Lessons from McLaren Health Care on Delivering Healthcare IT That Works

What does it take to manage IT across 13-plus hospitals; rapidly, responsibly, and always with the patient in mind? In this episode of The CereCore Podcast, Phil Sobol sits down with Tiffany Laurenz, Vice President of IT Delivery Operations at McLaren Health Care, for a candid conversation about the realities of leading a large, complex health system's technology operations. From her early days as a billing clerk at a small Michigan software firm to overseeing enterprise IT across one of Michigan's largest integrated health systems, Tiffany brings nearly 24 years of experience, and a deeply practical, people-first perspective, to every challenge McLaren faces. She talks openly about the decision to move toward a hybrid outsourcing model and how a service desk transition she expected to be turbulent became the smoothest change she'd ever seen. This conversation is for healthcare leaders who want insight on IT governance, the business case for strategic partnerships, and what it means to connect every line of infrastructure work back to the patient. Key topics include: - Leading IT delivery across a large, distributed health system - McLaren's evolution from full outsourcing to a hybrid IT model - How the CereCore service desk partnership came together, and why it stuck - Aligning IT strategy with patient care and organizational goals - What transparency and accountability look like in a vendor partnership - Leadership lessons from a Stevie Award finalist