CIO50 Australia 2024: Alan Pritchard, Austin Health

Name: Alan Pritchard
Title: Director EMR and ICT Services
Company: Austin Health
Commenced role:  March 2018
Reporting line: Chief Information and Services Officer
Member of the executive team: No
Technology Function: 90 IT staff (67 permanent plus contractors), 6 direct reports
 
 
Since taking on the role of Director of EMR and ICT Services at Austin Health in March 2018, Alan Pritchard has established himself as a proactive leader, deeply engaged in improving patient care and hospital operations. His focus extends beyond just the technical aspects of his role—he seeks to understand the patient experience from both the perspective of the patients themselves and the clinicians who provide care.
 
Pritchard consistently looks for ways to repurpose existing enterprise platforms to streamline processes, enhance communication, and free up clinicians’ time for direct patient care. His approach to leadership involves participating in various hospital and statewide committees and working groups. Perhaps more significantly, he is always accessible for quick, informal conversations—whether it’s someone asking, “Can we do this?” or “How do we make this work?” He is known for his collaborative spirit, working with peers across the hospital, state, and even nationwide.
 
He finds these interactions invaluable for understanding staff challenges and for guiding their problem-solving approaches. “Engaging broadly within Austin Health, with other public health services, and with the Department of Health has helped me understand the common challenges and needs of public health services around Victoria,” says Pritchard. This engagement has positioned him to support the Department of Health in realizing its vision of a single statewide enterprise-grade CRM.
 
Streamlining Processes and Reporting
 
Under Pritchard’s leadership, Austin Health’s IT team implemented Microsoft Dynamics CRM, deploying CRM applications across the health service and seven other Victorian health services (HS). “The CRM apps offer standardised, efficient, and repeatable digital processes,” explains Pritchard. “They simplify staff workflows, reduce processing times, and eliminate errors.”
 
At Austin Health, the CRM integrates seamlessly with the Patient Administration System (PAS), Oracle Health’s electronic medical record (EMR), and the scanned medical record (SMR). Other health services have integrated the CRM with their respective PAS systems.
 
One of the standout applications is the Austin Health Virtual Ward, which monitors patients remotely. The CRM is used to onboard patients, assign remote monitoring devices, and manage their care throughout their at-home monitoring period. The system integrates five devices from two manufacturers, with plans to add a third.
 
Patient data is accessible via the CRM and is also sent to the EMR twice daily, with additional data points pushed to the EMR as needed. Multi-party video calls between patients and care teams are facilitated via Microsoft Teams and Outlook’s calendar feature. This allows staff to manage all Hospital in the Home (HITH) patients from a single platform, regardless of their clinical condition or the monitoring devices being used.
 
The Department of Health recognized the value of this CRM platform and expanded its deployment across multiple health services. “This project has introduced efficient digital processes at Austin Health and leveraged economies of scale to provide standardized workflows and outcomes across Victoria,” says Pritchard. The result is a consistent digital experience for consumers statewide.
 
Leadership and Influence
 
Pritchard’s leadership extends beyond Austin Health, as demonstrated by his roles as the Technical Director of the metropolitan CRM program, Chair of the HIE Technical Advisory Group, and, until February 2024, Chair of the Northeast Melbourne Health Service Partnership Technical Oversight Group. These roles illustrate his influence at the highest levels of health technology leadership.
 
His open, collaborative approach enhances his leadership, as he shares knowledge with anyone working to improve clinical and patient experiences through digital solutions. In the past year, he has met with executives, digital leaders, and clinicians from nearly a dozen health agencies. He has also participated in a University of Melbourne-led digital health collaborative and joined several industry-led workshops to discuss digital strategy and transformation initiatives.
 
Pritchard’s vision and leadership continue to shape the future of digital health, both within Austin Health and across Victoria, driving forward innovative solutions to improve care delivery and operational efficiency.