Bryan Ferrel '99
Bryan Ferrel ’99, computer science, lives in Denver, Colorado, and is the chief technology officer at Envision Healthcare, which is a leading medical group focused on creating a better healthcare system for patients and clinicians nationwide. He shares some of his favorite parts of his job and his insights about the healthcare technology industry.
What was one of your favorite memories at UVU?
I have great memories of accessible and engaging professors. On one occasion, I was able to get a late night, last minute response to a key question that enabled successful completion of a particularly difficult programming assignment.
What was your path to your current career and why did you make these choices? Were you looking to work in technology, healthcare, or something else?
I wanted to be a medical doctor of some sort but couldn't really handle the blood. I also loved all things technology and had a desire to learn something new each day. So a career in healthcare technology was a great intersection of the two.
What are some of the key responsibilities of your role? What does a “day in the life” look like for you?
Envision Healthcare provides patient care across the country. I help deliver technology to enable the best possible tomorrows for our patients and the community we serve. On a daily basis, I work with clinicians, radiologists, and others to develop a technology roadmap that enables Envision to care for our patients by developing platforms for distributed radiology, credentialing, scheduling physicians, and revenue cycle processing.
What is your favorite part of your job or what are you most proud of and why?
I enjoy looking at a complex ecosystem and the associated challenges and then imagining a future state and the path to get there.
What is one of the key issues your industry is facing and your thoughts on addressing this challenge?
The cost of healthcare has continued to experience huge increases for years. The challenge is how to provide increasing quality of care while reducing costs. I believe providing care in other areas outside the hospital in lower-cost modalities will help. But a system-wide partnership between providers and payers that provides incentives based on level of quality outcomes will provide better momentum to achieve the goal of reducing cost of care while increasing quality.
What advice do you have for someone interested in your industry?
Make sure to never lose sight of the patient and see yourself as part of the care team.
What are three transferrable skills that you think contribute to professional success?
Be a lifetime learner, be curious, and be focused on helping others.
What’s something about you that might surprise people?
Though I have a calm demeanor, I am very passionate and competitive.
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