Digital Transformation in Healthcare (Online)
Requirements
This program is suitable for attendees at all executive levels.
Requirements
This program is suitable for attendees at all executive levels.
Digital Transformation in Healthcare (Online)
Requirements
This program is suitable for attendees at all executive levels.
Overview
The healthcare industry is ripe for further digital disruption, from artificial intelligence assisting in disease diagnosis to data analytics applied to the pharmaceutical supply chain. Replacing outdated systems with automation and machine learning tools is a compelling proposal, but how can a healthcare executive evaluate the efficacy of digital transformation and the return on investment?
The Digital Transformation in Healthcare (Online) program from Columbia Business School Executive Education in collaboration with the School's Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Management Program is designed to help you make informed decisions about adopting digital solutions. Landing on the right solutions for your company can lead to greater market share, enhanced efficiency, and improved patient outcomes. In this nine-week online program, you will explore strategies for expanding the role of digital transformation in your organization, whether it is a startup or a large mature health system.
Prepare to lead your organization’s digital transformative initiatives by asking questions such as:
- What are the general digital disruptions in the healthcare industry and in my segment specifically?
- What digital platforms and technologies could be implemented successfully in my functional area?
- How can we incorporate more data science tools into our practice?
- What are the operating models and entrepreneurship opportunities in the digital health technology landscape?
Please contact our partners at Emeritus at columbia@emeritus.org, +1 315-982-5094, or +1 315-277-2746 for a personal conversation about this program and how it may benefit you.
Delivered in collaboration with
“The healthcare sector is going to be transformed in the coming years, with vast opportunities in the digital health space. In this program, we'll equip you with a toolkit to evaluate the impact of data and digitization, streamline adoption to facilitate widespread adoption, and integrate these technologies and tools into your standard workflow.”
Carri Chan
The program's faculty co-director
Impact
The program helps provide you with the strategic vision and tools needed to implement digital transformation initiatives that maximize impact and return on investment. With a clear understanding of what has worked in various segments of the healthcare industry — and what has failed — you will be prepared to build your company’s technology strategy.
Each of the nine modules will help you explore strategies for expanding the role of digital transformation in your organization, whether it is a startup or a large mature health system. By the end of the program you will be able to:
- Identify trends in digital health and the challenges and transformation opportunities present in the digital health landscape
- Define the role predictive analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning play in transforming the digital healthcare industry
- Understand what separates a successful population health initiative from a failed one
- Identify how digital transformative solutions can address resource allocation and waste in the medical industry
- Quantitatively assess the price of pharmaceuticals and technology advancements using the health technology assessment methodology
Upon completion of this program, you will earn two credits towards a Certificate with select alumni and tuition benefits. Learn more.
Program Structure
The program begins with an overview of healthcare industry in the U.S., including costs, outcomes, waste. Participants then explore transformative digital initiatives most beneficial to their specific areas of practice.
For complete details of the curriculum please download the program brochure.
The State of Healthcare
Compare the U.S. healthcare system against the rest of the world using five performance measures, identify the government’s role in healthcare costs, explore the challenges to payers, providers, and producers, and identify opportunities arising from the changing healthcare landscape.
Participant Profile
This program will benefit managers and executives with experience in hospital management, life science innovation, pharmaceutical and device research, health technology, and insurance. It is also beneficial for digital transformation consultants with clients in healthcare. Appropriate functional areas include technology, operations, product management, R&D, compliance, and QA. It is ideal for the following roles in the healthcare, life sciences, and pharmaceutical industries:
C-Suite Executive
A highly experienced leader who is looking to gain a strategic overview of digital disruption in healthcare and to modify their business model to adapt to the digital health landscape.
Senior Management
An experienced professional seeking to identify digital solutions to implement within their healthcare-adjacent functional area to take necessary steps related to data science, understand various stakeholder perspectives, improve the quality of their products, and understand the steps required to take a digital product to market at the lowest incurred cost.
