Intermountain Health names new Chief Digital and Information Officer

After an extensive national search, Intermountain Health has selected a familiar face as its new Chief Digital and Information Officer.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
Ryan Smith, who served in various senior IT leadership roles at the Salt Lake City healthcare system for nearly two decades – including a separate, more recent stint as Chief Information Officer there from 2020 to 2022 – will take over as CDIO beginning in 2025.

Smith is currently interim president and CEO at Graphite Health, a nonprofit organization of healthcare systems, including Intermountain, working to create “a common digital language” for healthcare data across the information ecosystem.

Smith began his career at Intermountain in the mid-1990s, where he spent nearly two decades in various data, networking and technology roles before leaving in 2013 as CIO at Phoenix-based Banner Health.

After five years, he worked as a senior VP and advisor at analytics firm Health Catalyst before returning as CIO of Intermountain during the pandemic. He worked at Graphite Health for the past three years.

As the new CDIO at Intermountain, Ryan will report directly to Dan Liljenquist, Chief Strategy Officer. He will also be a member of the Enterprise Leadership Team.

Smith will lead Intermountain’s Digital Technology Services (DTS), including DTS Operations, Digital Services, Data Services, Clinical Informatics, Information Security and Information Technology. Leaders from each team report directly to Smith and remain members of the DTS Leadership Team.

ON THE RECORD
“This opportunity means a lot to me,” said Smith. “I am excited about the opportunity to make healthcare an easier and safer experience for patients, members and healthcare providers alike.”

“I am confident that Ryan is the right leader to help Intermountain successfully navigate both opportunities and obstacles as a model health system in the complex world of healthcare that lies ahead,” said Rob Allen, president and CEO of Intermountain Health. “He will lead DTS in support of our mission, vision and strategy to simplify, expand proactive care and improve the healthcare experience for our providers, patients, members and communities.”