The partnership between clinical and technology leaders is essential to modern healthcare, but it’s rarely simple. While “alignment” and “collaboration” are the goals, daily realities like shifting priorities and organizational barriers can make teamwork challenging. Clinical and IT leaders must bridge different perspectives and communication styles to drive the best results for patients and care teams.
Susan Grant, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, Chief Clinical Officer at symplr, and Theresa Meadows, RN, MS, Chief Information Officer in Residence at symplr, have each spent decades in healthcare leadership, beginning their careers as nurses and later shaping major health systems from both clinical and IT standpoints. Their experiences have underscored a universal truth: “Building a successful partnership isn’t automatic; it takes deliberate effort, genuine connection, and a shared commitment to better patient care,” notes Grant.
Their insights shed light on what makes clinical and IT collaborations thrive, how trust is built, and why nurturing these bonds is a non-negotiable for the future of care.
Moving beyond silos: the foundation of trust
For years, clinical operations and technology existed on opposite sides of the organization, with IT often viewed as mere support and clinical teams as the end-users. That line of thinking, however, is long outdated. Today, technology is central to patient care, and a strong connection between the CIO and clinical leaders, such as the CNO, is essential.
This partnership, when modeled by senior leaders, can have a profound effect throughout the organization. “When clinical and IT leaders collaborate, it cascades through to their teams,” says Grant. “It helps frontline staff see technology not as something being done to them, but as a tool being developed with them.”
How can organizations build this foundation? According to Meadows, intentional, ongoing communication is key: “In my previous role, I made it a point to have one-on-one meetings with clinical leaders, whether we had an active project or not. It’s about maintaining the connection and understanding the challenges they face. We in IT aren’t at the bedside every day, so we have to be deliberate about learning their world.”
Grant agrees, recalling, “I invited my CIO to round with me on the clinical units. That was transformative. We each saw the environment through our unique lenses, and by sharing those perspectives, we built mutual respect.”
It’s personal: the human element
Successful partnerships go beyond business. Understanding the person behind the title fosters trust, and trust is what leaders draw on when hard conversations or unpopular decisions arise.
“You need to build a personal relationship,” explains Meadows. “Ask about their family, their hobbies. Sharing a meal or grabbing a drink after a tough day can make a huge difference.” She notes these small moments help people connect on a human level, which is essential “when things get challenging.”
Grant has seen the impact of personal connection firsthand. “My last CIO and I discovered we both loved Indian food. He invited me to a group he called ‘In Search of the Best Indian Restaurant’. I still join them regularly. It’s fun, but more importantly, you become honest and supportive colleagues.” Sometimes, a small courtesy can make a lasting impact. “He also used to bring me homemade cinnamon buns, and that small gesture became a powerful connection point,” she adds.
Navigating conflict & finding common ground
Even the strongest relationships face periods of friction or contention. Success in these moments is defined not just by the solution, but by how leaders work together through the challenge.
Grant recalls a challenging implementation at her former hospital: “We rolled out iPhones for clinical communication, but when I was rounding, nurses showed me a problem—pop-ups from a bed management application overrode the clinical communication tool, creating a patient safety issue. The help desk ticket sat in a queue, unheard.” This experience exposed the dangers of working in silos and taught both leaders and staff that “it wasn’t an IT problem or a nursing problem, it was an organizational one.” In the aftermath, processes were overhauled to ensure clinical teams were involved at every stage of IT projects.
Meadows shares another example: “Sometimes the CIO is in the hot seat for directives from higher up. Our CEO wanted virtual nursing implemented. Instead of just pushing the project onto the CNO, we partnered to design something that supported her nursing vision and met the organization’s goals.” Without an established relationship, this could have felt adversarial. But because trust and collaboration were already in place, they succeeded together. “It wouldn’t have happened so smoothly without that pre-existing foundation,” she says.
How to Build Strong Clinical-IT Partnerships
Experts share their candid insights
The power of empathy
Empathy is about truly understanding another leader’s world, which is something both Grant and Meadows consider essential for partnership.
“I can’t stress this enough for IT leaders,” says Meadows, “Go see the work. Rounding, observing a shift, or joining clinical meetings is invaluable. You can’t fully appreciate the nurse’s role—juggling labs, pharmacy, doctors, and patient care—until you witness it. That insight leads to solutions that actually help.”
From the clinical side, Grant adds perspective: “While our top priority is always the patient in front of us, the CIO is juggling ‘number one’ priorities from every part of the organization. Anesthesia wants something, radiology wants something else.” She recalls an “aha” moment when she first saw the IT capital budget: “It became clear that the entire executive team has to come together and help set enterprise-wide priorities so IT isn’t left trying to sort through competing demands alone.”
The art of compromise & inclusion
Great executive teams know how to compromise. Sometimes what seems most important to one leader must take a back seat for the greater good. This give-and-take only happens when trust and perspective are present.
Their central advice is simple, yet powerful:
- Be deliberate: Don’t wait for a project to create connection. Schedule regular check-ins and make time for informal conversations.
- Get personal: Find common ground outside of work. “Small gestures, like knowing someone’s favorite coffee, go a long way,” says Meadows.
- Practice inclusion: More voices at the table make for better decisions. “Break down silos and invite cross-functional partners into your discussions early and often,” Grant recommends.
Grant and Meadows agree: the relationship between clinical and IT leaders isn’t just a working partnership, it’s a strategic imperative. By approaching it intentionally, with warmth and humanity, they believe organizations can drive better patient outcomes and create a better environment for those who care for them.
