Business Environment

Experts at Assocham’s ‘Illness To Wellness’ Summit put focus on investment in healthcare workforce

ASSOCHAM Foundation for CSR, under the aegis of Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), one of the apex trade associations of India, kick-started the first edition of the Awareness Summit on ‘Illness to Wellness’ in New Delhi on 22 March. The key objective of the two-day summit is to initiate a dialogue on promoting and building a ‘New India–Healthy India’. The first session on day one of the summit saw a panel of distinguished experts discuss the possible ways to strengthen the healthcare workforce with the objective to ease the healthcare burden of the country. In his address during the inaugural session, the Guest of Honour Bhubaneswar Kalita, Chairperson, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare, Government of India said, “Making healthcare affordable, accessible and available to all can help us attain the Sustainable Development Goal of ensuring healthy life and promoting well-being for all age groups. Our main challenge is the lack of a diversified and qualified workforce and we must work towards improving the status quo as workforce is the soul of our healthcare system. There should also be a focus on improving women’s health for larger interest of families, communities and nation in order to reduce the burden on public healthcare infrastructure and spending.” Sharing his thoughts during the inaugural session, Anil Rajput, Chairperson, ASSOCHAM National CSR Council, said, “India is at the cusp of an exciting and transformative time as it aims to reach $26 trillion in economic prosperity in its Amrit Kaal. I strongly believe that when the workforce is healthy and capable, our nation can achieve its full potential across all domains.” Dr G. C. Khilnani, Chairman, PSRI Institute of Pulmonary, Critical and Sleep Medicine and Former Professor & Head, Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, AIIMS, New Delhi, said, “Although ramping up the infrastructure is important, outcomes will not improve if adequate attention is not paid to enhancing the quality of health workforce, especially the staff nurses.” Joining the session virtually, (Padma Bhushan) Dr S. K. Sarin, Senior Professor, Department of Hepatology & Director, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, said, “Creating a healthier generation is not doctors’ effort alone; it is a team effort. Instead of following a pyramid structure, we should adopt a bottom-up approach, starting from villages. We should utilize ASHA workers to better document and understand the healthcare needs of our citizens.” (Padma Bhushan) Dr T. S. Kler, Chairman, Fortis Heart and Vascular Institute, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram & Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj, said, “Policies should be in place to ensure decent pay packages and respect for the crucial healthcare workers. Besides this, it is also important to reduce the healthcare burden of the country by allowing euthanasia. Introducing policies related to mandatory insurance, minimum health curriculum in schools and decreasing reservation should also be considered.”

St. Croix Hospice Chief Clinical Officer Mandy Cogswell Honored with 2023 Women in Business Award

St. Croix Hospice’s Chief Clinical Officer (CCO) Mandy Cogswell, RN, CHPN, has been recognized by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal as one of the honorees for their 2023 Women in Business Award. Announced annually, this award recognizes industry-leading executives, entrepreneurs and business owners for their professional successes and community involvement. “Since the opening of St. Croix Hospice in 2009, Mandy Cogswell has played an integral role in the organization’s high quality clinical care—first as a hospice RN and now as Chief Clinical Officer,” says St. Croix Hospice Founder and CEO Heath Bartness. “Her background working directly with patients has given her an unmatched perspective, making her highly effective in leading our clinical team and leading us to becoming one of the highest quality hospice programs in the country.” As Chief Clinical Officer, Mandy Cogswell has led countless efforts to expand and strengthen clinical services that best meet the needs of patients and families. In recent years, Mandy has overseen the launch of multiple unique and innovative specialty care programs including the North Star Dementia Program, Voyage Vigil Program, BridgeCare, Navigate: Falls Prevention Program, Safe+Care Promise and the InTouch Family Connection Program. Mandy has also led efforts at St. Croix Hospice to deploy MUSE, a machine learning software that supports clinicians’ ability to predict and respond to patient needs. “My career has always been driven by my commitment to patient-centered nursing, and my experience leading clinical operations for St. Croix Hospice continually fortifies the passion I have for my work,” says Mandy. “It is a great honor to be one of this year’s Women in Business and to be recognized for my work at the intersection of business and clinical care.”

