healthcare technology is just one part of this multifaceted problem, it’s an area where I can make a substantial impact.
I have taken the lead in various quality and process improvement initiatives over the past several years. These initiatives aimed to reduce non-value-adding documentation in our Electronic Health Records (EHR), develop protocols for ventilator liberation, and implement scanning technology within our operating rooms to minimize manual documentation.
My intrinsic motivation has always been to provide comfort to individuals during their most challenging moments. One of my primary objectives has been to maximize the number of people I can assist simultaneously. I discovered that the most fulfilling way to brighten the darkest days of our patients’ lives was to support the nurses and other clinicians on the front lines. Through this approach, I transitioned from helping only 1-3 patients a day, as in the operating room, to positively impacting thousands of patients each day across our numerous hospitals.
In more recent years, in addition to my work in informatics, I’ve shifted my focus towards learning and acquiring experience in nurturing the next generation of informatics nurses. I’ve been actively involved in education and leadership opportunities within my current organization and academic affiliations, with the aim of preparing the future healthcare workforce to better tackle the challenges of today’s healthcare environment.
How has your background in both nursing and informatics shaped your approach to healthcare IT projects?
My background in both nursing and informatics has greatly influenced my approach to healthcare IT projects. It allows me to bridge the gap between clinical workflows and technology solutions. Understanding the needs and challenges of healthcare professionals on the frontlines enables me to design and implement systems that truly support their work. I can speak their language and empathize with their concerns, which fosters trust and collaboration. Additionally, my informatics expertise helps me identify opportunities for process improvement and leverage technology to streamline workflows, enhance patient care, and drive better outcomes. Finally, my background knowledge has allowed me to successfully grow the next generation of nursing informaticists through educational and leadership level responsibilities to help influence even greater change.
Can you provide an example of a successful project where you implemented new ways to use existing EHR solutions? What were the challenges and outcomes?
It comes down to examining the people, processes, and technology used within healthcare and really trying to strategically align those pieces.
While I have worked on many great projects which involved implementing new ways to use existing EHR solutions to improve both medication administration practices and supply documentation efficiencies, we will focus on intraoperative supply item scanning. The challenge was integrating this new process into the existing workflow without disrupting surgical procedures. We collaborated closely with the surgical team, IT staff, and vendors to ensure seamless implementation.
The outcomes were remarkable, through implementing supply scanning within just a sample of our hospital operating rooms nurses we were able to complete documentation on average 37.33 minutes sooner, and the operating room turnover time decreased by 1.88 minutes. The reduced room turnover time saving both nursing time to be at the patient’s bedside more often, and saving the institution operating room cost. The reduction in room turnovertime alone has a potential cost savings, over the study period, of US $1.48 million. Because of these findings we have implemented the solution within all of our acute facilities.
This project demonstrated the power of leveraging existing technology to address specific clinical needs and highlighted the importance of effective change management and interdisciplinary collaboration.
In your experience, what are the key factors that contribute to a successful Cerner Millennium implementation?
A successful Cerner Millennium implementation requires careful planning, stakeholder engagement, and a comprehensive understanding of the organization’s clinical and operational workflows. It is paramount to account for the people, processes, and technology that exist prior and be able to enhance all three with the implementation of the system. It is essential to involve end-users from the beginning to ensure that the system meets their specific needs and to reduce adoption resistance. Thorough training and education programs are crucial to ensure a smooth transition and user engagement. Additionally, robust change management strategies, including clear communication, ongoing support, and addressing resistance, are vital. Regular evaluation and feedback loops help identify areas for improvement and optimize system utilization. It is also essential to have a dedicated team of experts who can provide technical support and continuously monitor and enhance the system’s performance and ensure regulatory and quality improvement initiatives are continually addressed.
As a clinical informaticist, what strategies do you employ to ensure effective communication and collaboration between healthcare professionals and IT teams?
Effective communication and collaboration between healthcare professionals and IT teams are critical for successful healthcare IT projects. As a clinical informaticist, I employ several strategies to foster this collaboration. First, I actively engage with clinical stakeholders, such as physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, to understand their needs, challenges, and goals. This helps me align IT initiatives with their requirements and priorities. Regular meetings, workshops, and focus groups provide opportunities for open dialogue and knowledge sharing. I also ensure that IT teams have a deep understanding of clinical workflows and the impact of technology on patient care. This helps them design and implement solutions that are user-friendly and aligned with the realities of healthcare delivery. Lastly, I promote a culture of collaboration and mutual respect, emphasizing the shared goal of improving patient outcomes and healthcare delivery. This encourages teams to work together, exchange ideas, and leverage their collective expertise in a meaningful emotionally charged and postive manner.
Could you share some insights on the role of technology in enhancing perioperative clinical and IT performance improvement? How have you applied this in your own work?
Technology plays a crucial role in enhancing perioperative clinical and IT performance improvement. One area where technology has made a significant impact is in the implementation of intraoperative medication scanning. By leveraging barcode scanning technology, we can ensure accurate medication administration, reduce medication errors, and improve patient safety. This technology also enables real-time documentation, enhancing the efficiency of perioperative workflows. Additionally, this would provide the care team with seamless visibility of intraoperative medications being administered within the operative environment. This reduces medication errors improves patient safety, and staff satisfaction as they do not need to manually document. Additionally, technology solutions can facilitate data collection and analysis, allowing us to identify trends, measure performance, and implement targeted quality improvement initiatives. For example, we can use data analytics to monitor surgical outcomes, track infection rates, and optimize resource utilization. Furthermore, technology can support the implementation of quality improvement initiatives such as enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols, ensuring standardized, evidence-based care delivery and improved patient recovery. Overall, technology empowers perioperative teams to deliver safer, more efficient care and drive continuous improvement.
