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IT Execs Seek to Tame Application Sprawl Without Stifling Innovation Through Shared Governance

In a healthsystemCIO webinar, senior IT leaders from RWJBarnabas Health, Ardent Health Services, and the University of Maryland Medical System discussed how to manage the flood of application requests while fostering innovation. They emphasized establishing a single, standardized intake point, shifting governance focus to problem identification rather than pre‑selected solutions, and involving cross‑functional stakeholders in evaluation. The panel highlighted the need to assess whether existing platforms can meet needs versus adopting point solutions, tying each request to strategic priorities, and defining innovation—whether incremental, transformational, or everyday problem solving—on the organization’s terms.