Isaiah Nathaniel, CPHIMS

One skill tech executives should master in 2022 is boardroom communication. As more of us enter a strategic board-reporting role, we must understand how to communicate—in a layperson’s terms—the complexities of our job. A successful ten-minute board presentation is a skill that “equalizes” tech executives. It will set up and cement tech executives for long-term success that can be carried forward to our successors.

I believe prioritization should start with organizational goals. Not only should this be understood by all leaders, but it should also serve as a reference for conversations that attempt to derail the determined prioritization.

By having HCI in place by the time COVID-19 struck, Nathaniel was able to launch telehealth and telework systems to help handle the surge brought on by the pandemic. He reported having conducted 45,000 telehealth visits and supporting 75% of his 322-person workforce remotely between March and December 2020, during which active patient portals jumped from 500 to more than 9,000, he said.

“If we had not had Nutanix in place, there wouldn’t have been anything we could have done,” said… Show more

By having HCI in place by the time COVID-19 struck, Nathaniel was able to launch telehealth and telework systems to help handle the surge brought on by the pandemic. He reported having conducted 45,000 telehealth visits and supporting 75% of his 322-person workforce remotely between March and December 2020, during which active patient portals jumped from 500 to more than 9,000, he said.

“If we had not had Nutanix in place, there wouldn’t have been anything we could have done,” said Nathaniel. “We would have needed to close our doors on 50,000 patients.”

Nathaniel reported saving $70,000 to $80,000 in licensing fees from a previous system that “wasn’t giving me the efficiency I needed” on day one and $180,000 in consulting costs over 18 months, which allowed him to add two people to his lean nine-person IT staff. Show less

“It’s about being pivotable at a time when it’s needed most,” says Isaiah Nathaniel, CIO at the Philadelphia-area Delaware Valley Community Health and a 2021 Changemaker in Health Award recipient from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS).

Nathaniel himself has put this ability to pivot to the test.

March 11, 2020 is when the World Health Organization (WHO) classified the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic. Since that time, we have witnessed and watched as one of the most resilient sectors of the world kick itself into high gear performing well beyond the normal asks and put oneself-last and others first. In such, Digital Health has been adopted at a rate shocking to most. What used to be a lackluster approach to innovation in healthcare, barriers have been removed, allowing for the… Show more

March 11, 2020 is when the World Health Organization (WHO) classified the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic. Since that time, we have witnessed and watched as one of the most resilient sectors of the world kick itself into high gear performing well beyond the normal asks and put oneself-last and others first. In such, Digital Health has been adopted at a rate shocking to most. What used to be a lackluster approach to innovation in healthcare, barriers have been removed, allowing for the thoughtful implementation of digital health tools that completed the necessary business continuity and resiliency needed to fight a pandemic and the complexity of healthcare. Show less

In this new episode of the HIMSS21 Changemaker Podcast series, a HIMSSCast production, Healthcare IT News Executive Editor Mike Miliard speaks with Isaiah Nathaniel, chief information officer at Delaware Valley Community Health, a private, non-profit health system, based in Philadelphia, that provides medical, dental and behavioral health services to patients – whether or not they're able to pay.

“Direct Secure Messaging is at the core of patient outcomes for not only local institutions, but the larger context of healthcare and waste,” said Isaiah Nathanial, Delaware Valley Community Health CIO. The ability to send patients and referring providers information in a standard, digestible format to impact clinical care and patient health outcomes is at the core of every CIO's job.

One tip for writing proofs of concept is to phrase them from the listener’s point of view. Try not to be so futuristic in talking about what it will be once completed that you miss the opportunity to relate to the stakeholders’ reality and, possibly, near-term future objective if so approved. Often, the disapproval comes on the heels of the writer’s not making the connection to the now in a way that is understood

One tip for writing proofs of concept is to phrase them from the listener’s point of view. Try not to be so futuristic in talking about what it will be once completed that you miss the opportunity to relate to the stakeholders’ reality and, possibly, near-term future objective if so approved. Often, the disapproval comes on the heels of the writer’s not making the connection to the now in a way that is understood

I would never recommend everyone learn to code, because that might not be someone’s strength. Trying to learn to code could take years from their actual career that they could be spending focused on what works with their intellect.

We all know our healthcare system is fragmented. This isn’t something new or revolutionary. It is almost explicitly accepted as a course of business in healthcare. We collectively address it with a few articles, proposed legislation, and new technologies, but what does it actually do if they are not operational. A report released by JAMA in October of 2019 estimates that healthcare waste is between 760 billion and 935 Billion.