Mercy Named Top Health Care Provider for Supply Chain Excellence

Mercy was recently recognized by health care supply chain leader Global Healthcare Exchange (GHX) as a “Best 50” health care provider for supply chain excellence. “This speaks to Mercy’s commitment to delivering affordable, quality patient care by driving the highest levels of efficiency within our hospital system,” said Lori Pilla, Mercy’s chief supply chain officer. “This is a true testament to our focus, hard work and diligence in reducing costs, mitigating inflationary increases and choosing suppliers who are fully committed to helping us deliver on our mission to provide quality care to our patients. We are honored to be nominated and in the company of so many other top supply chain organizations in the country.” For the past 15 years, GHX has spotlighted the top North American hospitals and health systems working to improve patient care through supply chain automation and innovation. Honorees are selected from a pool of more than 4,100 provider organizations connected to the GHX digital trading platform. The top performing organizations are identified and ranked based on key supply chain metrics such as purchasing volume, exception rates, exchange utilization and number of trading partner connections during the 2022 calendar year. In the early 2000s, long before many health systems had organized logistics, Mercy supply chain leaders envisioned ways to make the supply chain more efficient and responsive to the needs of providers and patients. Those leaders, including former Mercy President and CEO Lynn Britton, who currently serves as executive chair of Mercy’s board, sketched out a strategic approach that internalized and integrated critical facets of the supply chain. Since then, Mercy’s supply chain has delivered more than $1 billion in savings and helped others transform their supply chain into a strategic asset for cost savings. “Supply chain innovation is a series of small improvements that produce significant impact,” said Tina Vatanka Murphy, GHX president and CEO. “This year’s GHX Best 50 honorees demonstrate what’s possible with focused determination for delivering affordable, quality patient care for all. As the industry continues to navigate a challenging year, organizations like Mercy are well positioned to realize the benefits of stronger, more resilient supply chains.”

XTM Launches Wage Incentive Program for Healthcare Workers Across North America

XTM Inc. a Miami and Toronto-based Fintech creator of disruptive payment innovations and staff management solutions to inspire today’s workers in the hospitality, personal care and service space announced that it is product ready and, by leveraging its Payfare relationship for US banking and processing, is offering valued health care workers monetary bonus incentives for fill-in and surge shifts through its Timely™ product, a digital featurization built upon the Today Financial™ Platform. XTM’s fintech platform supports a number of correlated products designed to inspire today’s workers, including Today Pay and Timely, an integrated staff management platform based upon BookJane’s software as a service for healthcare. With the time and attendance, geo-location and additional worker data aggregated through Timely, operators will leverage XTM’s gamification feature to incentivize healthcare workers with bonuses, flash-rewards and early pay. “We are very excited about the introduction of our proven inspiration and rewards program to a hard-working vertical who are in much need of inspiration and rewarding solutions,” said Marilyn Schaffer, CEO, XTM. “Healthcare is an essential service, in Canada, in the US and all over the globe. Through our integration and relationship with BookJane, we are setting out to create excitement within BookJane’s 50,000+ healthcare users, generating renewed vigor in this sector, while realizing shareholder reward for U.S. traction.” “We have been focused on the healthcare industry for the past seven years, working with many healthcare customers across North America to increase overall employee engagement,” said Curtis Khan, CEO and Founder, BookJane Inc. “XTM’s Timely will further drive this engagement and will definitely help our customers with their labor challenges. Any solution that can encourage their team members to accept just one more shift will have significant impact on the Healthcare industry.”

HEALTHTRUST NAMED TO BECKER’S TOP 150 PLACES TO WORK IN HEALTHCARE

HealthTrust Performance GroupSM, a leading healthcare performance improvement company, today announced it has been named to Becker’s Healthcare’s Top 150 Places to Work in Healthcare list, which highlights hospitals, health systems and healthcare companies that promote diversity within the workforce, employee engagement and professional growth. “On behalf of all of us at HealthTrust, it is a great honor to receive this recognition from Becker’s Healthcare for all we have done to prioritize our employees, members and partners,” said Ed Jones, President and CEO of HealthTrust. “A pillar of our culture is ‘care like family,’ and we are committed to providing opportunities for our teams to grow professionally as we seek to ensure an inclusive and respectful workplace for all.” HealthTrust was recognized on the list for its support of nearly 10,000 employees through the company’s values of ethics, sustainability, integrity and culture, all while maintaining a supportive, high-impact environment to advance the improvement of health. To support the company’s strategic efforts, HealthTrust fosters a workplace culture of agility, resilience and accountability, while also further amplifying its efforts on diversity and inclusion, and environmental, social and corporate governance stewardship. The Top 150 Places to Work in Healthcare list features hospitals and companies that offer benefits and opportunities for employees to build successful careers above and beyond the average organization – encouraging professional development and promoting leadership from within. Becker’s Healthcare also honors organizations that offer substantial wellness and personal benefits to ensure employees strike a positive work/life balance in addition to recognizing organizations with a mission of volunteerism and giving back.

