1. Insight into our leaders.
Dal alumnus is IT executive of the year
Stephen Tucker, Director, Information Technology at the Baycrest Centre for
Geriatric Care in Toronto, came to Dal as a mature student and left with a
commitment to making information technology better able to improve
business and our communities. It's a philosophy he says he learned at Dal.
Tucker, whose daughter will soon graduate from Dal, received the IT
Executive of the Year award from Computing Canada, a leading publication
about IT in the country. He spoke to SeanFlinn, communications manager.
SF: What does winning the IT Executive of the Year from Computing
Canada mean to you at this stage in your career?
ST: First of all, it's great honor. The past year proved to be very challenging
for our team and as we rose to each challenge we were rewarded with solid
wins time and again. I love the technology side of health care; it's fast paced,
and the new developments are phenomenal. In health care I find there is a
clear line of sight for finding ways to make peoples lives better.
SF: What attracted you to the Baycrest Centre as an IT professional?
ST: I'm a bit of a private sector guy with nine years at FedEx and another nine years on the consulting side -
three years of which was running my own business. Health care looked like an area where I could make an
impact beyond the bottom line and really touch people's lives for the better. It seems to me that information
technology had a lot to offer health care.
The Baycrest's mission really fascinates me. It encourages me to really think big and take the blinders off.
"Whether seniors live within our walls, in their own homes, or in another country, our mission is to enrich their
quality of life." That's our mission. At the end of the day a lot of elderly folk's lives are going to be a lot better -
my parents included.
SF: What challenges and advantages did it, as a health care institution and one specializing in the
elderly, pose to your work?
Baycrest is more than a hospital; it is also one of best 'elder-care' research and teaching institutions in the
world. That fact alone makes it a very exciting place to work. You've got to admit 'elder-care' is a growing
market in health care.
One of the biggest challenges facing hospitals is the government squeeze on funding. Baycrest has to deal with
this brutal reality like all hospitals. I'm used to this, having dealt with the razor thin margins at FedEx, and am
able to help my team find innovative ways to deliver more with less.
Another major challenge is security and privacy. You can appreciate that a teaching hospital like Baycrest
processes an enormous amount of information that must be kept secure and confidential. At the same time we
have to stay connected to other colleges, universities and hospitals. In the information age, no hospital can
remain an island and expand its reach and access to knowledge. We continue to borrow and share ideas with
other hospitals and universities on various projects.

2. SF: What do you consider your biggest breakthrough or contribution at Baycrest?
ST: I don't know if there is a single big breakthrough. We have pulled together a great team over the last three
years, they're a dedicated group of individuals and I'd be lost without them. Once we got our information
management strategic plan in place, I turned my attention to execution. Like I said we've come a long way in the
last three years. It has been a total team effort and has resulted in numerous improvements in the way we
deliver health care, share our knowledge with others, and conduct research.
We continue to gain the confidence of the front line staff; this is not an easy task in health care. For example we
have one unit where the average age of the residents is 87 and the average of the health care worker is 47. In
other words we don't have a lot of "gen-Xers" in our user group.
SF: What's been the response by the stakeholders - doctors, nurses, patients and administrators?
ST: The response has been fabulous. In the last two years the hospital has committed a very significant portion
of its capital budget to IT. In other words, they gave us a big vote of confidence with their chequebook, and my
staff is very mindful of the responsibility we have to spend wisely and deliver on our promises.
Today the doctors and nursing staff are very open and eager to discuss new initiatives with us. Our nursing staff
are just excellent; and received a special international recognition for an e-learning project that we helped them
pilot last year.
SF: What are some of the things that you gained from Dalhousie that you make use of today?
ST: I came to Dalhousie as a mature student in my early 30s, and studied computer science and business with
the objective of becoming a program analyst. While at Dalhousie FedEx offered me a full time job in their newly
formed Canadian division with the promise of an opportunity to finish my degree later. My career in IT took off
because I went to Dalhousie. I am very grateful for that.
I remember one course in particular on the computer and society that opened my eyes to the many possible
applications of technology. I believe that this insight into what 'could be possible' has had a major impact on my
career.
Today, I still find myself fondly remembering the great experience and the great start I got at Dalhousie. It's a
great place; my daughter will graduate from Dalhousie this spring. We are all so pleased with her.
SF: What would you tell a student today considering this line of work?
ST: In my view a senior IT leader needs to demonstrate strength in three areas: people, business processes
and a solid understanding of technology. The first thing to recognize is that a CIO or IT Director can't succeed
without good people who come together as a cohesive team. In most cases, when the team is not coming
together or not working, it's the leader's responsibility.
My second piece of advice is to become business-minded, be a person who understands business risks,
opportunities and processes; including, how to budget, negotiate and squeeze a dime to get change.
Finally, it's almost impossible to be a serious leader in the technology game if you don't understand the
technology. Somewhere along the way you need to get your hands on the nitty-gritty aspects of the IT business.
I know this business is moving at lightning speed, but without solid technology underpinnings, it's next to
impossible to really understand how to push the new and developing technologies to their limits and beyond.
Sean Flinn, communications manager, spoke with Stephen Tucker in late January.