Transforming IT Into a Reliable Service for a Critical Access Hospital & Health System
A rapidly growing Oregon rural health organization faced the need to stabilize its IT environment, strengthen its departmental structure, and realign technology priorities with system‑wide goals. Paula served as a strategic advisor and interim IT leader, helping guide the organization through a period of substantial operational and technical transformation. This engagement was delivered through Paula’s role with Pivot Point Consulting.
Key contributions included:
Leading and managing all IT department resources, while establishing operational governance processes and improving coordination across teams
Rearchitecting the IT organizational model, including reclassifying roles, adding key positions, and coaching staff to build capability and confidence
Managing the IT budget and developing a defensible three‑year financial plan tied to organizational priorities
Remediating severe technical debt that had compromised telecommunications and system uptime across nearly all core systems
Conducting a comprehensive IT assessment and delivering a three‑year roadmap spanning staffing, cybersecurity, technical debt, system strategy, and operational efficiency
Elevating cybersecurity readiness, aligning the organization with emerging federal rural hospital programs and strengthening business continuity planning
Identifying system optimization opportunities across ambulatory, hospital, revenue cycle, and patient engagement workflows
Embedding DevOps and continuous improvement practices to enhance collaboration, automation, and service quality
This work transformed Good Shepherd’s IT foundation, created a modernized organizational structure, and delivered a practical, forward‑looking roadmap that positions the health system for long‑term operational and technological success.
