What We Learned at CLPP: Designing the Future of Care, Together
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
What We Learned at CLPP: Designing the Future of Care, Together
By Leigh Williams, VP & CIO, Augusta Health
Last week, a multidisciplinary group of Augusta Health leaders traveled to MEDITECH’s headquarters in Foxboro, Massachusetts to participate in the Clinical Leadership Preparedness Program (CLPP)—a three-day, immersive learning experience designed to prepare us for our upcoming Expanse implementation.
We were joined by physician leaders, nurse leaders, technology and informatics experts, finance leadership, our pharmacy leader, and our quality leader—underscoring the collective ownership we’re bringing to this transformation.
CLPP wasn’t just about technology. It was about vision. About shaping a system that reflects who we are and where we’re headed. It was about reimagining care through the lens of our values and aligning every decision with our guiding principles.
Highlights That Aligned with Our Strategic Vision:
1. Human-Centered Design is Non-Negotiable
Whether we were analyzing workflows or brainstorming about the ideal problem list, one thing was clear: this system must reflect the real needs of patients and caregivers. We practiced journey mapping and explored how to standardize core processes while personalizing the experience—validating our principle to design with empathy, led by the front line.
2. Patient Journeys Are the Heart of Our Strategy
Our breakout sessions around maternity, primary care, and surgical procedure patient journeys emphasized the importance of connected, compassionate care. These aren’t just use cases—they’re opportunities to design seamless, dignified experiences that anticipate needs, eliminate confusion, and support healing across every touchpoint. Even our rudimentary journey maps pointed to many opportunities we’ll have along the way to improve our patients’ experiences with us.
3. Governance and Collaboration Will Make or Break Us
The conversations around governance weren’t theoretical—they were practical, candid, and rooted in real-life examples of what works and what doesn’t. The message was clear: successful transformation requires a shared decision-making model where clinicians, operations, IT, and support teams are aligned and accountable.
4. Data Must Power Better, Safer Decisions
Sessions on clinical decision support, data integrity, and health management systems showed us how data, when available at the right moment in the right format, can improve clinical outcomes and operational efficiency without creating burden. This reflects our commitment to delivering safe, high-quality care through informed decisions—and doing so in a way that doesn’t tether our team members to a screen.
5. Change Is Cultural, Not Just Technical
We spent time on communication, branding, and change readiness because those elements shape how people feel about the work ahead. If we don’t invest in preparing our teams emotionally and practically, we risk under-delivering on even the best-built system. Smart, sustainable transformation means attending to culture and communication just as much as to code and configuration. This blog is just one of the ways in which we’ll make this work transparent and participatory, comment below your thoughts on what you want to hear about in our communications. I’m listening.
As we return home, we’re not just more informed—we’re more united. We’ve strengthened relationships across disciplines and clarified what matters most as we prepare to reimagine care for our health system and our communities.
We have momentum, purpose, and clarity. And most importantly, we have each other.
Let’s keep building—together.
Leigh Williams, MHIIM, FHIMSS, CHCIO
Vice President & Chief Information Officer, Augusta Health
