Q&A: Mastercall Healthcare CIO Jonathan Ritchie on saving lives through digital innovation

CIO.com: What are your roles and responsibilities?

My role is CIO/Director of IT/Digital Innovation at Mastercall Healthcare. I am employed in the C-Suite to drive digital transformation and ensure digital initiatives are aligned with the company’s business strategy, using cutting-edge technology and reinventing the art of the possible.

Mastercall Healthcare is an award-winning, out-of-hospital provider of urgent primary care services and has just celebrated its 25th anniversary.

My role is to support the organization’s vision to work together to inspire a culture of innovation and exceptional healthcare for the benefit of current and future generations. I am also the digital/IT lead for the Greater Manchester Urgent Primary Care Allianceof which Mastercall Healthcare is a founding member.

CIO.com: How did your career as an IT manager/CIO/CTO develop?

I was originally an IT consultant working across the UK in sectors such as legal, healthcare, manufacturing, education and oil and gas. During this time I moved to Briggs Marine, one of the world’s leading marine and environmental specialists, to become the head of the IT group.

This was an extremely exciting opportunity to centralize their global systems and solutions while developing a strategy to deliver technology and satellite communications to Briggs Marine support vessels. Driven by an appetite to see more of the world and continue working in the maritime industry, I accepted an IT management role serving the Italian Navy, US Army and multinational forces in a UN peacekeeping mission in Israel and Egypt support. I returned to the UK, joined Mastercall Healthcare and developed a transformative vision with the leadership team. We have built an in-house IT/Digital, BI and IG service team and are proud to develop a commercial clinical performance app.

I’ve been fortunate to work in a variety of different industries and have faced challenging work environments at times, most notably working offshore in Norwegian waters on an oil rig in -25C (the offshore survival course and helicopter sim “Dip” weren’t fun either).

In stark contrast, I remember working in the sweltering Sinai heat of over 47°C when I lived on a military base; My taxi was a Blackhawk helicopter. My dress code was Kevlar vest and hard hat; With tensions in Gaza, Israel and Egypt, hearing rockets in the distance was not uncommon.

When I think about it, while I have experienced many challenging and sometimes difficult environments, I have learned something new in both my personal and professional life. Throughout my career I have met a variety of people and have gratefully received tremendous support from my peers and mentors to facilitate my advancement to the CIO role I have today.

CIO.com: Tell us about something you’ve worked on over the past 12 months that you’re proud of?

There are two things I’m particularly proud of over the past 12 months.

I have assisted the Mastercall Healthcare team in sourcing and delivering what I believe to be the first innovative remote monitoring service for patients with frailty/long-term illnesses and COVID in Greater Manchester, in partnership with a supplier dignity from Norway (and UK first). We have been fortunate to receive recognition for this innovative service at both HSJ and NHS England levels. The difference this has made in patients’ lives cannot be underestimated.

The use of digital innovation has saved lives, avoided hundreds of hospital admissions and, most importantly, empowered patients to manage their own health symptoms. You can’t really quantify that with a price. I am very proud of the clinical team and the commitment they have shown to embed innovation and new ways of thinking. They have been very supportive of our digital strategy and are really starting to embrace new ideas and embrace the use of new technologies like AI/RPA. This is something we are channeling through our Digital Program Board; A forum we promote for innovation, inclusion, awareness and collaboration in the organization.

I was very proud to be included in the CIO UK 100 for 2021 but this should be taken as recognition of our incredible team at Mastercall Healthcare and our response to the pandemic. Working closely with our teams, digital partners, vendors, officers, regional and national colleagues to drive a targeted and health-promoting ecosystem response to the pandemic and ensure we are saving lives and transforming lives

CIO.com: What do you do in your free time?

I enjoy hiking, mountain biking, playing golf, hanging out with friends and family, and spending time with my daughter.

CIO.com: What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

Align with the company’s vision and its business plan and make sure everyone understands the end goal. Take the team/stakeholders on this journey together, if possible, encourage and provide opportunities from within.