Not every game-changer makes headlines.
Some leaders prefer to let their work do the talking—and James Feen is exactly that kind of person.
As Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President at Southcoast Health, Feen has spent over 25 years transforming how healthcare technology works, helping doctors save time, patients get better care, and hospitals run more efficiently.
You won’t find him chasing social media fame or giving flashy TED Talks. Instead, he’s the tech quarterback behind the scenes at one of Southeastern Massachusetts’ largest healthcare systems, quietly building systems that actually work.
In this comprehensive guide, you’ll discover who James Feen is, what makes his approach to healthcare IT different, and why his quiet leadership style is changing the industry—one smart decision at a time.
Let’s dive in.
Who Is James Feen?
James Feen is a technology leader with more than 25 years of experience in healthcare IT, currently serving as CIO and Senior Vice President at Southcoast Health, a nonprofit health system in Southeastern Massachusetts.
Here’s what makes him different from typical tech executives:
Southcoast Health operates three hospitals and employs over 450 physicians across Southeastern Massachusetts. Managing technology for an organization of this size means dealing with massive amounts of data, complex systems, and thousands of people depending on reliable technology every single day.
As CIO, Feen oversees digital operations including cybersecurity, DevOps, application development, and data systems. But he doesn’t just manage technology—he connects all the moving pieces so that doctors, nurses, and patients actually benefit.
Think of him as the person who makes sure your doctor can access your medical records instantly, that your telehealth appointment doesn’t crash mid-conversation, and that the hospital’s systems don’t go down when they’re needed most.
Early Career: From Emergency Rooms to IT Leadership
James Feen didn’t start his career behind a computer screen.
He began as an Emergency Department Unit Coordinator at HealthAlliance Hospital, where he gained firsthand experience in patient care coordination and saw the operational challenges of hospital systems up close.
This early exposure to healthcare workflows gave him something most IT executives lack: a deep understanding of what actually happens in hospitals.
He saw the frustrations. The inefficiencies. The systems that didn’t talk to each other. The technology that made doctors’ jobs harder instead of easier.
That experience lit a fire.
Recognizing the need for better systems to support clinical staff, Feen transitioned to MEDITECH, where he served as a Senior Supervisor. He spent nearly a decade working on the vendor side of healthcare IT, gaining hands-on experience implementing clinical systems and supporting hospital workflows across North America.
But working with hospitals wasn’t enough.
Feen wanted to see the full life cycle of his work—all the way down to the impact on actual patients. He wanted to experience and influence healthcare outcomes more directly.
So in 2008, he made a career-defining decision: He joined Southcoast Health, and over the years held multiple roles including Executive Director/Associate CIO before becoming Senior Vice President and CIO.
That move changed everything.
James Feen’s Role at Southcoast Health
Let’s be clear about something: being a healthcare CIO in 2025 is nothing like it was 15 years ago.
The responsibilities have expanded dramatically, requiring leaders to wear multiple hats as strategists, innovators, problem-solvers, and collaborators.
Here’s what James Feen is responsible for at Southcoast Health:
Shaping Digital Strategy
Feen oversees the full spectrum of digital strategy—from electronic health record optimization to telehealth expansion, ensuring every initiative enhances patient care.
Managing Complex Infrastructure
Think about it: three hospitals, 450+ physicians, 55+ locations, thousands of employees, and hundreds of thousands of patients. Feen successfully consolidated multiple electronic health record systems into Epic, a unified EMR that now connects all Southcoast Health’s providers across all sites.
Driving Innovation
Feen introduced DevOps practices and spearheaded the creation of an in-house application development team. This team has created over 40 workflow applications designed to address operational needs, such as optimizing patient movement from emergency departments to operating rooms.
Ensuring Cybersecurity
With increasing reliance on digital systems, Feen has implemented comprehensive cybersecurity programs to protect sensitive patient data and ensure compliance with healthcare regulations.
But here’s what separates Feen from other healthcare tech leaders:
He doesn’t implement technology for technology’s sake.
The Philosophy Behind the Technology
James Feen’s vision is simple yet powerful: technology should serve clinicians and patients, not the other way around.
Read that again, because it’s the core of everything he does.
Most healthcare IT projects fail because they prioritize the system over the people using it. Doctors end up spending more time clicking buttons than talking to patients. Nurses get frustrated with clunky interfaces. Patients can’t figure out how to book appointments online.
Feen takes the opposite approach.
