About this interview

In this episode of ITOM Spotlight, we speak with Kiel Hawkins, MIS Director at a healthcare organization, about what it really takes to run IT in a highly regulated, always-on healthcare environment.

Kiel shares a grounded view of IT leadership—from managing day-to-day operational realities to making long-term technology decisions under compliance pressure. He explains why adoption and integration matter more than buying “best-in-class” tools, how small teams can avoid tool sprawl, and where automation and AIOps create real leverage.

Key topics discussed

  • A practical look at a day in the life of an MIS Director in a healthcare environment
  • How healthcare IT teams balance cloud adoption with compliance requirements
  • Why user adoption and integration matter more than buying feature-heavy tools
  • Strategies to avoid tool sprawl through right-sized purchases
  • How automation and AIOps act as force multipliers
  • A grounded approach to bringing AI into operations without losing control
  • Key considerations for selecting secure and compliant observability tools

About the speaker

Kiel Hawkins

Kiel Hawkins is Senior Director of MIS at Children's Hope Alliance, where he leads IT and Health Information Management teams to deliver secure, resilient technology infrastructure supporting child welfare and healthcare services. With over 20 years in IT management across healthcare and non-profits, he specializes in managing complex estates, cloud transformation, and optimizing operations.