Ricardo Blanco is deputy executive commissioner of IT and CIO for the Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) system, which includes the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and the Department of State Health Services (DSHS).
Blanco first took on the role in August 2019. Since taking on the job, he has overseen the agency’s IT division, directed various innovation efforts and developed standards and methodologies for system development and the integration of client and server applications, according to his LinkedIn profile.
HHS has an IT biennial budget of $1.7 billion and 1,986 employees.
Industry Insider — Texas: As CIO of your organization, how do you describe your role?
Blanco: As the CIO for Texas Health and Human Services Commission, I’m responsible for our agency’s IT assets, which include the infrastructure, tools and applications that support our business operations and allow customers to access our services. I also act as a consultative partner to our program areas, ensuring IT’s projects and initiatives provide business value and are connected to the overall agency strategy.
Industry Insider — Texas: How have the role and responsibilities of the CIO changed in recent years?
Blanco: The role of CIO has changed as the agency’s dependency on technology has increased. Technology plays an essential function in every facet of the workday, which drives the role of CIO to be more business-focused. We’re no longer just selecting and managing IT solutions; we must understand the overall business strategy and then translate it into the technology road map.
Industry Insider — Texas: In your tenure in this position, which project or achievement are you most proud of?
Blanco: We’ve had more recent successes, but our response to COVID-19 stands out for me because it was unprecedented. One day, it was business as usual. The next, we were deploying new services and tools for over 40,000 newly remote staff — all while adjusting to the new normal, just like everyone else.
Some examples:
- We upgraded our network for a more robust VPN.
- We rolled out Microsoft Teams months ahead of schedule.
- We pushed out a self-service ticketing system to negate the volume of calls to the help desk, which had increased by over 70 percent in just one month.
- We also imaged and provisioned over 15,000 laptops and developed new processes along the way.
Our other focus was on our HHS applications. Existing, critical applications needed constant updating to comply with rapidly changing requirements. Meanwhile, we were designing and developing entirely new systems — including Texas Health Trace (THT), a vaccine and allocation and ordering system, client encounter system (CES), and an award-winning Infectious Diseases Data Integration (IDDI) — all of which played key roles in combating the impact of COVID-19 and safeguarding the health of Texans.
Every IT team played a role. I was and continue to be proud of them — and not just in the services that they delivered, but in the way they delivered them. The challenges that we faced during the pandemic — both professionally and personally — brought us closer together as a division. The social capital gained during that challenging period continues to compound years later, and I believe it has played a huge role in the success of our more recent projects.
Industry Insider — Texas: What projects will you be looking to fund in the next biennium? Do you have exceptional requests that may be before the Legislature?
Blanco: We’re requesting funding for application modernization and a more robust cybersecurity program.
Application modernization includes migrating the Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System (TIERS) suite of applications to the cloud, as well as replacing antiquated applications with new solutions that can be easily integrated with current technologies. We’re also requesting funding for a modern fax solution to improve service availability, scalability and ease of use. Finally, the funding will transform and consolidate facilities, server platforms, mainframes, data storage management and data center print and mail, which will result in increased security and lowered costs, among other benefits.
For our cybersecurity request, our approach is simple: leave no system vulnerable. Multiple methods of attack require layered defenses. We’re asking for a Cybersecurity Operations Center for providing 24/7/365 active monitoring and alerting. We also want to expand our endpoint data loss prevention technology to better protect agency data and obtain a scanning platform to prevent unauthorized access of agency assets.
Additionally, we’re asking for resources to develop HIPAA system security plans and a solution to continuously monitor the agency’s 700+ applications, as well as a Vulnerability Management Program that will enable comprehensive and continuous identification and ranking of vulnerabilities. Finally, we’re requesting funding to implement penetration testing for web applications. This will help identify strengths in the environment and remediate potential vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
Industry Insider — Texas: What big initiatives or projects are coming up? What sorts of developing opportunities and RFPs should we be watching for in the next six to 12 months?