He says clinicians are constantly thinking and operating in “process improvement mode,” making his role both challenging and exciting because they’re always seeking ease of use and a better user experience.
His guiding principles include:
Patient-Centered Technology
Every technology investment must have a direct purpose tied to patient health outcomes. If it doesn’t help patients, it doesn’t get implemented.
Clinician-Centric Systems
Streamlining interfaces to reduce clinician stress and administrative workload. Feen believes healthcare leaders owe care providers much greater time and energy spent on making things easier for them to enhance focus on the patient.
Real Problem-Solving
Feen doesn’t believe in using technology just because it’s “new”—he believes in using it to solve real problems.
As Feen explains, his experience working on the vendor side showed him the gap that exists when vendors design technology based on what they think they know about healthcare operations, rather than actual clinical needs.
That insight changed how he leads.
Major Projects and Digital Transformation Initiatives
Talk is cheap. Results matter.
So what has James Feen actually accomplished at Southcoast Health? Let’s look at the major projects:
Epic EHR Implementation
One of Feen’s most significant accomplishments was consolidating multiple electronic health record systems into Epic, now connecting Southcoast Health’s 450 providers across 55 sites.
This wasn’t just a tech upgrade—it was a complete transformation of how information flows through the organization.
The result? Improved patient safety and data accuracy, despite challenges of cost, integration, and user adaptation.
Custom Application Development
Here’s where things get interesting.
Southcoast Health’s app development team, led under Feen’s direction, has created over 40 workflow applications addressing various operational needs.
These aren’t generic, off-the-shelf solutions. They’re custom-built tools designed to solve specific problems Southcoast Health faces every day.
Feen strategically applies DevOps to solve niche problems in areas where automation can deliver better results—problems that may not be readily understood, defined, or available in the open market.
Telehealth Transformation During COVID-19
When the pandemic hit, healthcare systems had to pivot fast.
Feen’s team launched virtual care tools quickly during COVID, helping thousands of patients receive care from home.
In the height of the pandemic, Feen realized their approach to patient call centers was a weakness—they had 37 independently managed call centers supporting specialties. The inefficiencies became magnified when launching telehealth and mass-vaccination programs.
His solution? A complete overhaul of the contact center system.
This required full support from the CEO through the entire organization, collaboration with providers and office staff, and listening to the Patient and Family Advisory Committee.
The result transformed patient access and experience at Southcoast Health.
Data Governance and Interoperability
Feen’s focus on data governance has enabled Southcoast Health to break down data silos and improve data sharing across departments.
Through industry-standard protocols and integration platforms, Feen enables smooth data sharing across departments and facilities, real-time access to complete patient histories, and improved care coordination between specialists and primary care providers.
Infrastructure Modernization
Feen quietly improved the hospital’s tech backbone, making systems more stable and reducing downtime.
Not sexy. Not headline-grabbing. But absolutely critical for a healthcare system that can’t afford technology failures.
Recognition and Awards
The work speaks for itself.
Southcoast Health reached CHIME Digital Health Awards Level 10 recognition for its digital capabilities, marking it as a leading institution in technology-driven healthcare.
Leadership Style: Why It Works
James Feen’s leadership style is different from what you’d expect from a typical tech executive.
He fosters collaboration, encourages innovation, and ensures technology aligns with organizational goals and patient needs.
Here’s what makes his approach effective:
Stakeholder Inclusion
Feen’s primary method for measuring IT value begins with an IT governance model that engages key stakeholders and care center groups across the organization, allowing them to take control of their IT project work.
The governance process centers around guiding principles reinforcing patient-centered and value-centered approaches.
Continuous Improvement Mindset
Feen treats transformation not as a one-off project but as an ongoing journey, always refining and iterating.
Empathy for End Users
He often frames choices by their human impact—how many clicks physicians must make, how patients experience portals, how staff are affected by change.
Calm Problem-Solving
Things break and new tech doesn’t always work right away, but Feen doesn’t panic—he takes a deep breath, listens to his team, and finds smart, simple solutions.
Mentorship and Team Development
Feen believes the future of healthcare tech depends on the next generation of leaders, so he spends time mentoring interns, junior developers, and clinical IT staff.
He creates a work culture where people feel safe to speak up, try new ideas, and learn from mistakes, with a simple message: good ideas can come from anyone.
Influence and Inspiration
When asked about his biggest influence, Feen credits his former boss Linda Bodenmann as a brilliant mind, motivator, strategist, and doer who pushed him and many around him to simply be better and achieve things for patients and the greater good.
