Academic Medicine Open Forum

Welcome back to another edition of our AAMC Community #MemberSpotlight Series. This week, we're excited to introduce you to @David Hotchkiss, the Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Medical College of Wisconsin! As an accomplished professional and information technology leader in the healthcare industry for over twenty-eight years, David has been responsible for the strategy, implementation, and operation of numerous initiatives and we're so glad to have him here in the community.

Do you have a professional skill or area of expertise that might be of particular interest to your peers in this community? Are you the "go-to" person at your institution for advice or expertise in a particular subject? 

Ability to creatively solve complex challenges  

What was the best book you most recently read (or TV show/movie that you watched?) 

To ride the current fad, Ted Lasso is one of the best shows currently on television (now, that's in part because the Fall television season hasn't yet begun). As for a recent book, I read many sources for professional growth, but my secret love is a good thriller. Brad Thor and James Patterson are two of my most recent go-to authors. 

What is the most challenging issue right now in IT in academic medicine? How is your institution addressing it? 

The need for growth continues to challenge us all in the face of declining resources. My most significant challenge, which I suspect is shared by many others, is achieving an effective and continued balance between academic freedom, empowerment, and risk mitigation. 

As you think about IT in academic medicine, what should we be preparing for in the next year or two? 

The ability to serve everyone across our missions, regardless of their location. Specifically, the ability to provide a collection of services that help teams remain connected, maintain trusted relationships, minimize turnover, and create an engaging culture. Technology alone cannot solve these challenges, but it certainly plays a significant role. 

What are your go-to resources when you have questions about IT in academic medicine? 

Trusted members of my team, influential faculty, and of course my GIR colleagues! 

What's the best piece of professional advice you have ever received? Why? 

Never get too high or too low. This was shared with me by a tremendous leader within the GIR early in my introduction to Academic Medicine.  

Why? For me, I tend to dwell on those moments that do not go quite as I or others had hoped. I rarely spend time relishing success; instead, I consider and reconsider what could have been better in those low moments. These moments of "failure" are essential to growth, and we can learn from them. But we shouldn't park ourselves there.  

What's the worst piece of professional advice you have ever received? Why? 

Passion equates to effectiveness; the stronger your personality, the more effective you will be.  

Why? It's just not true. Passion is essential in almost all aspects of one's personal and professional life. Still, too much can have the opposite effect on our ability to be successful. Find the balance, and you will hopefully enjoy a wonderfully satisfying and meaningful life. 

What do you think is the best, most challenging, or most unique thing about working in academic medicine?  

The most obvious, basic need, action, or service can take months of consensus building to move forward.  

What do you hope to gain from this online community? 

To continuously learn from the most intelligent, creative, and special group of thought leaders I've ever met. 

Did you have an unusual path to your current career? Tell us about it. 

I started as an accountant and am now a CIO thanks to advice from a former supervisor while working in health insurance. Along the way, I've been an interim VP of Human Resources and a COO for an NCI-designated cancer center. Throughout these diverse roles, the experience I've gained has been immeasurably valuable to each new challenge or opportunity I face.  

Thinking about all conferences, workshops, webinars you have attended in the last few years, was there a speaker or session topic that stands out as your favorite? Who? Why? 

It seems like eons ago now, but I attended HIMSS and enjoyed hearing Peyton Manning speak. Just amazing and so entertaining! 

How do you prefer to start your day? 

A low-calorie yogurt, a brief meditation, and The Today Show. 

How do you prefer to end your day? 

A good book, and since I'm in Wisconsin, maybe a tasty cocktail. 

What's the biggest misconception people have about your position? 

That as a CIO, I can still fix one's computer. If anything, I'm more likely to do more harm than good, requiring escalation to a Level One technician! 

How did you maintain your wellness and resilience during the pandemic? Any tips to share with others? 

In response to an enough is enough moment, I took control of my diet with a popular food logging service and exercise daily. I'm still a work in progress but feeling great! The best advice I can offer is this: Always be moving and embrace the task of recording what you eat daily against a calorie goal. For me, it made a real difference in what I chose to eat each day. A diet would never work for me, instead, the gamification of my daily calorie target did wonders for my physical health. 

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

A truck driver, or possibly a firefighter. It was a close race. 

What do you do to turn things around when you're having a bad day? 

Try to remind myself of the best career (and life) advice I've ever received (Never get too high or too low). And if it's a really bad day, head out on the bike for a ride through our beautiful trails. 

If you could only have three apps on your smartphone, which would you pick? 

Accuweather, Noom, and my password manager (I cannot remember nearly any of them without it!) 

*** 

Say "hello" to David here in the community! Feel free to post any questions you have for her in this thread, or direct messages via the community as also a great way to connect. 

If you'd like to be featured in a future #MemberSpotlight post, reach out to Stephanie Weiner (that's me!) here via the community direct messaging feature. 

