Clayton Phillips is not an archetypal Vice President and Chief Information Officer of West Tennessee Healthcare. He is “caring,” a word not usually associated with top executives in the competitive technology space. His “caring,” however, does not have an emotional connotation; it has the will to make an impact in everything he does. Clayton believes that he was given a purpose, and fulfilling that purpose is important to him. “I not only care about my own purpose but also about the purpose of those individuals whom God has entrusted to my leadership,” he says. The personal values that guide Clayton are integrity, faith, empathy, compassion, and accountability.
For him, success means the ability to provide the necessary services and support that enable physicians and clinicians to deliver high-quality care to their community. “If we’re able to do that through the use of technology, we are then doing what is successful for the organization as a whole,” Clayton says.
The Backstory
Clayton grew up with humble beginnings in Arkansas. Placed in foster care by his birth mother, he spent nine months there before being adopted — he reconnected with both his birth mother and grandmother forty years later.
While growing up in a small town in Arkansas, IT wasn’t something Clayton thought about. At the time, he was more interested in playing Pac-Man. “If I could count the number of quarters I spent on a Pac-Man game, I probably would have quite a large nest egg saved up,” he shares. “That was all I knew about IT back then.”
Clayton enrolled at Lane College, a local HBCU, but soon ran out of money to continue his education. Determined to finish school, he told himself, “Clayton, you need to finish your education.” This resolve led him to walk into an Army recruiter’s office, where he was introduced to the role of a single-channel radio operator. Clayton recalls that one moment he was in college, and just a few months later, he found himself at a basic training camp, preparing for his two-year stint in the Army. During that time, he was trained as a single-channel radio operator, which later evolved into working as a satellite and radio operator. Prior to that, he had no exposure to technology. “I knew nothing about it in Arkansas, and then suddenly I was seeing massive pieces of communication equipment,” Clayton says.
Before he knew it, he was on an assignment where he met one of his commanding officers, Major Murray. He handed him – Clayton by then was a specialist — a book, saying, “Specialist, let’s read this book. It’s going to be something that’s going to be the wave of the future.” The book was “Computer Networking 101.” Clayton recalls reading the book and not thinking much about it at the time. “But then as I continued in my time in the military, I found out that I kind of liked this stuff,” he adds.
Later, he bought his first computer – a Packard Bell 486 featuring Windows 3.0 and Photoshop. “I was able to connect to America Online, and the rest is history,” Clayton says. “After that, at all of my duty stations in the military, my work revolved around technology.” This ultimately led him to where he is today.
Serving West Tennessee Healthcare
West Tennessee Healthcare is a public, not-for-profit healthcare system. According to Clayton, their mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of the communities they serve, and they do that by providing exceptional compassionate care. He began his journey with the organization in 2000, shortly after Y2K. At the time, he worked as a network services consultant with a third party. He and his team helped build out the network of West Tennessee’s system.
Clayton worked there for about two years until the contract was nearing its end, and his next assignment was set to be in New Jersey. However, not being fond of the cold weather, he spoke with the then-CIO about staying on. Shortly after, they hired him as a senior network engineer. He aspired to the CIO position at West Tennessee.
After about five years of working at the organization, Clayton realized that the then-CIO would not be leaving anytime soon. So, he decided to branch off and start his own company – Phillips Network Engineering Incorporated. Through this company, he provided network services not only for the hospital but also for municipalities in the area.
When he was running his business, Clayton spent much of his time on the road, offering services, accomplishing jobs, and supporting various organizations. Clayton points out that returning to West Tennessee meant getting back behind a desk, but he accepted the position. He has been serving the organization for almost six years now, having started in 2018. “I love this organization. I love the mission and vision of the organization,” Clayton says. He further adds, “I received a call to return to my former position as a security architect and network manager. Later, promoted to Director and then CIO.”
“I wholeheartedly believe that God has blessed me with the opportunity to serve and support this organization in my role,” he adds.
Growth of the Company
For almost six years, the company’s growth was driven by James Ross, a leader who demonstrated strategic planning and acquisitions, according to Clayton. He passed away in September 2024, and they now have a new leader, Tina Prescott. She was his shadow and served as their chief operating officer, and now, she continues to carry that torch.
Clayton sees their growth as an organization through the acquisition of other hospitals and smaller clinics. Following these acquisitions, not only the operations and facilities but also the personnel join the organization, he explains. Initially – and to some extent even now — they operate as a lean shop. “Being a lean operation, we’ve learned to adapt,” Clayton says. “I often tell my directors, ‘it’s both a blessing and a curse.’ We take on projects and ensure they are delivered successfully.”
He believes that their growth is driven by the professionals who deliver the services and support essential for the organization to thrive. “I see us [IT Team] as a service line — dedicated to supporting whatever the organization requires to achieve growth,” Clayton says.
