Liz Peloso has experienced digital health from many sides. With roughly a decade’s experience as a practicing nurse, a decade in private sector health consulting, and a decade in global health, she can speak for multiple actors in this field.
In this episode, Liz recounts how technology has helped and hurt her work, as a neonatal intensive care nurse, as a clinical transformation consultant, and as a responder to the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia. In each chapter of her life, Liz shares key insights into the business of making change in healthcare.
Most recently, Liz was the Global Director for the Better Immunization Data (BID) Initiative, a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation project, to improve the collection and use of immunization data in sub-Saharan Africa. This included the development and implementation of electronic immunization registries in both Tanzania and Zambia. She has been a special advisor to the Ministry of Health in Rwanda overseeing the Rwanda Health Enterprise Architecture Project, which saw the successful implementation of a full Health Information Exchange. She worked as a senior manager in the National Health practice of a large consulting company, as well as for one of the largest EMR system vendors, before leaving to focus on Global Health exclusively.
Show Notes
- The Better Immunization Data (BID) Initiative is a multi-million dollar effort implemented by PATH and funded by the Gates Foundation. Liz was the Global Director of this program across multiple countries.
- Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) is the process whereby physicians enter instructions for treatment patient into a computer. When Liz entered the private sector, her first job was implementing CPOE in hospitals.
- Isolette: an isolette is a clear plastic enclosed crib that maintains a warm and sterile environment for a premature baby. Liz shares her frustrations working as a nurse in an overcrowded neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) when computers were introduced.
- Clinical Transformation is the continuous improvement of the way patient care is delivered at all levels in a care delivery organization. This is typically achieved through process redesign and IT implementation. Liz worked in the Clinical Transformation team as a Senior Consultant for Deloitte.
- Deloitte is a multinational consulting company. It is one of the four largest in the world, providing services ranging from accounting to technology implementation.
- McKesson Corporation: Liz also spent several years as a senior consultant at McKesson Corporation, an American company providing information technology, supplies, and pharmaceuticals. In 2020, McKesson was ranked 8 on the Fortune 500 rankings of the largest United States corporations.
- District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2) is an Open Source software tool used to collect and report on population-level health data
- Canadian University Service Overseas (Cuso): is a Canadian international development organization that connects skilled volunteers with service projects around the world. Cuso is the organization that allowed Liz to break into global health, through a pivotal placement in Sierra Leone.
- Banda Aceh, Indonesia was the closest major city to the epicenter of the 2004 tsunami caused by 9.2-magnitude earthquake in the Indian Ocean. This tsunami resulted in an estimated 230,000 deaths in 14 countries. Liz cites one particular facility in Aceh province as one of the success stories she has witnessed in digital health.