MGMA Insights: Julia Rosen on advancing healthcare IT for medical groups

For medical group leaders navigating complex technology decisions, Julia Rosen offers a grounded starting point: “Look at a specific business problem you’re trying to solve. Don’t chase trends.”

Rosen, who recently joined MGMA as Senior Vice President of IT, brings a wide range of experience to the role—from consulting and nonprofit work to executive leadership positions in healthcare systems. She started her career at Epic and later helped launch Colorado’s COVID mass vaccination technology. Her approach has always been the same: prioritize real-world solutions over buzzwords.

“At Centura, we were pushing innovation,” she said. “At Para Healthcare, we were focused on getting the basics right—things like reliable access to devices in the field. You have to tailor your approach to the organization.”

Start with the Problem in Front of You

Rosen advised practices—particularly small to midsize groups—not to get lost in the noise surrounding AI and emerging tech trends.

“You don’t need to read a hundred articles on AI,” she said. “If your front desk is overwhelmed, maybe start with simplifying patient registration. If documentation is pulling time away from patient care, look at tools to help there.”

Her focus is practical. “What is the business problem you’re trying to solve within your specific organization, within your specific context?” she asked. “Let’s try to solve that with the resources we have.”

Balancing Technology with Human Interaction

Even as more powerful tools become available, Rosen emphasized that the human element of care must remain central.

“One of the biggest complaints from people in all aspects of the medical practice is: I spend too much time in documentation,” she said. “And I’m documenting at night when I want to be with my family.”

She sees new documentation tools—like conversational AI—as promising. “That kind of tech can allow clinicians to focus more on the patient, not the screen,” she said. “But it’s expensive. Not every practice can afford that kind of leap.”

Still, there are smaller steps practices can take. “Speech-to-text tools like Dragon Medical One, or built-in automations in EMRs—those can save time,” she said. “The goal is to use technology to take some of the load off, so the provider can really focus on the conversation.”

Managing Infrastructure and Legacy Systems

A common challenge practices face is aging infrastructure or outdated systems layered over time. Rosen referenced lessons learned from the Southwest Airlines technology collapse, where years of incremental fixes led to a critical system failure.

“Most healthcare practices are not going to be starting from scratch,” she said. “You’re always working around legacy systems, which makes things messy. You’ve got to be strategic about data retention, migration, and access.”

She recommended thinking closely about what data really needs to be available in live systems versus archived elsewhere. “Being very careful when you’re migrating systems is key. You need to be surgical about what data clinicians really need in the new system.”

Be Prepared for Cybersecurity Threats

Rosen also addressed the recent wave of cybersecurity incidents in healthcare. Her advice to practices: prepare now, not later.

“It’s not if—it’s when,” she said. “Have immutable backups stored offsite. And make sure you actually know how to restore from those backups.”

Beyond backups, she encouraged practices to run tabletop exercises and document a full incident response plan. “How do you recover? How do you communicate? That needs to be part of your regular planning.”

For practices without in-house cybersecurity resources, Rosen noted there are vendors who can help build out a formal security program affordably. “Even smaller organizations can get real protection in place,” she said.

Improving MGMA’s Tech Experience

In her first month at MGMA, Rosen is focused on improving how members interact with MGMA’s tools and services.

“Our goal is to create a seamless user experience,” she said. “Right now, our portals and website have challenges. We know that. We’re working on it.”

One key initiative is improving system integration—so that, for example, continuing education credits from conferences are automatically tracked. “That’s something that doesn’t always work now,” she noted.

Encouraging the Next Generation of Health IT Professionals

Rosen also serves on the board of the Colorado HIMSS chapter and is committed to bringing more people into healthcare IT.

“I love being in healthcare IT. You get to work in tech and also be part of something that impacts people’s lives,” she said. “We’ve been talking about how to get more early-career folks involved—college grads or professionals transitioning from other tech fields. We want to make healthcare IT visible as a career path.”

Moving Forward

In every role, Rosen has brought the same mindset: focus on what matters to the people doing the work.

“Technology should support the people doing the work,” she said. “Not the other way around.”

For more expert insights on digital transformation, security, and operational efficiency, visit the MGMA Insights hub at mgma.com.

Resources:

• HIMSS Colorado Chapter – Julia Rosen serves on the Board
• Dragon Medical One – Speech recognition for documentation efficiency
• MGMA Membership Tools and Resources
• Julia Rosen on LinkedIn – Connect with Julia on Social
• Join MGMA Communities – Collaborate with healthcare IT leaders and practice managers
• MGMA Cybersecurity Playbook – Tools and strategies for keeping your practice safe