VP & Chief Digital Innovation Officer in Galveston, Texas at University of Texas Medical Branch

Summary:

The Vice President and Chief Digital Innovation Officer will serve as the executive leader responsible for designing, implementing, and optimizing UTMB Health's enterprise-wide digital consumer engagement strategy. This leader will oversee the development of a seamless, integrated, and patient-centered digital experience across all access points, enabling patients, families, referring providers, students, researchers, and community members to easily connect with UTMB's academic, clinical, and research missions.

The VP will partner closely with executive leadership, clinical operations, marketing and communications, information services, ambulatory leadership, patient access, and faculty leaders to create a cohesive digital ecosystem that enhances access, improves patient satisfaction, drives growth, and supports UTMB's strategic goals as a leading academic medical center.

The VP will develop and execute the digital front door strategy for UTMB's health system and academic enterprise by aligning digital access, consumer engagement, virtual care, analytics, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies to create a seamless, personalized experience that advances patient access, operational excellence, and strategic growth.

This executive will lead initiatives spanning digital scheduling, online registration, patient portals, virtual care, consumer navigation, mobile applications, referral management, digital marketing integration, contact centers, AI-enabled engagement tools, and emerging consumer technologies. The role requires a deep understanding of healthcare consumerism, patient access, digital transformation, clinical operations, and experience design.

The ideal candidate is a visionary yet practical leader who can translate consumer expectations into measurable operational improvements while ensuring an exceptional digital experience across UTMB's hospitals, ambulatory network, academic programs, and statewide service lines.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute UTMB Health's enterprise Digital Front Door strategy aligned with organizational growth, patient experience, access, and academic missions.
• Establish a comprehensive roadmap for digital access and engagement across all patient and consumer touchpoints.
• Identify and prioritize high-value initiatives that improve access, increase market share, strengthen referral capture, and enhance patient loyalty.

Consumer Experience & Access

• Create a seamless omnichannel experience across web, mobile, contact center, patient portal, virtual care, and in-person access points.
• Improve digital scheduling, registration, wayfinding, referrals, patient communications, and self-service capabilities.
• Lead efforts to reduce friction throughout the patient journey from initial search to ongoing care management.
• Ensure digital experiences reflect the needs of diverse patient populations and support health equity initiatives.

Digital Platform Management

• Provide executive oversight for digital engagement platforms, patient portals, mobile applications, virtual care technologies, CRM systems, and consumer-facing technologies.
• Partner with Information Services and clinical leadership to integrate digital solutions into operational and clinical workflows.
• Ensure interoperability and alignment with Epic and enterprise technology platforms.

Growth & Business Development

• Collaborate with strategy, marketing, physician relations, and service line leaders to drive consumer acquisition, retention, and loyalty.
• Utilize consumer insights, analytics, and market intelligence to inform digital engagement strategies.
• Support growth initiatives through digital referral optimization, online access enhancements, and targeted patient engagement programs.

Innovation & Emerging Technology

• Evaluate and implement innovative digital solutions, including AI-enabled consumer engagement tools, virtual assistants, intelligent scheduling, remote monitoring platforms, and personalized digital experiences.
• Partner with the Office of the Chief AI Officer and Information Services leadership to identify opportunities for responsible deployment of emerging technologies that enhance access and consumer engagement.
• Monitor healthcare consumer trends and emerging digital capabilities to ensure UTMB remains a leader in digital health innovation.

Governance & Performance Management

• Establish governance structures, policies, and performance standards for digital consumer engagement initiatives.
• Develop metrics and dashboards to measure consumer adoption, access improvement, digital utilization, patient satisfaction, conversion rates, and operational impact.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, privacy, cybersecurity, accessibility, and patient safety requirements.

Change Management & Organizational Alignment

• Lead enterprise adoption efforts and drive organizational alignment around digital transformation initiatives.
• Build partnerships with physicians, faculty, operational leaders, and frontline teams to ensure successful implementation and sustained utilization.
• Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic Vision and Innovation
• Consumer-Centered Design
• Academic Health System Collaboration
• Data-Driven Decision Making
• Executive Influence and Relationship Building
• Digital Transformation Leadership
• Operational Excellence
• Change Leadership
• Financial Stewardship
• Continuous Improvement

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master's degree in healthcare administration, business administration, health informatics, information systems, marketing, communications, digital strategy, or a related field plus ten (10) or more years of progressive leadership experience in healthcare operations, digital health, consumer engagement, patient access, digital transformation, or healthcare technology.
• Experience leading large-scale enterprise initiatives across hospitals, ambulatory clinics, academic health systems, or integrated delivery networks.
• Demonstrated knowledge of patient access, referral management, digital consumer engagement, patient experience, and healthcare operations.
• Experience working collaboratively with executive leadership, physicians, faculty, administrators, and technology teams.
• Strong understanding of healthcare consumer behavior, digital experience design, change management, and performance improvement.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience leading Digital Front Door strategies within an academic medical center, integrated health system, or large healthcare organization.
• Experience with Epic MyChart, CRM platforms, patient engagement technologies, consumer analytics platforms, call center technologies, and virtual care solutions.
• Knowledge of digital marketing, consumer acquisition strategies, referral optimization, and patient journey mapping.
• Experience implementing AI-enabled patient engagement tools, intelligent scheduling solutions, virtual assistants, chatbots, and personalized digital experiences.
• Familiarity with interoperability standards, including FHIR, HL7, APIs, identity management, and healthcare data integration.
• Understanding of healthcare privacy, accessibility standards, cybersecurity requirements, HIPAA regulations, and digital governance frameworks.
• Experience presenting strategic initiatives and outcomes to executive leadership, governing boards, academic leadership, and clinical committees.

Equal Employment Opportunity

UTMB Health strives to provide equal opportunity employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state or local laws unless such distinction is required by law. As a Federal Contractor, UTMB Health takes affirmative action to hire and advance protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.