Entrepreneur or Venture Capitalist
An experienced investor or founder who is looking to identify the business models and entrepreneurship opportunities in digital transformation in healthcare, learn from the successes and failures of other startups, and leverage the venture fund strategy adopted by pharmaceutical companies
Faculty

Carri Chan
Professor of Business and Faculty Director, Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Management Program
Columbia Business School

Carri Chan
Professor of Business and Faculty Director, Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Management Program
Columbia Business School
Carri Chan is a professor of Business in the Decision, Risk, and Operations division at Columbia Business School. Her research is in the area of healthcare operations management. Her primary focus is in data-driven modeling of complex stochastic systems, efficient algorithmic design for queuing systems, dynamic control of stochastic processing systems, and statistical and econometric analysis of healthcare systems. Chan’s research combines empirical and stochastic modeling to develop evidence-based approaches to improve patient flow through hospitals. She has worked with clinicians and administrators in numerous hospital systems including Northern California Kaiser Permanente, New York Presbyterian, and Montefiore Medical Center. She spent the 2019-2020 academic year on sabbatical at the Value Institute at NY Presbyterian Hospitals. Chan is the recipient of a 2014 National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) award and the 2016 Production and Operations Management Society (POMS) Wickham Skinner Early Career Award. She received her BS in Electrical Engineering from MIT and MS and PhD in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.

Frank Lichtenberg
Cain Brothers & Company Professor of Healthcare Management in the Faculty of Business
Columbia Business School

Frank Lichtenberg
Cain Brothers & Company Professor of Healthcare Management in the Faculty of Business
Columbia Business School
Frank Lichtenberg is the Cain Brothers & Company Professor of Healthcare Management in the Faculty of Business at Columbia Business School, a research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a member of the CESifo Research Network. He previously taught at Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Ecole Polytechnique. He has served as an expert for the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Department of Justice, and state Attorneys General, and has testified before Congress. He has worked for several U.S. government agencies, including the Department of Justice, the Congressional Budget Office, and the Census Bureau, and been a visiting scholar at the Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin, the University of Munich, and elsewhere.
FAQ
Certification
I’m interested in the Certificate in Business Excellence (CIBE), how do I get started?
At Columbia Business School Executive Education, you’ll be able to customize a unique learning experience by selecting programs that best interest you and are most suited for your needs. Any completed program, regardless of format (live online, in-person, or online), will count towards the Certificate in Business Excellence.
Which programs qualify for the CIBE?
Any completed executive education program, regardless of format (live-online, in-person, or online), will count towards the Certificate in Business Excellence. Partner programs will also count towards the certificate.
Which programs do not qualify for 25 percent tuition benefit?
- Advanced Management Program
- Executive Development Program
- Developing Black Leaders in Financial Services
- Strategic Wealth Manager
- Global Banking Program: Fintech, Digital, and Analytics
- Chief Financial Officer
- Chief Marketing Officer
- Venture Capital Private Equity
- Digital Business Leadership Program
- Executive Program in Management
What programs are considered partner programs?
Executive education programs developed and administered with our educational partners, bring the best of our combined knowledge, thought leadership, resources, and expertise. Kindly find a list of our partners here on our partnership page.
What are the costs of the certificate?
There’s no set cost associated with the certificate path since you’re able to customize your learning journey with in-person and online programs (price will vary depending on the program type and length).
Are there any tuition assistance or scholarships?
At Columbia Business School Executive Education, we offer non-degree and non-credit-based professional development programs to the global business community. As our programs are non-degree and non-credit, they do not qualify for financial aid.
How are CIBE credits determined?
Credits for a program are determined by the program duration and total learning hours.
Where do I find information on the credit value for a program?
You will find this information on each program page. Credits range from 0.5 credits – 26 credits per program.
How do I get enrolled in the CIBE?
Your certificate journey will start with your first program, and you have 4 years to complete your CIBE. You may register for any of our executive education programs on each program page. You may enroll using the “Enroll Now” button, and the application process should take 5-10 minutes.
How do I receive credits?
You are required to fully attend a program and complete all necessary coursework in order to receive CIBE credits. Credits are only awarded after you complete a program.
How do I check the status of my Certificate completion?
Kindly reach out to a Learning Solutions representative for any questions on the status of your CIBE credit count.
Do CIBE credits expire?
Credits are only valid for four years (Please note: While we are not able to offer in-person programming due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the duration to complete the programming has been extended to five years.). If you have not completed your CIBE within four years, we will only count non-expired credits towards your CIBE credit total.
Does the Certificate in Business Excellence expire?
Your Certificate in Business Excellence does not expire. Once you become a certificate recipient, you will join the greater alumni community at Columbia Business School.
I’ve reached 18 CIBE credits, what’s next?
Congratulations! You should receive a digital copy of your certificate at the end of your program. If you do not receive a copy from your program manager, kindly contact your Learning Solutions representative or your program manager for next steps.
Will I receive a physical certificate?
