This webinar was originally recorded on Healthcare Innovation “Why Culture is the Missing Link in Scalable, Clinician-Centered IT Support”
In a recent Healthcare Innovation webinar, Adam Hall, Director of Service Desk Operations, encouraged the audience to reimagine their service desk as a strategic asset rooted in empathy, ownership, and culture.
Adam began with a powerful question, “When was the last time you felt truly seen—not just as a customer, but as a person?” That question framed the entire discussion. At CereCore, the service desk isn’t just a place to log tickets. It’s a frontline partner in delivering life-saving care. Whether it’s a clinician calling during a stressful outage or a routine request, the analyst’s response is more than technical; at CereCore, it’s human compassion mixed with problem-solving efficiency. You may not recognize it at first, but this is the key to a healthcare IT partnership that feels like a seamless integration.
Culture Is the Invisible Engine Behind Performance
One of the most compelling takeaways was the emphasis on culture as a performance driver. Adam laid out a roadmap that explored:
He challenged attendees to ask, “Is culture as critical as technology in healthcare IT? For CereCore, the answer is a resounding yes.”
Our client, Mary Rutan Health, is a testament to this strategy. Mary Rutan Health felt they were not getting the expected value from their IT support partner, and they wanted to help their IT team focus on strategic work. That’s where we came in to drive success. Read the full case study
Redefining Service Desk Excellence: A Framework for Seamless, Empathetic Partnership
To operationalize culture, we developed a foundational framework rooted in culture and core values–something we bring to every partnership.
Here’s how our team builds upward from that foundation:
This framework isn’t just theoretical, it’s lived daily. As Adam noted, “Culture is what you tolerate. You promote what you permit.”
Chris Wickersham, AVP of Support Services, emphasizes that for CereCore, it’s about “creating that strong partnership to deliver a strong end-to-end support model for the end users, which are the customers that are calling in.” His words reinforce the heart of our approach: partnership is not a concept, it’s a commitment to every caller, every moment, every outcome. Hear more from Chris Wickersham in this HealthcareNOW Radio podcast episode, “The Tate Chronicles: Live at HIMSS25 with Chris Wickersham and Mike Gordon”
Retention is a challenge in any service desk, especially with entry-level roles. CereCore tackles this by creating intentional growth paths. The goal? Ensure team members don’t just have a job, they have a future.
By aligning personal development with organizational values, CereCore fosters a sense of belonging and purpose. That’s how we retain talent and build a resilient, high-performing team.
Adam closed with a powerful reminder, “Culture beats strategy when strategy doesn’t show up.” In healthcare IT, where the stakes are high and the pace is relentless, culture fills the gaps that tools and protocols can’t.
When assessing IT help desk or clinical service desk partners, consider what lies beyond SLAs and standard performance metrics that truly support value. It’s worth asking: Which IT Services firms cultivate a culture that drives meaningful outcomes, outcomes that are grounded in empathy and a shared committment to serving providers and the patients in their care?