Name: Sandip Kumar
Title: Executive Director and Chief Digital Officer
Company: Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service
Commenced role: August 2020
Reporting line: Chief Executive Officer
Member of the executive team: Yes
Technology Function: 250 full-time, and 20 direct reports
 
In times of unprecedented change, challenge and rapid scientific and technological advances, Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service (GCHSS) through its chief digital officer Sandip Kumar’s leadership reimagines the way healthcare is delivered for the organisation.

Kumar and the teams he established (digital experience, transformation advisory, transformation delivery, innovation services, data science and operations) have been quick to seize the opportunity, to mainstream innovation that not only impacts patients locally, but the system more broadly.

This has been through cloud native products built locally, that are scaling beyond, or through technology innovation collaborations that are validating and adding new features to bleeding edge applications that will help them solidify their position in the market.

From emergency departments to outpatients and from surgery to ICU care, these innovations have been carried out in a rapid but clinically safe way often backed up by solid clinical research, patient consent, privacy, and cyber security.
 
This also includes the rolling out AI enabled Ambient Listening across 20 different specialties – first of its kind in any public sector in Australia.
 
This initiative is expected to take a huge time out of operations in terms of delays in care continuum by same day delivery of information back to the primary care, reduce cognitive
burden from the clinicians, improve quality and safety of consults, documentation and overall improve health services efficiency and patient outcomes.


Another initiative introduced by Kumar is Rapid Access Services (G-RAS) solution developed through Foxo. This service offers a unified and secure channel of communication for the patients avoiding unwarranted Emergency Admissions in General Medicine.
 
“The solution will also be rolled out to rheumatology and cancer services,” says Kumar. “Using a QR code, known patients can engage the service through secure and asynchronous, two-way messaging, file sharing, and voice or video calls directly with roles within the department.”

Kumar also initiated a clinical research implementation trial in partnership with Beamtree using their ADI score based on ML model for identifying patient deterioration in the inpatient environment.
 
The solution alerts based a continuous stream of inpatient data detecting deterioration 12 to 36 hours in advance. This innovation is expected to better patient outcomes and avoid
expensive ICU admissions.
 
Future of the workforce


Collectively these innovations sponsored and driven by Kumar in alignment with Gold Coast Health Strategic Plan are shaping the future of our workforce development, fostering a culture of innovation in health care delivery.
 
Since joining GCHHS in 2020, his role has expanded to cover clinical research in addition to strategy, planning, transformation, digital, information, infrastructure and major capital.
 
This is a portfolio that results in various Executive Directors reporting into him, and a breadth of influence that makes change happen, from top floor to the shop floor.


The approach taken by Kumar to enable innovation, and digital transformation backed by clinical research is based on a multi-layered and disciplined engagement with GCHHS Board, the executive leadership team, chief executive officers of its strategic partners, clinical leaders, and other key though leaders across the organisation and
industry.
 
Connecting with key stakeholders
 
Kumar demonstrates deep understanding of the needs of the key stakeholders and can connect with them in addressing their objectives and concerns.
 
As a member of the executive leadership team, he reports at board meetings on key digital transformation and innovation initiatives including their benefits and key priorities.
 
He also provides regular presentations and updates at various industry events as a guest speaker and chairs panels on emerging technologies such as AI in healthcare, digital workflows, robotic process automation, interoperability, advanced data analytics,
and web transformation.

Kumar chairs several key committees that have been established to oversee the extensive innovation and transformation agenda across the entire organisation, including the transformation oversight committee where all C-suite members, including
the CEO attend this monthly cadence.
 
“The methodology adopted to drive transformation is as per the industry best practice starting from problem definition, into ideation, design, delivery, transition and sustainability,” he says.
 
“These governance structures and processes ensure that
the initiatives are measured and monitored and are not only set up for success and celebrated, but also are sustained and deliver real benefits.”

Maintaining interest in divisional activities

Kumar also introduced internal strategy, and planning meets and showcase events which engage all staff, create awareness of this initiative and drives adoption by discussing ‘what’s new’, ‘what’s coming’ or ‘what should we think about’ with aspects of digital transformation.

By changing the organisational culture, bringing in customer centricity and inculcating product mindset, he has been able to influence people and win friends in driving digital innovation and transformation agenda for GCHHS at speed and at scale.
 
“These initiatives have shown to other HHSs [hospital and healthcare services] the art of
possible and many other health services are now showing keen interest in either buying GCHHS solutions or emulating,” he says.