Yes, all certificate recipients will receive a physical plaque. If you completed your last CIBE credits through an online or live online program, you will receive a plaque in the mail. We will ask for you to provide us with your preferred mailing address and our vendor will ship the plaque directly to you. We kindly ask for your patience as the processing time takes a few weeks. Please contact your program manager for the status of your plaque. If you completed your last CIBE credits through an in-person program, you will receive a plaque at the end of the program.
How do I get access to my alumni benefits?
Once you complete your CIBE, we kindly ask for your patience as we process your alumni credentials. The processing time can take anywhere from 8 to 10 weeks long.
Can I refer colleagues to the Certificate in Business Excellence?
If you are a certificate holder, you may sponsor up to four colleagues each year for full-price in-person programs lasting up to seven days and all full-price online programs.
Can I add the Certificate in Business Excellence to LinkedIn?
Yes! We will provide you with instructions on how to add your certificate to your LinkedIn profile after you become a Certificate recipient.
Preferred Pricing and Tuition Benefits for Alumni
Are there preferred pricing options available for live online programs?
Yes, preferred pricing is available for groups of two or more. To inquire, email execed@gsb.columbia.edu.
As a Columbia Business School alumni am I eligible for tuition benefit?
Columbia Business School alumni and up to four of their colleagues are eligible for a 25 percent tuition benefit for this program. More on the Alumni Tuition Benefit.
Assignments
Will there be any homework or assignments?
For select programs, there will be some assignments to complete after the end of select program sessions. Assignments will typically consist of readings, self-reflections, and brief assessments. This approach is designed to help you practice your learnings.
How long will assignments take?
We do not expect that homework assignments will take up a large amount of time to complete.
Will there be any examinations or grades?
There will be no examinations or grades for our live online programs.
Access
When will I receive information on how to log in?
You will receive your login information immediately before the program start date. Kindly reach out to your Program Manager for further instructions on how to prepare and log in for the program.
What platform do you use to deliver live online programs?
We use the Zoom platform.
Recordings
Will sessions be recorded?
Most live online sessions (depending on the faculty and program) will be recorded and will be available for you upon request. In-person programs are not recorded.
How long will they be available for?
Recordings will be available for the duration of the program. Depending on the program, some recordings may have additional availability post-program.
How do I gain access to the recordings?
Your Program Manager will provide you with further instructions on how to gain access to recorded sessions.
Experience
How do participants network during the live online programs? Will I participate in group work?
Our live online programs are fully virtual and highly interactive. Most programs also feature small group work for a high-touch learning experience. The virtual program experience allows participants to feel comfortable and productive learning at home while preserving the interconnectivity of an in-person program.
What are the networking opportunities during the live online sessions?
Yes. Examples of this may include: virtual lunches, virtual receptions, use of the chat function, and virtual office hours for you to connect with participants and faculty. Please refer to the agenda of the specific live online program you are interested in for details.
Live Online Format
What are live online programs?
Now, more than ever, executives need the knowledge and insights to help them adapt to change and solve complex problems. As the business world has evolved, we have applied new best practices to continuously improve your learning experience. With our live online programs, we are taking select in-person programs and are translating them to a fully live and virtual format, delivering the same interactive sessions with faculty and real-time application of the knowledge you would experience in person.
What is the difference between live online and online programs?
Compare our two formats for distance learning here.
What does “live online” mean?
Live online programs are fully virtual, highly interactive programs taking place in real-time, often featuring small group work for a high-touch learning experience. Our Columbia Business School faculty stream to you live and virtually, no matter where you are located.
Are all live online programs the same in terms of format and length?
No. Please refer to the agenda of the specific live online program you are interested in. For any questions, please reach out to the Contact person listed on the program's web page.
Do I have to attend all live sessions?
Participants are expected to attend all sessions. However, we understand that participants may have scheduling conflicts. Kindly let us know in advance whenever possible and your Program Manager would be happy to discuss how we can help you get up to speed. We will also record most faculty sessions, which you can review upon request.
Will I need to attend the live sessions even if I’m based in a different time zone?
You are required to attend all live sessions even if you are based in a different time zone. (Kindly reach out to the Learning Solutions team to learn more about our asynchronous program offerings, which consist predominantly of pre-recorded videos that you can watch on your own time).
COVID-19 Safety Plans
Please review the latest COVID-19 related protocols at Columbia Business School.
Sign Up for Email Alerts
Sign up for program updates and content relevant to today's business leaders from Columbia Business School Executive Education.