Prior to COVID-19, Isaiah Nathaniel, Chief Information Officer (CIO) of DVCH, recognized the value of having an infrastructure that is safe, forward thinking and quickly adaptable to changing healthcare needs. “Everyone deserves high quality care that is kind, considerate and competent, and as CIO I must do all I can to enable this,” states Isaiah. Importantly, Isaiah recognized that barriers to access must be addressed. Whether it is enabling patients’ better access to care or enabling… Show more

Prior to COVID-19, Isaiah Nathaniel, Chief Information Officer (CIO) of DVCH, recognized the value of having an infrastructure that is safe, forward thinking and quickly adaptable to changing healthcare needs. “Everyone deserves high quality care that is kind, considerate and competent, and as CIO I must do all I can to enable this,” states Isaiah. Importantly, Isaiah recognized that barriers to access must be addressed. Whether it is enabling patients’ better access to care or enabling providers better access to tools and their patients, a successful strategic plan must address both. Patients need easier timely access to care. Staff and providers need easier timely access to the Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Electronic Practice Management (EPM) systems. Ultimately, the goal is to provide the best possible care when and where it is needed; and remove unnecessary barriers to access. Isaiah recognized that to deliver quality care he would need to set up the right IT environment. He and his team built a redundant, flexible, safe IT environment. Its visionary design includes a network with a two layer hyperconverged Nutanix backbone, and an overlaying application layer by Citrix which supports, among other things... Show less

One myth that needs to be eradicated is that data analytics leads to artificial intelligence, and AI leads to job loss. Data analytics is a business tool that creates jobs and efficiency and erases waste. Organizational waste is more detrimental to companies than data analytics

Taking seriously his mission to serve the underserved communities in southeast Pennsylvania, Isaiah Nathaniel must have had some foresight early last year.
CIO of Delaware Valley Community Health Inc. since January 2019, and a member of the team for the previous 11 years, he was prepping the Philadelphia-based nonprofit network to better provide virtual services even before COVID-19 entered the picture.

Our job at community health primary care institutions is to relieve that pressure off of hospitals from their ER rates, their high-cost patients. That's our job. When we talk about population health and we talk about the hierarchical condition category coding, we have that data. When I say we have 50,000 patients, we're seeing the entire family.

One tool that I have found extremely helpful in successfully onboarding a new tech hire is Microsoft Teams, not only because of its screen-sharing capabilities but also because of the overall framework and add-ins. The solid documentation structure in the platform—coupled with the fact that you can quickly connect with anyone within the company (if connected to your Azure AD)—puts it above the rest. - Isaiah Nathaniel, Delaware Valley Community Health

In running my teams during this time I have found it critically important to identify three executive strategies that everyone commits to. I make sure that all of the functions and projects subsequently fall into one of the three. Proper alignment of strategies and functions has given us the ability to be lean and nimble and is continually affecting the bottom line. - Isaiah Nathaniel, Delaware Valley Community Health

Artificial intelligence has not only become a necessity but a practical reality for most businesses today. While previously considered a luxury, because of the pandemic AI has become part of the business model. One way leaders can begin to use AI—one that can produce a measurable ROI—is through “gap-filling.” Wherever there is a need in the business, try to fill it with artificial intelligence.

The obsolete infrastructure was imposing unacceptable delays on the care process. For example, doctors prescribing drugs using the medication module of DVCH’s EMR were losing three to five minutes every time as they waited for the aging infrastructure to complete their transaction, Nathaniel said. “Every day, we were moments away from an old SQL cluster crashing on us,” he told the publication.

After evaluating several hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) solutions, Isaiah Nathaniel, CIO, chose Nutanix Enterprise Cloud due to its unmatched performance.

While Nutanix delivered immediate performance benefits, backup and recovery using DVCH’s legacy backup solution was consuming too much time.

“We can continue to provide high-quality services to our patients during this time when they need us the most because we have the bandwidth and the capabilities.

Each week on “Tech Talk USA,” our host Jeff Hootselle sits down with experts in the information technology world. This week, Jeff spoke to Isaiah Nathaniel, CIO of Delaware Valley Community Health.

DVCH was in the middle of a five-month Nutanix HCI installation when it had to switch gears to support telehealth in its eight primary care sites in the Philadelphia area. DVCH CIO Isaiah Nathaniel said he initially decided to go with HCI to support an expansion, which included opening an urgent care site. DVHC's ninth location would complement its traditional primary care, internal medicine, pediatrics, optometry, OB-GYN, behavioral health and medication-assisted treatment therapy practices.