What are the main considerations when developing custom software solutions for healthcare organizations? How do you ensure they align with clinical workflows and meet the needs of different stakeholders?
Developing custom software solutions for healthcare organizations requires careful consideration of clinical workflows and stakeholder needs. It is essential to engage end-users throughout the development process to ensure that the solution aligns with their requirements. This involves conducting thorough needs assessments, gathering user feedback, and involving clinicians in design decisions. The solution should be intuitive, user-friendly, and seamlessly integrate into existing workflows to minimize disruption. Collaboration between IT professionals, clinicians, and vendors is crucial to ensure that the solution meets the organization’s unique needs and aligns with industry standards. Additionally, thorough testing and validation processes are essential to ensure the software’s reliability, security, and compliance with regulatory standards. Regular communication and feedback loops with stakeholders help ensure that the software evolves and adapts to changing needs over time.
With your expertise in change management, what advice do you have for healthcare organizations undergoing digital transformation initiatives? How can they effectively manage resistance to change?
Digital transformation initiatives in healthcare organizations require careful change management strategies to ensure successful adoption and minimize resistance. Firstly, it is crucial to create a compelling vision for the transformation and communicate it effectively to all stakeholders. This helps build understanding and buy-in from the start. Engaging key stakeholders early on and involving them in decision-making processes can also help address concerns and ensure their active participation. Clear and ongoing communication about the benefits of the transformation, as well as the support, engagement of end-users, and resources available, is essential to manage resistance. Providing comprehensive training and education programs helps build confidence and competence among end-users. Additionally, creating a culture of continuous learning and improvement, where feedback is valued and acted upon, fosters a positive environment for change. It is also important to celebrate successes and recognize the efforts of individuals and teams throughout the transformation journey. By addressing concerns, providing support, and creating a shared sense of purpose, healthcare organizations can effectively manage resistance and navigate digital transformation successfully.
In your opinion, what are the most significant challenges and opportunities in the healthcare industry when it comes to information system leadership and strategy?
The healthcare industry faces several challenges and opportunities when it comes to information system leadership and strategy. One significant challenge is the increasing complexity of regulatory requirements and compliance standards. Healthcare companies must ensure that their information systems align with these standards while maintaining data integrity and security. Another challenge is the need to integrate information systems across different care-teams within the organization, such as laboratory, nursing, physician, and ancillary teams. This requires effective data governance, interoperability, and collaboration between various stakeholders. Additionally, the industry is experiencing a significant shift towards personalized medicine and precision healthcare. Information systems must support the collection, analysis, and utilization of vast amounts of patient data to enable targeted therapies and improve health outcomes. This presents an opportunity for information system leaders to leverage advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to derive actionable insights from data. Furthermore, the increasing focus on patient-centric care and engagement opens doors for innovative information systems that facilitate patient empowerment, medication adherence, and remote monitoring. Overall, information system leadership and strategy in the healthcare industry must navigate these challenges while capitalizing on the opportunities presented by technological advancements and evolving healthcare paradigms.
As a personal trainer, corrective exercise specialist, and nutrition coach, how do you integrate your healthcare and informatics knowledge to provide tailored fitness plans for your clients? How does technology play a role in this process?
As a personal trainer with a background in healthcare and informatics, I integrate my knowledge to provide tailored fitness plans for my clients. Firstly, my healthcare background allows me to assess clients’ overall health and consider any medical conditions or limitations they may have. This helps me design exercise programs that are safe and appropriate for their specific needs. Additionally, my informatics knowledge enables me to leverage technology in the fitness planning process. I utilize fitness tracking apps and wearables to monitor clients’ progress, track their workouts, and provide real-time feedback. These technologies allow me to gather data on their physical activity levels, heart rate, and dietary intake, among other metrics. By analyzing this data, I can identify trends, set realistic goals, and make informed adjustments to their fitness plans. Technology also plays a role in providing educational resources and nutritional guidance to clients. I utilize mobile apps and online platforms to deliver personalized dietary recommendations, workout routines, track food intake, and tailor this information based on client specific goals. Overall, the integration of healthcare and informatics knowledge, along with the use of technology, allows me to provide a comprehensive and individualized approach to fitness planning and coaching.
Can you share some insights on the importance of evidence-based practice in healthcare informatics? How do you ensure that your work is grounded in research and optimized for practice workflows?
Evidence-based practice is of utmost importance in healthcare informatics and the healthcare industry as it ensures that decisions and interventions are based on the best available evidence. In healthcare informatics, evidence-based practice involves using research findings, clinical guidelines, and expert consensus to inform the design, implementation, and evaluation of information systems and workflows. By incorporating evidence-based practice, we can optimize the use of technology to improve patient outcomes, enhance safety, and streamline healthcare delivery in a cost effective manner. To ensure that my work is grounded in research, I regularly review and stay up-to-date with the latest literature, industry standards, and best practices in both healthcare and healthcare informatics. This includes reading peer-reviewed journals, attending conferences, completing continual education courses, and engaging in professional networks. By staying informed, I can identify emerging trends, innovative solutions, and evidence-based approaches to inform my work and academic practices. Additionally, I actively collaborate with clinicians, researchers, and subject matter experts to ensure that my work aligns with practice workflows and meets the needs of healthcare professionals. This interdisciplinary collaboration helps bridge the gap between research and practice, ensuring that the solutions I develop are practical, effective, and aligned with evidence-based principles. By continuously evaluating and refining my work based on research findings and feedback from stakeholders, I can optimize practice workflows and contribute to the advancement of healthcare informatics.
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