Digital Health Networks 60 Second Profiles: Ronke Adejolu

Our next volunteer for the Digital Health Networks profile series is Ronke Adejolu who is the associate CNIO at NHSX as well as a Digital Health CCIO Advisory Panel and Shuri Network member.

Could you explain what your role entails?

My current role involves providing leadership across community and social care nursing, nursing networks and integrated care systems.

I also represent the interest and voice of nurses to influence, support and shape the direction, development and implementation of the digital transformation strategy.

Finally I work to ensure an aligned, collaborative, inclusive, timely and joined-up approach to discussions at regional and national levels across health and care integrated systems.

What parts of digital health interest you the most?

The right leadership to drive the digital transformation vision and agenda. The focus as a digital leader must be our people – who our most important resource. It’s important we pay close attention, listen to their needs, value their insight, intelligence, and what they bring to the table. People are fundamental to the culture shift and successful digital transformation across our organisations so it’s important to keep forging connections across the boundaries of clinical disciplines and the spectrum of professions.

We need to get the data right across all health and care systems and accelerate all efforts so we are not still trying to figure out in the next five years what and how we can get systems to speak to each other.

What projects are you currently involved on?

I cut across a diverse and wide range of digital clinical transformation programmes and strands of work, a recent piece of work is the design and development of an online collaborative workspace to connect and bring together community and social care nursing health care professionals across regional health & social care systems to collaborate on work across digital transformation programmes.

If you have one piece of advice for other NHS IT leaders, would it be?

The pandemic has shown that we can adapt rapidly to change and are capable of a culture shift in the provision and delivery of healthcare. We have overcome so many barriers through a joined up and collaborative approach across systems.

Replicate good work, don’t reinvent the wheel where possible, capitalise on the great work and achievements, look at what has worked well, what hasn’t and bin what no longer serves us.

We have a real opportunity now to effect systemic, sustainable change by reimagining care pathways, workflow, and ways of working across a broader health and care spectrum of professions, organisations, industry partners, and across international health communities. That’s more than one advice, right? Oops!

If you could have any other job, what would it be?

I think I already have two jobs, I’m mum to my amazing nine-year-old and my day job, but I quite fancy being an LBC radio show host.

On a more serious note, what’s important to me, whatever stage I find myself on, is the ability to continue to lead positively, without fear and instil in people a hope for success and a belief in themselves. It’s got to be about making a real difference and impact in people’s lives.

What’s your favourite piece of technology at home and why?

My iPhone, I have information at my fingertips 24/7. It’s up there in the top 3 most successful technologies ever introduced, compact and used worldwide. What’s not to like!

Who would you like to play you in a film?

Oh gosh!!! that’s a tough one, so many to choose from, Cicely Tyson (late), Alfred Woodard, Kerry Washington, but it would have to be Sanna Lathan, she’s such a talented, versatile, and amazing actress. Absolutely love her films e.g. Disappearing acts, Brown sugar and Something else, I could go on….