“With Nutanix we are able to continue business, and serve our patients, making me a proud CIO. Without Nutanix I am not sure how I would be feeling right now,” said Isaiah Nathaniel, CIO at Delaware Valley Community Health. “Our mission is to serve the underserved and we are serving them well. We would not be able to do this without a partner such as Nutanix.”

Isaiah Nathaniel, CIO of Delaware Valley Community Health, explains how modernizing his IT with hyperconverged infrastructure helped to better manage electronic medical records and improve patient care. When the coronavirus pandemic hit, his team was ready to meet increased demand from doctors and caregivers in clinics and those working remotely.

As we continue our FQHC Knowledge Share Webinar series, this week, we hosted a session featuring Isaiah Nathaniel, CIO of Delaware Valley Community Health (DVCH), on how this Pennsylvania FQHC is tackling the Quadruple Aim to help combat provider burnout with technology and improve patient engagement. Hear Isaiah's vision for the positive role Health Information Systems (HIS) can play in empowering care teams and the success his team has seen with patient engagement tools especially their… Show more

As we continue our FQHC Knowledge Share Webinar series, this week, we hosted a session featuring Isaiah Nathaniel, CIO of Delaware Valley Community Health (DVCH), on how this Pennsylvania FQHC is tackling the Quadruple Aim to help combat provider burnout with technology and improve patient engagement. Hear Isaiah's vision for the positive role Health Information Systems (HIS) can play in empowering care teams and the success his team has seen with patient engagement tools especially their patient portal.
At DVCH which employs over 300 employees serving 48,873 patients across 8 locations, Isaiah is responsible for developing and executing the overall information system strategy in support of the business plan and strategic direction of the organization, specifically in the areas of security and maintenance of the IT network, integrated EHR, electronic practice management, and electronic dental record hardware and systems. Show less

The Philadelphia Business Journal will celebrate the Minority Business Leaders at an evening cocktail reception on Aug. 15 at the Ballroom at the Ben, an event sponsored by Wells Fargo.

In this publication, we talked to each of the award winners to learn more about what drives them, what their biggest challenges are and what they think should be done to encourage minority business development in the region. Questions included “What should be done to increase the number of minority-owned… Show more

The Philadelphia Business Journal will celebrate the Minority Business Leaders at an evening cocktail reception on Aug. 15 at the Ballroom at the Ben, an event sponsored by Wells Fargo.

In this publication, we talked to each of the award winners to learn more about what drives them, what their biggest challenges are and what they think should be done to encourage minority business development in the region. Questions included “What should be done to increase the number of minority-owned businesses in Greater Philadelphia?”; “What’s the biggest issue facing minority businesses today?”; and “What has been your biggest challenge?” Show less

In this episode of the Better Than Succes Podcast, Your host Nikki Purvy talks with successful entrepreneur Isaiah Nathaniel about how he runs two successful businesses simultaneously. Isaiah reveals his time management strategy and talks about how to focus. According to Isaiah, both focusing and prioritizing are essential for success. Listen now to learn the secrets to becoming a great leader according to Isaiah.

Isaiah Nathaniel is a successful entrepreneur, film producer and… Show more

In this episode of the Better Than Succes Podcast, Your host Nikki Purvy talks with successful entrepreneur Isaiah Nathaniel about how he runs two successful businesses simultaneously. Isaiah reveals his time management strategy and talks about how to focus. According to Isaiah, both focusing and prioritizing are essential for success. Listen now to learn the secrets to becoming a great leader according to Isaiah.

Isaiah Nathaniel is a successful entrepreneur, film producer and director who is the owner and CEO of Calcom Technologies a premier Informational Technology company based out of Philadelphia, Pa. He is also the owner of MadOptics Productions, a film production company that focuses on films, sports, and photography. Recently noted Isaiah received national press as the executive producer, writer, and director of 16th and Philly, a documentary film released February 2014. Show less

The executive producer of the film, Isaiah Nathaniel, was kind enough to take some time and answer some questions about the project and playground basketball as a whole.

“The scene was really electric,” said Isaiah Nathaniel, director of “16th and Philly,” a documentary about the heyday of the legendary basketball courts. “It was a packed environment. I mean you could get thousands of people inside this area right here. You would have food carts around, lined up to sell food. You would have kids running around the entire court, just having a good time. It was a community atmosphere … and on the court, man, you would get some of the greatest games Philadelphia… Show more

“The scene was really electric,” said Isaiah Nathaniel, director of “16th and Philly,” a documentary about the heyday of the legendary basketball courts. “It was a packed environment. I mean you could get thousands of people inside this area right here. You would have food carts around, lined up to sell food. You would have kids running around the entire court, just having a good time. It was a community atmosphere … and on the court, man, you would get some of the greatest games Philadelphia has ever seen.” Show less

In a city fueled by America's earliest history, it is no wonder a popular urban hobby like streetball went unnoticed on a national scale.

