Microsoft exec joins Providence St. Joseph Health as CIO

Providence St. Joseph Health has selected Microsoft executive B.J. Moore as its new chief information officer, effective January 28.

The Renton, Wash.-based organization is the nation’s third largest health system, operating 51 hospitals, 829 physician clinics and offering senior services, supportive housing and many other health and educational services in seven states—Alaska, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas and Washington.

An industry leader in innovation, Providence St. Joseph Health has been driving digital transformation in healthcare as part of a comprehensive strategic plan and vision to advance health for a better world, its executives say.

“Healthcare is the last bastion to fully enter the digital age,” says Providence St. Joseph Health President and CEO Rod Hochman, MD. “With data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence poised to enable and improve the way care is delivered, health systems need leaders who are well versed in the technology fields.”
That strategy led them to Moore as a choice for the top IT position.

“B.J. has the depth and experience to guide our organization through this period of transformation, which will include collaborating with technology companies, as well as adopting enterprise-wide solutions that will modernize health care operations.” Hochman says.

Providence St. Joseph Health intentionally set out to select a leader with vast experience in information technology. In 20 years at Microsoft, Moore served as vice president, enterprise commerce and xompliance, cloud and artificial intelligence and vice president of enterprise commerce, Windows and Devices Group.

Providence St. Joseph Health has led the trend in bringing leaders from the technology industry into healthcare. Along with Moore, prominent additions have included Chief Digital Officer Aaron Martin, previously of Amazon, who joined in 2014, and Chief Financial Officer Venkat Bhamidipati, formerly of Microsoft, who joined in 2017. Moore will report to Bhamidipati.

Addressing his own motivations for joining Providence St. Joseph Health, Moore said, “Healthcare touches all of us at some point in our lives. There’s nothing more important than health. This new role is a chance to make a meaningful difference. I’m drawn to Providence St. Joseph Health because of its strong mission-driven culture, its commitment to innovation and the scale of its operations, which spans seven states.”