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As technology continues to reshape the healthcare landscape, the role of the CMIO is expanding beyond just software delivery. Today’s informatics leaders are increasingly responsible for ensuring that technology actually works for users – supporting efficiency, reducing cognitive burden and enabling high-quality patient care. 

In this Becker’s Healthcare Podcast episode, uPerform CMO Dr. Stephanie Lahr sits down with Dr. Bryan Jarabek, CMIO at M Health Fairview, to discuss how health IT leaders can better support clinicians as they navigate an increasingly complex digital work environment through a modernized education strategy. At the center of the conversation: a fundamental shift away from one-time, event-based training towards asynchronous, ongoing learning.

From Go-Lives to Continuous Learning

Dr. Jarabek describes how Fairview’s shift to asynchronous learning embedded in the workflow marked a fundamental change in how the organization supports clinicians. This training model moves away from one-time go-lives and classroom sessions, instead emphasizing a continuous learning model that meets clinicians where they are – both in terms of timing and skill level.

Rather than expecting clinicians to retain everything from a single training event, Fairview designed learning as an ongoing journey. Short, targeted, role-based learning assets are delivered in the flow of work and reinforced over time, helping users move from novice to mastery at a sustainable pace. The shift has increased clinician trust in change, improved the training experience and resulted in steady EHR satisfaction improvements over the last seven years.

Start Small, Then Scale

For organizations looking to replicate Fairview’s success, Dr. Jarabek emphasized the importance of starting small and scaling intentionally. Fairview initially started their move to asynchronous training with smaller groups and specific workflows. This allowed the organization to test assumptions, gather feedback and refine content before expanding the approach across roles and departments.

Once proven, the real power came from reusability. Core learning assets could be adapted and scaled across different roles, reducing duplication while maintaining relevance.

Key takeaway for CMIOs: You don’t need to overhaul everything at once. Start asynchronous learning in targeted areas, then scale what works.

Free Educators to do What Only Humans Can Do

One of the most impactful outcomes of Fairview’s approach was how it changed the role of trainers and educators. By shifting foundational knowledge and repeatable training into asynchronous formats, Fairview was able to free up educators for higher-value, high-touch activities, such as:

• One-on-one coaching
• At-the-elbow support and rounding
• Supporting clinicians through moments of disruption

This balance – digital learning at scale, paired with human support where it matters most – proved critical to clinician adoption and trust.

Apply This Beyond the EHR

While Epic was a major focus, Dr. Jarabek was clear that this learning approach shouldn’t stop with the EHR. As health systems adopt and upgrade technology – from ambient speech to AI-driven workflows – the need for scalable, consistent learning only grows. An asynchronous learning strategy allows informatics leaders to create a unified education framework across the entire health IT ecosystem, rather than reinventing training for each system.

Keys to Success: What Informatics Leaders Should Prioritize

Throughout the conversation, Dr. Jarabek shares several core principles as essential for success:

1. Invest in a well-designed training platform: A strong platform is foundational. Learning must be easy to access, intuitive and embedded in daily workflows, not another system clinicians have to hunt for.
2. Choose an asynchronous strategy: Asynchronous learning respects clinicians’ time and variability in schedules. It enables learning when it’s needed most, not just when it’s offered.
3. Personalize learning from novice to mastery: Effective programs offer clear learning pathways that evolve with the user, supporting onboarding, optimization and ongoing mastery, rather than a one-and-done model.
4. Pair digital learning with high-touch support: Asynchronous content scales knowledge, but trust is built through human connection. Coaching, rounding and peer engagement remain critical.
5. Focus on change management best practices: Dr. Jarabek emphasized the importance of consistently communicating the “why.” Sharing peer success stories, highlighting wins and reinforcing value over time helps sustain adoption. Programs like smart user groups or change agent networks can amplify these efforts by turning clinicians into advocates.
6. Learn from your community: No organization is navigating this alone. Dr. Jarabek encouraged CMIOs and informatics leaders to actively participate in professional communities and peer networks, such as uPerform’s uPerForum community, to share lessons learned and help accelerate programs.
7. Prepare for AI-driven change: As AI continues to transform healthcare, leaders must become familiar with how it can streamline processes and reduce burden. Just as importantly, they must be ready to educate and support clinicians through these changes, using the same scalable learning principles.

The Big Picture: Learning, Change and Culture Move Together

As healthcare leaders face accelerating transformation – from AI to growing tech stacks to AI-driven innovation – the conversation highlights a critical insight: technology succeeds when learning, change management and culture move forward together.

By rethinking education as a continuous, asynchronous and human-centered experience, CMIOs and informatics leaders can build trust, reduce friction and ensure digital transformation truly supports the people delivering care.