New unified IT structure will serve Emory University and Emory Healthcare

Information technology functions for Emory University and Emory Healthcare will be unified into one organization. The new division, to take shape over the coming months, aims to streamline technology, data and digital infrastructures under a single IT umbrella.

An external assessment informed the creation of the unified IT structure, which will be led by an enterprise chief information and digital officer - reporting directly to Emory's executive vice presidents.

Alistair Erskine, who joined Emory in March 2023 as chief information and digital officer for Emory Healthcare and vice president of digital health for Emory University, has been appointed to the new position of enterprise chief information and digital officer.

"In this role, I intend to create a single entity focused on enhancing the IT experience of our internal and external customers across Emory," says Erskine. "The immediate focus is to harmonize legacy structures like the Office of Information Technology (OIT) and Emory Healthcare's Emory Digital to greatly enhance customers' digital experience."

The need for a new structure has become apparent in recent years, as Emory's IT leaders sought to resolve issues such as fragmented service delivery, differences in funding, technology barriers and variations in culture, expectations and benefits between the IT functions of Emory University and Emory Healthcare.

"Our efforts were not consistent with the One Emory mission," says Erskine. "Our goal is to create a seamless customer experience, simplifying access to IT resources while increasing security and reducing risk to the enterprise."

Phased approach to implementing new structure

A design team consisting of members from OIT and Emory Digital is currently working to create the new organization. "We anticipate that the new unified IT will go into effect in the coming months," says John Ellis, interim enterprise CIO.

Utilizing a three-phased approach, the new organization will be fully realized in about a year. Phase 1 centers on determining the organizational structure and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31. Phase 2 involves implementation and should be completed in four to seven months. Phase 3 is the optimization phase in which end-users will begin to experience measurable improvements.

A few aspirational goals of the new organization include:

• Service delivery enhancements: Enhancing service delivery by targeting same- or next-day laptop delivery and modernizing A/V setups in all conference rooms.
• Identity and access management: Creating a unified EmoryID to streamline access across the enterprise, eliminating the need for separate IDs.
• Digital transformation initiatives: Implementing a digital maturity model to identify missing applications and remove duplicates, migrating to a modern enterprise resource planning platform, and establishing a unified data platform to improve application efficiency and data access.
• Technology adoption and infrastructure: Promoting the adoption of underutilized Microsoft tools and migrating infrastructure to Microsoft Azure while maintaining other cloud services.

The unified IT structure will offer a single point of contact for all services, which will be particularly advantageous for those who work across both university and health care settings. By streamlining operations, the goal is to ensure the fastest response to customers'needs.

Stakeholders will be informed as changes and improvement are implemented. Additionally, there will be a mechanism for feedback so IT leaders can continue to refine and enhance services based on stakeholders' insights.

Combining university and health care IT expertise

Over the next three months, Erskine will work closely with the unified IT design team to complete the organization's structure.

OIT staff serving on the team include Kim Braxton, senior director of academic technology services; John Connerat, associate CIO for infrastructure and cloud architecture; and Dana Haggas, associate CIO for enterprise applications and customer services. Emory Digital members are Jigar Kadakia, vice president and chief information security officer; Nitu Kashyap, vice president and chief health informatics officer; and Jennifer Orlow, vice president for digital experience and operations.

"Our new IT organization is not just about technology; it's about empowering our community through seamless access, innovative solutions and a commitment to collaboration," says Erskine. "Together, we will build a future where every member of Emory can thrive in a digitally connected environment."

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