The CDO Role Isn’t a Solo Career, it Takes a Village — Lifepoint Health CDAO

(US & Canada) Chris Hutchins, SVP, Chief Data and Analytics Officer at Lifepoint Health, speaks with Todd Foley, CISO at Lydonia, in a video interview about measuring the success or impact of technologies like AI and selecting high-impact use cases that better the efficiency of the workforce.

Hutchins emphasizes the importance of taking a deliberate and thoughtful approach to measuring the success and impact of AI technologies. He highlights the challenges of evaluating not only the effectiveness and impact but also the suitability of different AI tools. One key difficulty lies in coordinating the involvement of multiple groups in the evaluation, support, and deployment processes.

Reflecting on a specific example, Hutchins notes that some measures, such as tracking the number of tickets opened and closed, provide limited insight. While such metrics indicate activity, they fail to capture meaningful outcomes, such as the number of patients treated or the complexity of cases managed. This underscores the necessity of identifying the right measures that truly reflect meaningful impact.

Hutchins acknowledges that the process is complex and requires contributions from individuals whose primary roles may not involve designing measurement frameworks. Their expertise, however, is essential to ensure that decisions are well-informed. While this collaborative effort can be time-consuming and may feel outside certain participants’ areas of expertise, it is critical to establish metrics that can drive actionable insights and meaningful improvements.

Sharing advice for fellow data leaders, Hutchins emphasizes the importance of fostering a proactive and collaborative mindset, urging leaders to focus on identifying opportunities that can drive efficiency and reduce repetitive, time-consuming tasks. He encourages CDOs to champion initiatives that allow teams, such as analysts, to focus on meaningful work rather than being bogged down by routine data wrangling.

According to Hutchins, while compliance challenges will always require attention, prioritizing solutions that create tangible value should be a primary goal. He highlights the need for cross-functional collaboration, trusting colleagues, and leaning on networks for support. For CDOs, building allies within their organizations can amplify their impact and accelerate progress.

Ultimately, Hutchins underscores the collective responsibility of leaders across industries to responsibly harness emerging capabilities to drive meaningful improvements for organizations and society.

CDO Magazine appreciates Chris Hutchins for sharing his insights with our global community.