Navigating Healthcare IT Challenges
Leading healthcare IT isn’t for the faint of heart.
Feen faces multiple complex challenges including balancing security and usability, resource constraints requiring project prioritization, data governance questions around ownership and access rights, and keeping momentum during maintenance phases after big rollouts.
The Security vs. Usability Dilemma
Tight security is essential, but overly burdensome controls can slow care delivery, so Feen must craft secure but reasonably fluid user pathways.
Resource Constraints
The total volume of requested IT work exceeds their ability to deliver (sound familiar?).
Feen must play the role of “filter”—saying no or deferring lower-value projects to focus on high-impact ones.
Managing Change Resistance
Implementing digital transformation faces challenges like resistance to change, which Feen addresses by engaging staff through training, communication, and collaboration to ensure smoother adoption of new systems.
Crisis Management
One big challenge came during a time of fast growth when different departments used systems that didn’t work well together. Instead of a quick fix, Feen led a full integration plan that took time but resulted in easier data sharing, saving time and reducing errors.
Another test came during the pandemic when everything had to go digital fast, and Feen led the move to telehealth and remote care.
The Future Vision: What’s Next for Healthcare Technology
James Feen isn’t resting on past accomplishments.
His goal is clear: build a healthcare system that’s more connected, more helpful, and more human.
Here’s what he’s focused on:
Artificial Intelligence and Predictive Analytics
Scaling AI and predictive analytics by seamlessly embedding intelligent machines into care pathways.
Feen is committed to advancing the use of AI and machine learning, which have the potential to revolutionize patient care by providing more accurate diagnoses, predicting patient outcomes, and optimizing treatment plans.
Expanding Remote Patient Care
Growing and diversifying telehealth capabilities to make healthcare more accessible.
Wearable Device Integration
Developing patient dashboards that aggregate data from personal health devices, giving patients more control over their own health information.
Data-Driven Operations
Integrating analytics into everything from staff management to supply chain operations.
Feen’s focus for the coming years includes expanding Southcoast Health’s enterprise analytics strategy to improve self-service reporting and eliminate data silos, believing that empowering healthcare professionals with better data access can further enhance care quality and operational efficiency.
Building a Lasting Foundation
Feen is dedicated to creating a robust digital baseplate—one that can evolve to accommodate new technologies while keeping patients in balance.
In Feen’s vision, technology is never the star—it’s the support system that helps real people do real work.
Frequently Asked Questions About James Feen
What is James Feen’s current role?
James Feen serves as Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President at Southcoast Health, a nonprofit health system in Southeastern Massachusetts operating three hospitals with over 450 physicians.
How did James Feen get into healthcare IT?
Feen began his career as an Emergency Department Unit Coordinator at HealthAlliance Hospital, where firsthand exposure to operational challenges inspired him to pursue healthcare IT. He then transitioned to MEDITECH as a Senior Supervisor before joining Southcoast Health in 2008.
What makes James Feen’s leadership approach different?
Feen’s philosophy is that technology should serve clinicians and patients, not the other way around. He focuses on patient-centered outcomes, clinician-friendly systems, and solving real problems rather than implementing technology for its own sake.
What major projects has James Feen led at Southcoast Health?
Major accomplishments include consolidating multiple EHR systems into Epic across 450 providers and 55 sites, creating over 40 custom workflow applications, rapidly implementing telehealth during COVID-19, and transforming the patient contact center system from 37 separate call centers into a unified service center.
What is James Feen’s vision for the future of healthcare technology?
Feen’s future focus includes scaling AI and predictive analytics, growing remote patient care capabilities, integrating wearable device data, and driving data-driven operations across all aspects of healthcare delivery.
Final Thoughts: The Power of Quiet Leadership
In a world obsessed with viral moments and flashy announcements, James Feen represents something different: the power of quiet, consistent, meaningful work.
James Feen represents a new generation of healthcare IT executives—unsung in general press, yet irreplaceable inside the industry.
His career at Southcoast Health combines technical solidity, strategic acumen, and passionate concern for patient wellbeing.
The lesson here isn’t just about healthcare technology. It’s about leadership that prioritizes impact over attention, substance over style, and patient outcomes over personal recognition.
As healthcare continues its digital transformation, leaders like James Feen will be the ones who actually make it work—not because they’re chasing headlines, but because they’re solving real problems for real people.
