July Member Spotlight featuring Joanne Burns
Joanne Burns is a Board and C-level healthcare, business, and technology leader with strategic and operational leadership experience at companies ranging from early-stage start-up to Fortune 500. Her senior leadership roles include Chief Strategy Officer of Cerner Corporation and Chief Information Officer at University of Missouri Health Care. She is currently on the Board of Directors of Availity and Innara Health. Availity is a PE backed Revenue Cycle Management company. Innara is a NICU medical device start-up. She is the Management Board Vice-Chair of SNOMED, an international healthcare standards organization. Joanne is a seasoned operator with unique ability to define strategy, linking mission to outcomes through clearly defined plan and execution.
How did you become an executive in the health care industry? Did you always have an interest in health care?
I started my career as a Registered Nurse. I enjoyed patient care and was always looking for ways to improve care and outcomes. While a nurse, I had the opportunity to partner with companies piloting new technology or devices. This made me realize that these companies needed people with experience delivering care so they could understand the needs and challenges. I rapidly transitioned from bedside care to operations and then IT while working at Stanford University Medical Center. I then went to Cerner as an executive in order to improve the experience for all providers.
During your time as Chief Strategy Officer with Cerner Corporation, there was a shift in focus from traditional EMR to patient wellness and improving care outcomes. How did you balance supporting innovation and execution during this time of major change?
Cerner anticipated that healthcare was shifting it’s focus from care to health. Their global experience helped them prepare for this shift as countries throughout the world lead in balancing wellness and illness in their populations. Cerner was fortunate to be entrepreneurial at heart with innovation as a core part of the culture and mission. The leadership team assesses what they call the “now and the next” so that day-to-day execution is in balance with future-focused innovation.
You sit on multiple boards and attended the WBL Board Program last year. How has your outlook on board search and service changed after participating in the program?
The program brought together many women from different backgrounds. It reminded me that we all have something to contribute to the companies and organizations we are engaged with regarding board service. The program helped me realize that board service can take many forms and that establishing a personal plan and executing it is critical to your success in finding the right board seat(s) for you.
As a board member, how have you supported and collaborated with company management in regards to COVID-19?
COVID-19 has caused the ground to shift under everyone’s feet. CEOs and leadership teams need to be agile and recognize that the best-laid plans need to be reassessed regularly and adapted to meet the changing landscape. As a board member, it is important to understand and support changes in strategy/execution as well as provide expertise and insight into what the executive team needs to be considering as they assess the path forward.
Personally or professionally, what might the WBL network be surprised to know about you?
My career has been one of taking advantage of opportunities as they presented themselves. I could never have charted the career path that I find myself on now. As a young RN, I would never have imagined being a Chief Strategy Officer of a Fortune 500 company or being a Board member of well-established companies. As new, challenging roles presented themselves, I took the jobs which usually had a fair amount of risk, and they worked out. I encourage people, especially women, to take the risk, trust yourself and have confidence in yourself to take on a role or job you wouldn’t normally consider.
