Background and Objective:
After completing a very successful Electronic Health Record(EHR) system implementation, Maria Russo, OU Health Chief Information Officer,
and the OU Health Enterprise Technology Solutions (ETS) team engaged MTS to
improve their ability to select, prioritize and manage the growing number of
strategic and departmental projects being considered to enhance OU Health’s tripartite
mission in leading patient care, education and research as Oklahoma’s flagship
academic healthcare system.
The ETS team has evolved from a purely maintenance-focused andcrisis-responsive role to a proactive force driving strategic initiatives. It engaged
MTS to lead the strategic alignment of the Project Management Office (PMO)
processes with OU Health’s clinical and business objectives. MTS engaged proven
PMO leadership to assess the current vs. desired state of project governance, performance
and resource management.
Approach:
The MTS PMO leader assessed the current state and developeda desired future state by proposing improved skills, processes and tools. The
improvement plan identified and prioritized opportunities along six[AS1] dimensions: Intake & Estimation, Governance Decision-making, Project
Management Methodology, Portfolio Visibility, Resource Management and Benefits
Realization. Implementing these changes required establishing new governance
structures to provide a consolidated, enterprise-wide portfolio view to make informed
prioritization decisions. Additionally, a portfolio and resource management
tool were implemented to streamline and optimize resource allocation.
Challenges and Innovative Solutions:
Challenge 1: Portfolio Governance
The existing PMO structure and process were focused on project management, not
overall enterprise governance. The underdeveloped governance process hindered
efforts to align ETS with organizational priorities and to measure the value of
strategic initiatives. In coordination with OU Health leaders, MTS designed an
end-to-end, enterprise-wide governance process. Combining leaders in clinical
and operational management, the revised process enables organizational leaders
to prioritize new initiatives given the current commitments and resources
available and to focus scarce resources on the project business cases with the
highest expected return.
Challenge 2: Resource Management
To ensure the right resources were assigned to the right projects at the right
time, MTS leadership oversaw the implementation of an integrated portfolio and
resource management tool. This tool helps support resource allocation and
governance decision-making. By creating a unified platform for projects and
resource assignments, project managers, resource managers, and senior leaders gained
visibility into schedules and resource demands, enabling forecasting and
planning around identified constraints.
Challenge 3: Project Management and Reporting
To address the need for consistent quality of project management across the
enterprise, a standardized set of project artifacts was developed and tailored to
the size and complexity of each project. The adoption of the integrated PPM
tool further facilitated consistency in how projects are managed and reported. Additionally,
project leaders were assigned to specific technology and/or organizational
domains, enhancing domain expertise on a consistent basis. This alignment
improved PM understanding of their assigned projects and fosters stronger working
relationships with assigned departments.
Impact and Outcomes:
The successful completion of the PMO process improvementprogram led by MTS enabled OU Health enterprise-wide visibility to all projects
and requests. Additionally, OU Health implemented a robust process for
reviewing current and new requests to ensure alignment to clinical and business
objectives, achieved consistency in project performance, resulting in improved clarity
on resource requirements throughout the project life cycle.
Customer Quote:
Maria Russo, OU Health Chief Information Officer providedthe following feedback on working with MTS:
“Guy Wolf from MTS significantlyimpacted the transformation of the OU Health Project Management Office. His expertise enabled the implementationof essential processes and tools, leading to enhanced enterprise-wide visibility, improved resource management and project performance tracking. As a result, the OU Health Enterprise Technology Solutions team now operates beyond reactionary or maintenance functions. We are more efficient and strategic in aligning technology projects with clinical and business objectives and providing innovative technology solutions and trusted advice to our leaders which is vital
for delivering the best care to Oklahomans as a top-tier academic health system.”
OU HEALTH
OU Health is the state’s only comprehensive academichealth system of hospitals, clinics and centers of excellence. The flagship academic healthcare system is the clinicalpartner of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences, one of the most comprehensive academic and research campuses in the country. With 10,000 employees and more than 1,300 physicians andadvanced practice providers, OU Health is home to Oklahoma’s largest doctor network with a complete range of specialty care. OU Health serves Oklahoma and the region with the state’s only comprehensive children’s hospital, Oklahoma’s only National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center, OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, and Oklahoma’s flagship hospital, which serves as the state’s only Level 1 trauma center. In its most recent rankings, U.S. News& World Report ranked OU Health University of Oklahoma Medical CenterHigh Performing in Lung, Ovarian and Prostate Cancer Surgery as well as Stroke, Kidney Failure and COPD and OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center as the Best Hospital for Cancer Care in Oklahoma. Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health
was named a Top 50 Children’s Hospital for Pediatric Cardiology & Heart Surgery and Pediatric Gastroenterology & GI Surgery.To learn more, visit ouhealth.com.