Skillnet's Mike Kritzman on Building Competency Models for Healthcare Success

ITML Institute's Eric Bloom on the IT Leadership Leap: Mentors, Mindset, and the AI Moment

In this episode of The Vurge, host and Divurgent COO and President Wendy Hoffman sits down with Eric Bloom, Executive Director of the IT Management and Leadership Institute (ITML Institute) and a former CTO—to unpack what it really takes for technologists to move into management and leadership roles. Bloom explains why many IT professionals are promoted simply for being the “best techie,” then find themselves in a job they were never trained to do—one that requires letting go of hands-on work, delegating effectively, and finding fulfillment through the success of the team. Bloom lays out key growth areas for new and aspiring IT leaders: interpersonal communication and emotional intelligence; “interprofessional” skills like conflict resolution, negotiation, and difficult conversations; business understanding of the industry and stakeholders; the business of IT (budgeting, vendor management, service catalogs, user experience, and customer service); and executive presence that helps IT earn a seat at the strategy table. A recurring theme is mentorship. Bloom argues it’s the single most important accelerator for leadership growth, because management is learned faster with guidance than through trial-and-error alone. Looking forward, the conversation highlights how leaders must adapt to multi-generational teams, shifting expectations about purpose and work-life balance, and the realities of leading hybrid workforces. Bloom also emphasizes designing healthcare technology with the full patient population in mind, sharing an example of a well-built prescription app that failed users because it wasn’t accessible to many older patients. Finally, the pair discuss AI as a fast-moving set of distinct capabilities (not “one thing”) and the challenge of choosing tools wisely amid hype, consolidation, and long-term platform risk—reinforcing the need for strong governance, change management, and leadership fundamentals as IT modernizes. Follow us on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/divurgent], Twitter [https://twitter.com/DIVURGENT], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/divurgent_consulting/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/DIVURGENT] and be sure to subscribe to The Vurge for the latest episodes and more. Interested in being a guest on the show? Click here [https://www.divurgent.com/the-vurge-podcast/] to learn more.

Skillnet's Mike Kritzman on Building Competency Models for Healthcare Success

In this episode of The Vurge, Mike Kritzman, founder and CEO of Skillnet, talks about the role of competencies and operational excellence in healthcare IT with Divurgent President & Chief Operating Officer Wendy Hoffman. Mike shares his journey from managing teams at Oracle to founding Skillnet, a platform designed to help organizations inventory workforce skills, build competency models, and create targeted training plans. The conversation explores how clear competency frameworks provide both managers and employees with a roadmap for success, enabling transparent performance reviews and personalized development. The discussion highlights Divurgent’s experience using Skillnet to support performance management and track one-on-one conversations, emphasizing the importance of clarity, consistency, and data-driven assessments. Mike explains how individualized training plans—based on skill gaps identified through assessments—help organizations foster growth and operational excellence. The episode concludes with advice for leaders: prioritize clarity in competency models to empower teams and drive continuous improvement. Follow us on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/divurgent], Twitter [https://twitter.com/DIVURGENT], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/divurgent_consulting/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/DIVURGENT] and be sure to subscribe to The Vurge for the latest episodes and more. Interested in being a guest on the show? Click here [https://www.divurgent.com/the-vurge-podcast/] to learn more.

Navigating Healthcare's Tech Revolutions with Chuck Christian, CTO at Franciscan Health

This episode of The Vurge features Chuck Christian, VP of Technology and CTO at Franciscan Health, in conversation with Divurgent Principal Pete Wiley. The discussion centers on the rapid pace of technological change in healthcare, comparing it to other industries and exploring whether healthcare is keeping up or lagging behind. Chuck shares insights from his extensive career, highlighting the challenges of balancing innovation with patient safety and the need for cautious adoption of new technologies. He uses vivid analogies, such as the "mule and buggy" metaphor, to illustrate how healthcare often plays catch-up with technological advances, emphasizing the importance of securing patient records and the complexities of integrating new systems across a large hospital network. The conversation also delves into the evolution of IT leadership roles, the creation of a technical innovation lab at Franciscan Health, and the critical role of clinical expertise in technology adoption. Chuck discusses the impact of AI agents, the ongoing struggle for interoperability in healthcare, and the importance of accurate patient identification. The episode concludes with reflections on change management, strategies to reduce clinician fatigue, and advice for emerging IT leaders: never stop learning, seek diverse perspectives, and look beyond healthcare for technological inspiration. Throughout, Chuck underscores the mission-driven nature of his organization and the need to ensure technology serves both clinicians and patients effectively. Follow us on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/divurgent], Twitter [https://twitter.com/DIVURGENT], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/divurgent_consulting/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/DIVURGENT] and be sure to subscribe to The Vurge for the latest episodes and more. Interested in being a guest on the show? Click here [https://www.divurgent.com/the-vurge-podcast/] to learn more.

AI on the Frontlines of Care: Nasim Eftekhari of City of Hope

This episode of the Vurge podcast features Nasim Eftekhari, Chief AI and Analytics Officer at City of Hope, discussing her journey from computer science into healthcare and her leadership in AI-driven innovation within oncology. Eftekhari shares how her team developed predictive models for clinical decision support, including sepsis prediction for bone marrow transplant patients and models for surgical complications and mortality, all fully integrated with their EHR. She details the evolution of these models from traditional machine learning to generative AI, highlighting the development and impact of HOPE LLM—a domain-specific large language model trained on oncology and biomedical data.  Eftekhari’s insights into AI governance are especially relevant. She describes City of Hope’s robust, multidisciplinary governance framework that balances innovation with risk management, ensuring ethical and responsible AI deployment. She also emphasizes the importance of fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration with other leading cancer centers, and the need for IT teams to proactively adapt to AI’s impact on roles and workflows. She concludes with optimism about AI’s future in drug discovery, multimodal disease understanding, and the transformation of healthcare operations, while urging a balanced approach to both the excitement and limitations of AI. Learn more about Nasim on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nasim-eftekhari-15b343108].  Follow us on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/divurgent], Twitter [https://twitter.com/DIVURGENT], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/divurgent_consulting/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/DIVURGENT] and be sure to subscribe to The Vurge for the latest episodes and more. Interested in being a guest on the show? Click here [https://www.divurgent.com/the-vurge-podcast/] to learn more.

Divurgent CEO Colin Konschak (18th Anniversary Episode)

Join host Wendy Hoffman, President & COO at Divurgent, as she sits down with Colin Konschak, the company's Founder and CEO, to celebrate Divurgent's 18th anniversary.  In this episode, they discuss Divurgent’s journey, the evolving challenges in healthcare IT, and how innovation and culture drive lasting impact. Discover how Divurgent supports clients through digital transformation, talent solutions, and managed services, all while staying true to their core values.  Learn more about Colin Konschak on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinkonschak/]. Follow us on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/divurgent], Twitter [https://twitter.com/DIVURGENT], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/divurgent_consulting/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/DIVURGENT] and be sure to subscribe to The Vurge for the latest episodes and more. Interested in being a guest on the show? Click here [https://www.divurgent.com/the-vurge-podcast/] to learn more.