“Without the technology and the growth within my team, I don’t believe the organization could have sustained the level of growth we’ve achieved during the last six years,” he adds.
A People Person’s Greatest Achievement
Clayton is a people person. Back in his younger days when he was a young Sergeant in the Army, he was introduced to the three-legged model – people, processes, and technology. “And what I learned from that is that people by far is the most important component for me,” Clayton says. He considers the “creation of his team” one of his greatest achievements. He points out that he has a team of highly dedicated professionals, and they are subject matter experts in their particular areas.
“And what I tell them all the time is that I’m not the subject matter expert, and I rely heavily on them,” says Clayton. He earlier didn’t like to delegate, but now, he is comfortable with letting go some of his responsibilities. This shift in approach has allowed him to create a team that can take on tasks he delegates, allowing him to focus more on his role as the strategic visionary for the organization’s IT department.
The Diary of a CIO
Clayton’s regular day involves reviewing dashboards to ensure that different areas of their operation maintain the necessary support. His days are usually filled with meetings, but he makes sure to carve out some time for reading an article a day about technology. According to Clayton, his days also involve meeting with his direct reports. “I do this biweekly or have conversations throughout most days regarding various matters,” he adds.
A major part of Clayton’s workday is dedicated to addressing tasks within his responsibilities as the CIO. He points out that his team is robust, and they manage most issues, but issues they can’t resolve at their level come to him daily. Clayton often reminds them, “If there are deadlocks or something you can’t get done, make sure to bring it to me.” He also meets with his peers at the C-level to ensure they are getting what they need from IT. Clayton points out that he maintains an open-door policy.
One unique part of his week is Wednesdays, which he considers his favorite day. Some time ago, Clayton decided to dedicate this day to be with his team. “My office is geographically located about two miles from the IT building where my staff is based,” he says. “So, every Wednesday, I set up in a central location there just to be visible.”
Clayton makes an effort to put himself in the other person’s shoes because, according to him, one never knows what someone might be going through. That’s why, on Wednesdays, he listens to both the good and the bad stories and makes sure to show empathy to those who need it. He considers himself a caring and compassionate person. Clayton is also very team-oriented.
“Much of my day involves following up with peers and addressing open tickets or other issues that need my direct attention,” he says. “No day is ever dull, and no two days are the same. I might start the day with a to-do list, accomplish one item, and then add three more.”
The vision and the mission of Tennessee Healthcare keeps Clayton motivated. He believes that once one adopts an organization’s vision and mission, they develop a passion for providing service and support that aligns with those goals. Clayton maintains a work-life balance by prioritizing both his professional responsibilities and his personal time. He schedules time in his calendar for personal activities so that he does not neglect them.
“I believe in work-life balance,” Clayton says. “I used to be that person who was thinking about the office 24/7, and it gave me migraines. I’ve learned to let go and create clear boundaries — when I’m at home, I’m at home. When I’m on vacation, I’m on vacation.”
Goals for the Future
Clayton wants to continue working as CIO, ensuring that West Tennessee Healthcare reaches its highest peak and potential in delivering care to the communities they serve. In addition, he intends to drive innovation for the organization. According to him, when he talks about innovation, he means exploring new and emerging technologies to deliver care for their constituents. Clayton’s other goals include remaining robust in the area of cybersecurity and improving team development and talent development.
Clayton shares that throughout his career as a network engineer, he has been to various places — training, classes, and conferences — and most of the time, he is the only African-American in attendance. “I want to start seeing more of us in those areas,” he adds. “So, a mentoring program is also a personal goal of mine.” Clayton currently mentors a few young African-American males in the field of technology, providing them with a high-level overview of the opportunities available to them. “My goal is to help them understand they can be servant leaders and strategic thinkers who can create success wherever they go, whether in different organizations or branches,” Clayton says.
Clayton knows that he won’t be in the CIO position forever, so his goal for his team is to ensure they continue being successful after he is off the scene. According to him, when he leaves or pursues other avenues, he want them to be able to use what he has given them, taught them, or shared with them to move forward and make things even better than when he left.
Personally, Clayton believes in giving back to the community, and he also wants to do more in this area. Currently, he serves in his church as a Sunday school teacher and leads a men’s ministry. He says, “I want to give more to these areas as well.”
Message to aspiring leaders.
Clayton advises aspiring leaders to make integrity one of their core values. He encourages them to have a vision. “Without a vision, people perish,” he says. He also tells aspiring leaders to continue to stay relevant by embracing continuous learning. He adds, “You can do this by connecting with like-minded professionals, finding a mentor, and being a mentor yourself. It’s a two-edged sword — you’re learning from those with greater skill sets than yours, while teaching those coming up behind you, creating a waterfall effect.”
Clayton finally advises aspiring leaders to have a passion for what they are doing. “Align yourself with an organization whose vision and mission you can truly adopt,” he says. “When you do this, you look forward to getting up and going to work each day.”
