Mayo Clinic hired its first chief digital officer on Dec. 23. Rita Khan will establish the Mayo Clinic Center for Digital Health and will head up the healthcare giant’s digital strategy.
“Mayo Clinic is committed to leading the digital transformation of health care by creating world-class platforms that align with our patients-first culture and values,” Mayo Clinc CEO Dr. Gianrico Farrugia said in a news release. “We must continually innovate and reimagine the delivery of health care, and we are delighted that Ms. Khan, with her diverse experience in consumer-focused digital innovation, will lead this effort.”
Khan’s appointment caps several steps Mayo Clinic has taken to build out its digital health expertise. Earlier this month, the health system hired health IT expert Dr. John Halamka to head up its Mayo Clinic Platform, which includes managing a portfolio of digital health businesses. In September, Mayo selected Google as its cloud provider, striking a 10-year partnership to use its data analytics and machine learning resources.
With Khan, Mayo Clinic will bring in a leader with a deep background in consumer products and e-commerce.
She previously headed up UnitedHealthcare’s digital health strategy. As senior vice president of consumer digital, her team created digital solutions for providers and members across UnitedHealthcare’s commercial insurance, Medicare and Medicaid businesses.
Prior to that, she served as global vice president of product at Digital River Inc., a company that makes e-commerce software. She also headed up BestBuy’s web product group, managing its numerous e-commerce and support sites.
“I’m excited to align my deep background in retail, and most recently health care, to focus on consumer experience, product design and digital with an organization whose values I share — grounded in always putting the consumer first,” Khan said in a news release. “Mayo Clinic was founded on the belief that the needs of the patient come first. I look forward to helping advance that commitment as we expand our digital solutions for the people we serve.”
Photo credit: Natali_Mis, Getty Images