Welcome back to another edition of our AAMC Community #MemberSpotlight Series. This week, we're excited to introduce you to @David Hotchkiss, the Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Medical College of Wisconsin! As an accomplished professional and information technology leader in the healthcare industry for over twenty-eight years, David has been responsible for the strategy, implementation, and operation of numerous initiatives and we're so glad to have him here in the community.

Do you have a professional skill or area of expertise that might be of particular interest to your peers in this community? Are you the "go-to" person at your institution for advice or expertise in a particular subject? 

Ability to creatively solve complex challenges  

What was the best book you most recently read (or TV show/movie that you watched?) 

To ride the current fad, Ted Lasso is one of the best shows currently on television (now, that's in part because the Fall television season hasn't yet begun). As for a recent book, I read many sources for professional growth, but my secret love is a good thriller. Brad Thor and James Patterson are two of my most recent go-to authors. 

What is the most challenging issue right now in IT in academic medicine? How is your institution addressing it? 

The need for growth continues to challenge us all in the face of declining resources. My most significant challenge, which I suspect is shared by many others, is achieving an effective and continued balance between academic freedom, empowerment, and risk mitigation. 

As you think about IT in academic medicine, what should we be preparing for in the next year or two? 

The ability to serve everyone across our missions, regardless of their location. Specifically, the ability to provide a collection of services that help teams remain connected, maintain trusted relationships, minimize turnover, and create an engaging culture. Technology alone cannot solve these challenges, but it certainly plays a significant role. 

What are your go-to resources when you have questions about IT in academic medicine? 

Trusted members of my team, influential faculty, and of course my GIR colleagues! 

What's the best piece of professional advice you have ever received? Why? 

Never get too high or too low. This was shared with me by a tremendous leader within the GIR early in my introduction to Academic Medicine.  

Why? For me, I tend to dwell on those moments that do not go quite as I or others had hoped. I rarely spend time relishing success; instead, I consider and reconsider what could have been better in those low moments. These moments of "failure" are essential to growth, and we can learn from them. But we shouldn't park ourselves there.  

What's the worst piece of professional advice you have ever received? Why? 

Passion equates to effectiveness; the stronger your personality, the more effective you will be.  

Why? It's just not true. Passion is essential in almost all aspects of one's personal and professional life. Still, too much can have the opposite effect on our ability to be successful. Find the balance, and you will hopefully enjoy a wonderfully satisfying and meaningful life. 

What do you think is the best, most challenging, or most unique thing about working in academic medicine?  

The most obvious, basic need, action, or service can take months of consensus building to move forward.  

What do you hope to gain from this online community? 

To continuously learn from the most intelligent, creative, and special group of thought leaders I've ever met. 

Did you have an unusual path to your current career? Tell us about it. 

I started as an accountant and am now a CIO thanks to advice from a former supervisor while working in health insurance. Along the way, I've been an interim VP of Human Resources and a COO for an NCI-designated cancer center. Throughout these diverse roles, the experience I've gained has been immeasurably valuable to each new challenge or opportunity I face.  

Thinking about all conferences, workshops, webinars you have attended in the last few years, was there a speaker or session topic that stands out as your favorite? Who? Why? 

It seems like eons ago now, but I attended HIMSS and enjoyed hearing Peyton Manning speak. Just amazing and so entertaining! 

How do you prefer to start your day? 

A low-calorie yogurt, a brief meditation, and The Today Show. 

How do you prefer to end your day? 

A good book, and since I'm in Wisconsin, maybe a tasty cocktail. 

What's the biggest misconception people have about your position? 

That as a CIO, I can still fix one's computer. If anything, I'm more likely to do more harm than good, requiring escalation to a Level One technician! 

How did you maintain your wellness and resilience during the pandemic? Any tips to share with others? 

In response to an enough is enough moment, I took control of my diet with a popular food logging service and exercise daily. I'm still a work in progress but feeling great! The best advice I can offer is this: Always be moving and embrace the task of recording what you eat daily against a calorie goal. For me, it made a real difference in what I chose to eat each day. A diet would never work for me, instead, the gamification of my daily calorie target did wonders for my physical health. 

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

A truck driver, or possibly a firefighter. It was a close race. 

What do you do to turn things around when you're having a bad day? 

Try to remind myself of the best career (and life) advice I've ever received (Never get too high or too low). And if it's a really bad day, head out on the bike for a ride through our beautiful trails. 

If you could only have three apps on your smartphone, which would you pick? 

Accuweather, Noom, and my password manager (I cannot remember nearly any of them without it!) 

*** 

Say "hello" to David here in the community! Feel free to post any questions you have for her in this thread, or direct messages via the community as also a great way to connect. 

If you'd like to be featured in a future #MemberSpotlight post, reach out to Stephanie Weiner (that's me!) here via the community direct messaging feature.