Blanco: To modernize Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS) modules and applications, HHSC competitively procured three contracts to support business operations, claims adjudication and financial services and application maintenance and development of modernized Medicaid enterprise systems (MES). This initiative will achieve the Medicaid program’s desired outcomes, drive business innovation, replace inefficient system-driven processes and transition away from expensive, aging data center systems and infrastructure. The transition to MES includes minimal customization, movement to national standard code sets, and implementation and integration of a modern claims system.
Identity and access management modernization are also on the horizon. Beginning late this summer, IAMOnline will become the single point of entry for over 300 HHS applications, using single sign-on (SSO) functionality and self-service password management for easy accessibility. The site will also streamline access management processes by sending approver reminders, delegating role-level access and implementing web-based/integrated approvals. Business reports and access recertification will become automated. Modern reporting capabilities are also in place to enhance our security posture. Last but not least, it’s simply more user-friendly than our current solution.
As for developing opportunities, you can read about them on our Procurement Opportunities page.
Industry Insider — Texas: How do you define “digital transformation?” How far along is your organization in that process, and how will you know when it's finished?
Blanco: I define digital transformation as “an evolution in the way we work” because there’s much more to it than just the technological component. There’s a human element too, and this can be an organization’s greatest hurdle. However, we’ve turned it into our greatest strength. Every transformation discussion opens with “How will employees react to this change?,” “How will customers be impacted?” and “How can this technology evolve to meet the ever-changing expectations of our employees and customers?”
This human-centered approach gives us the insight to develop the best strategy for uniting the needs of people with the power of technology. It also strengthens our dedication to the mission. Every rough patch, every challenge, is worth overcoming — because at the end of the day, we know we’re transforming the lives of the people that we serve.
To answer the second part of the question — how far along are we and when will it finish — that’s impossible to answer because there is no ending. The digital landscape and its capabilities are dynamic and fluid — and so are its threats. Business and customer needs are always evolving too. The pandemic is a great example of that. For that reason, we’re always keeping one eye on the wheel and the other on the road ahead. Our services, our systems, our data security and the overall customer experience demand it.
Industry Insider — Texas: What is your estimated IT budget, and how many employees do you have? What is the overall budget?
Blanco: We currently oversee an IT biennial budget of $1.7 billion (operating and capital projects), with 1,986 staff (state staff and staff augmentation resources).
Industry Insider — Texas: What do you think is the greatest technology challenge in Texas?
Blanco: Workforce shortages — particularly in the public sector. The practice of remote working has been a blessing and a curse in that sense. Our division has applied the practice liberally, with great results. But so has the private sector. This means whereas we were once competing with the Texas private sector for talent, we’re now competing with private-sector organizations throughout the country.
Industry Insider — Texas: What advice would you give to someone who would like to lead an IT department?
Blanco: Highly technical with an eye for innovation, strategy, diplomacy and business are great traits to have. The necessary funding, well-defined business goals and a talented team are also ideal. Aside from that, implement practices and activities that allow staff to form connections and establish trust. Social capital is like Miracle-Gro for your workforce. No other factor can better predict a desirable outcome. It is the key ingredient for creating a happy, productive workforce and delivering only the best solutions imaginable.
Industry Insider — Texas: How do you prefer to be contacted by vendors?
Blanco: Vendors can connect with me by email: ricardo.blanco@hhs.texas.gov.
Industry Insider — Texas: How might vendors best educate themselves before meeting with you?
Blanco: You can find my bio on the Texas Health and Human Services website.
Industry Insider — Texas: What conferences do you attend?
Blanco: The Texas Association of State Systems for Computing and Communications (TASSCC) State of the State Conference, the TASSCC Technology Education Conference, the Department of Information Resources-sponsored events and various Gartner conferences.
Industry Insider — Texas: What are you reading or listening to for fun? What do you do to unplug in your downtime?
Blanco: I’m reading Leaders Eat Last, a very insightful book about why we need great leadership, what it looks like and how we suffer without it. I enjoy spending time with my family. I enjoy hopping on my tractor and working on my ranch. I also enjoy cooking, traveling, sculpting and rooting for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who were robbed of the playoffs because of a 50-yard kick in the Dolphins-Jets game.
