symplr in the Spotlight, August 2022

Each month, we provide a roundup of news, awards, and features pertaining to symplr and symplr's subject-matter experts.

Controlling healthcare costs of service: Every dollar counts

James X. Laskaris, EE, BME—a clinical advisor and expert with symplr who specializes in biomedical engineering, equipment services, and original equipment manufacturing—was published in HealthCare Business News.

Laskaris wrote that controlling costs is always a priority for hospital administrators, but now it's taking precedence over nearly every other factor of healthcare operations. Factors fueling the alarm include:

  • Over the last year, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which reflects spending patterns, increased 8.5% across the board.
  • On top of that, medical care alone has increased more than 2.7% during the same period.
  • Capital equipment vendors have published new price lists that reflect increases ranging from 3% to 10%, with some bumping pricing up to 17%.

It’s just a matter of time before these increases are felt in the costs of overall medical care, Laskaris advised. According to Laskaris, it’s important to keep in mind that the most fiscally healthy hospitals have margins that range from 4% to 6%, and that a hospital must generate $20 in revenue to make up for every dollar in costs. The bottom line, he wrote, is that the cost of treating patients is rising, and provider organizations are searching for ways to increase savings while maintaining the quality of the patient care they provide.

Today symplr is fielding a significantly higher number of requests to work with provider organizations on savings strategies related to capital and consumables.

Read the complete article.

symplr Quality expert: How to jumpstart hospital quality initiatives stalled during the pandemic

Health IT Answers published an article written by Joni Orand, Senior Quality Consultant at symplr, offering ways for healthcare quality professionals to jumpstart quality initiatives that took a back seat during the height of COVID-19. 

Designing effective quality assurance programs that promote the best possible patient outcomes requires compliance with hundreds of regulations, policies, and laws at the federal, state, and local levels, she wrote. In addition, internal strategies support quality healthcare delivery and must be reported to an organization’s governing body (e.g. the board).

Just as important, Orand reported, reimbursement under value-based payment models is based on healthcare quality and efforts to improve quality. For example, CMS’ Quality Payment Program rewards healthcare organizations for delivering quality, evidence-based care that improves outcomes while containing costs. In addition, she addressed that under CMS’ Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), Medicare payment adjustments (bonuses or penalties) are based on a clinician’s total MIPS score.

Read the full article.

symplr’s Dee Donatelli, Austin Dirks presented at AHRMM22 conference

Dee Donatelli, RN, BSN, MBA, and Austin Dirks, MBA, were selected as speakers at the Association for Healthcare Resource and Materials Management (AHRMM22) conference in August in Anaheim. The professional organization brings together clinicians, suppliers, supply chain leaders, and materials managers for an opportunity to develop partnerships and discuss ways of improving healthcare. Notable, Donatelli is a past chair of AHRMM.

This year Donatelli, senior director of spend management and a member of symplr’s Clinical Leadership Team, and Dirks, vice president of GRC/GreenLight Medical product management, led a conversation on achieving clinical alignment in value analysis and supply chain teams while overcoming disjointed processes with technology tools.  

Their presentation discussion points included the following:

  • Ways to improve clinical alignment in the new product introduction and management process
  • The critical components of a standardized approach to decision making
  • How to strategically leverage technology to improve the decision-making process

In addition, the speakers presented their co-authored white paper, “Clinical Alignment Via Decision Support,” connecting their discussion with an actionable takeaway asset for attendees. This resource will be made available for use internally at symplr and for public use in marketing materials in the weeks to come.

symplr’s Kristin Russel’s insights included in Forbes 

Professional insight from symplr’s Chief Marketing Officer Kristin Russel was included recently in Forbes magazine. Russel, along with 14 other marketing leaders across various industries, was featured in the article titled, “Follow These 15 Tips To Write More Personalized Marketing Copy.” 

The roundup offered guidance on coupling the right information with personalization techniques to connect with customers on a deeper level and thus provide a more satisfying customer experience. 

Russel’s advice centered on listening to feedback from brand surveys. She wrote:

Empathy goes a long way in branded content when working to create a connection between a company and its target audience. Brand surveys are a great way to strategically reach consumers and receive constructive feedback that can later be utilized in messaging. Utilizing informed content that resonates with your target audience can lead to more effective marketing operations that feel personal.

Read the complete article

symplr selected as one of Comparably's 2022 Best Companies for Career Growth

At symplr, we are proud to have been recognized recently as one of Comparably's Best Companies for Career Growth in 2022. As stated in symplr’s company values listed on our Careers web page, “We are open in our interactions," and our workforce continues to provide thoughtful, honest feedback that contributes to recognition such as the Career Growth Award.

Comparably's annual lists span many areas and showcase leaders and leadership teams driving positive cultural change across companies. 

Read more information about Comparably, a leading workplace culture and corporate brand reputation platform with over 15 million anonymous employee ratings on 70,000 companies.

 

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