While courts like Rucker Park, Oakland's Mosswood Park and Chicago's Jackson Park are notorious for their competitive summer league today, Philadelphia once ran one of the most entertaining and talented amateur summer competitions at the basketball court on 16th and Susquehanna.

A Delaware State University graduate visited his alma mater earlier this week. But the former Hornet hoop player wasn’t in the town to play basketball. Instead, he screened a documentary he made about basketball. WDDE All Things Considered host Sean Carlson reports.

Sean Carlson goes one on one with DSU alum Isaiah Nathaniel - creator of the film 16th and Philly.
When you think of a pickup basketball game, you might picture your local gym or neighborhood court. Maybe you’d play with… Show more

A Delaware State University graduate visited his alma mater earlier this week. But the former Hornet hoop player wasn’t in the town to play basketball. Instead, he screened a documentary he made about basketball. WDDE All Things Considered host Sean Carlson reports.

Sean Carlson goes one on one with DSU alum Isaiah Nathaniel - creator of the film 16th and Philly.
When you think of a pickup basketball game, you might picture your local gym or neighborhood court. Maybe you’d play with some friends, maybe a few strangers… but mostly for fun.

If you’re a basketball aficionado, you might be familiar with Harlem’s Rucker Park in New York City, where a playground basketball league sent many of its players to the NBA. Show less

Commonly regarded as Philadelphia’s Rucker Park, the legendary playground sitting in the heart of Northern Philly’s 16th Street and Susquehanna Avenue will now be the subject of documentary set to premiere tonight at 7pm at the African American Museum. The likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Hank Gathers, Doug Overton, Rodney “Hotrod” Odrick, Aaron “AO” Owens, and Bryant “Sadeye” Watson are among the City of Brotherly Love legends that frequented the park. Below is an excerpt from film’s official… Show more

Commonly regarded as Philadelphia’s Rucker Park, the legendary playground sitting in the heart of Northern Philly’s 16th Street and Susquehanna Avenue will now be the subject of documentary set to premiere tonight at 7pm at the African American Museum. The likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Hank Gathers, Doug Overton, Rodney “Hotrod” Odrick, Aaron “AO” Owens, and Bryant “Sadeye” Watson are among the City of Brotherly Love legends that frequented the park. Below is an excerpt from film’s official announcement: Show less

DSU alumnus and filmmaker Isaiah Nathaniel will make his alma mater a part of the premiere tour of his new documentary 16th and Philly when it screens on campus at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11 in the Longwood Auditorium of the Bank of America Building
Mr. Nathaniel, who also played basketball for DSU from 2000-2004, has done a documentary on the famed North Central Philadelphia Basket League – known commonly in Philly as the 16th Street League, because its outdoor courts are located on the corner… Show more

DSU alumnus and filmmaker Isaiah Nathaniel will make his alma mater a part of the premiere tour of his new documentary 16th and Philly when it screens on campus at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11 in the Longwood Auditorium of the Bank of America Building
Mr. Nathaniel, who also played basketball for DSU from 2000-2004, has done a documentary on the famed North Central Philadelphia Basket League – known commonly in Philly as the 16th Street League, because its outdoor courts are located on the corner of 16th Street and West Susquehanna Ave. in North Philadelphia. During its prominent years of the early 1980s to the early 2000s, it was considered one of the top pick-up leagues on the East Coast. Show less

Executive producer, Isaiah Nathaniel and Diamond Eye Sports are proud to announce the release of the trailer for 16th and Philly; a documentary exploring the never before told story of the rise and fall of one of the nations greatest playground basketball leagues of all time. 16th and Philly is set to premier February 2014 at the African American Museum in Philadelphia, which will launch a month of free viewing of the film in neighborhoods throughout the city in honor of Black History Month.

The film, produced by Isaiah Nathaniel and Diamond Eye Sports, is scheduled to premier on Feb. 6 at the African American Museum. After that it will be shown at various neighborhood sites as part of Black History Month festivities.
"I'm proud we are able to bring a glimpse of Philadelphia basketball history to Philadelphia and the nation," Nathaniel said in a statement.
Nathaniel was part of that history. He played at the playground, at Central High and Delaware State.