From Pressure to Progress: How Health Care CIOs Are Using IT Strategy to Strengthen Patient Care

Faced with rising operational costs, workforce shortages, and shifting patient expectations, organizations are being asked to deliver better care with fewer resources. For CIOs, this means rethinking IT strategy not just as a support function, but as a driver of organizational resilience and clinical impact.

In this environment, innovation isn’t optional, it’s essential. Now, health care CIOs are embracing solutions like automation and desktop virtualization to streamline operations, reduce complexity, and refocus resources on what matters most: delivering high-quality patient care.

Health Care’s Evolving IT Imperative

A recent Kaufman Hall report notes that operating costs in health care are projected to rise another 9% in 2025, with labor remaining the single largest expense. At the same time, more than half of health care executives list IT modernization among their top priorities. With budgets tightening, CIOs are turning to scalable, cloud-first technologies that can unlock both immediate savings and long-term agility.

Desktop virtualization and automation are two of the most impactful strategies in this shift. These tools allow health care organizations to run more efficiently while improving user experience and data security, without the need for significant infrastructure overhauls.

Automation in Action

Automation helps eliminate time-consuming manual tasks such as onboarding new employees, managing user access, and maintaining application configurations. For health care providers, these efficiencies can reduce administrative burden, accelerate service delivery, and improve compliance—all while lowering operational costs.

In clinical settings, automation also enhances reliability. For instance, auto-scaling virtual desktop environments based on usage can prevent performance bottlenecks during shift changes or peak hours. With systems optimized to support real-time demand, clinicians can access the tools they need without delay.

Virtual Desktops: Secure, Scalable, Streamlined

Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), particularly when deployed in cloud environments like Microsoft Azure, offers a centralized and secure way to deliver applications and data to any device, anywhere. This supports flexible work models, simplifies IT management, and enhances security posture—critical priorities in a sector where remote work and regulatory scrutiny continue to grow.

Virtual desktops serve as a bridge to this future. They enable modernization without compromising performance or security.

Reallocating Resources to Frontline Care

By reducing the time and money spent managing legacy systems, CIOs are creating space for reinvestment. In fact, 58% of health care CIOs report that decommissioning legacy applications delivers significant cost savings, enabling those funds to be redirected toward clinical staff, patient services, and digital health initiatives, which ultimately boosts care delivery efficiency. Organizations that optimize their IT environments with modern IT management tools enhance cost savings on cloud infrastructure and IT labor.

Those savings go far beyond IT. They enable investments in hiring more clinical staff, expanding patient services, and accelerating digital health initiatives. These areas all directly affect care delivery. When IT becomes more efficient, the entire organization benefits.

Strengthening Security and Compliance

Cybersecurity remains a top concern in health care. The industry saw a 128% year-over-year increase in ransomware attacks in 2024, according to IBM Security. Virtual desktops offer enhanced protection by centralizing data, applying consistent security policies, and limiting exposure through endpoint devices.

Automation supports this effort by enforcing proactive patching, configuration management, and system monitoring. These built-in safeguards reduce risk and ensure compliance without requiring constant manual oversight from IT teams.

IT as a Strategic Partner

The role of the health care CIO has evolved. Today’s leaders are not just managing infrastructure—they’re shaping the strategic direction of the organization. By aligning IT initiatives with business and clinical goals, CIOs are helping health care systems respond to today’s demands while preparing for tomorrow’s opportunities. Technologies like automation and VDI are foundational to that transformation. They offer the flexibility to adapt, the efficiency to scale, and the security to protect mission-critical operations.

A Smarter Path Forward

The pressures facing health care won’t disappear overnight. But by investing in smart, efficient IT strategies, organizations can improve care delivery and resilience at the same time.

In 2025, doing more with less isn’t just a necessity; it’s a call to innovate. With the right technologies in place, CIOs are turning that challenge into a catalyst for better outcomes.

About the Author

Amol Dalvi is the vice president of product at Nerdio. With more than 15 years of experience leading product and engineering teams, he is a seasoned software product executive with rich expertise in Microsoft, Cloud, and SaaS. He oversees both Nerdio Manager for MSP and Nerdio Manager for Enterprise products.