BioCare, Inc. Named to 2023 Financial Times List of The Americas’ Fastest Growing Companies

BioCare, Inc., a leading specialty pharmaceutical distribution partner that provides distribution, specialty pharmacy, and logistics services, has been recognized by the Financial Times as one of “The Americas’ Fastest Growing Companies 2023.” The list, compiled by the Financial Times with research company Statista, ranks the top 500 companies in the Americas that have achieved the highest compound annual growth in revenues between 2018 and 2021. “We are honored to be recognized as one of America’s Fastest Growing Companies by the Financial Times. This recognition is a testament to our team’s dedication to providing exceptional service and solutions to our partners,” said BioCare Inc. CEO Linda Matthews. “We are committed to bringing expanded offerings and strategies to our customers. Our goal is to continuously anticipate and exceed their evolving needs.” The data was collected via desk research in official sources like publicly available earning presentations, investor relations, websites, and annual reports. Across 20 countries, over 7,000 companies were examined. To be included in the list of the Americas’ Fastest-Growing Companies, a company had to meet the following criteria: Revenue of at least $100,000 generated in 2018 (or currency value equivalent according to the average of the actual fiscal year). Revenue of at least $1.5 million generated in 2021 (or currency value equivalent according to the average of the actual fiscal year). An independent entity (not a subsidiary or branch office of any kind). Revenue growth between 2018 and 2021 that was primarily organic (ie “internally” stimulated). Headquartered in one of 20 American countries. Companies from these countries were eligible to participate: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the US, Uruguay, Venezuela.

Medifast Named to Financial Times’ List of The Americas’ Fastest Growing Companies

Medifast the global company behind one of the fastest-growing health and wellness communities, OPTAVIA®, announced that it has been ranked by Financial Times as one of The Americas’ Fastest Growing Companies based on compound annual growth in revenues from 2018 to 2021. “Medifast has been a leader in the health and wellness industry for more than 40 years, during which time our simple yet comprehensive approach has resonated with more than two million people,” said Dan Chard, Chairman and CEO of Medifast. “Over the years, we have evolved how we support people on their health journeys – now through our integrated Coach model – while remaining rooted in our strong scientific and clinical heritage. I am excited by the opportunities ahead as we continue to look to evolve our offerings and expand into new frontiers to help even more people transform their lives.” Medifast grew revenue from $274.5 million in 2016 to $1.6 billion in 2022. Thousands of public companies across 20 countries were examined to determine the top 500 companies in the Americas that have achieved the highest compound annual growth in revenues between 2018 and 2021. The data was collected through candidate applications as well as desk research of official sources, including publicly available earnings presentations, investor relations, websites and annual reports. The company’s growth is fueled by its OPTAVIA program, a solution for those looking for a holistic lifestyle change. OPTAVIA offers a proprietary healthy habit system, clinically proven plans and scientifically developed products all backed by the support of an independent Coach and Community of thousands of others on similar journeys.

HORIZON THERAPEUTICS PLC NAMED TO THE 2023 FORTUNE 100 BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR LIST

Horizon Therapeutics plc announced that it has been named one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For® for the third consecutive year. “We are proud to be named to the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list for the third time,” said Tim Walbert, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Horizon. “This recognition reflects our effort to champion a flexible work environment that respects and values employees’ contributions and career development at work as well as personal life outside the office.” To determine the 100 Best Companies to Work For, Great Place To Work analyzed the anonymous survey responses of more than half a million employees from Great Place To Work Certified™ companies with at least 1,000 workers. Companies also submitted essays describing their efforts to offer generous and innovative support for workers, which were validated against employee survey responses. Horizon is a perennially award-winning company that has been recognized nearly 70 times since 2015 for its workplace and culture. These awards are based on a combination of independent employee feedback and self-reported data from the company.

DM Clinical Research Earns 2023 Best Clinical Trial Network Award

DM Clinical Research was named the 2023 Best Clinical Trial Network at the annual Vaccine Industry Excellence (ViE) Awards held during the World Vaccine Congress Washington, the leading global vaccine congress. “We are incredibly honored by this award from the clinical research community as it recognizes our success in helping research partners develop safe and effective vaccines to improve lives,” said DM Clinical Research CEO & Founder Mohammad Millwala. “The honor is a tribute to the dedication of our employees, to the absolute highest quality research, and the patients who volunteer for clinical trials to help provide the world with life-saving vaccines and medications. We are thankful to our research partners for their continuing commitment and trust in partnering with DM Clinical Research to help advance medicine.” The 2023 Best Clinical Trial Network Award comes during a period of transformational growth for DM Clinical Research, an integrated national network of wholly owned clinical trial sites headquartered in Houston, with sites in Boston, Chicago, Detroit, and Philadelphia, and more on the way this year. Over the last three years, the company’s staff size has quadrupled from 87 to 541 and its dedicated research sites have increased from seven to 13. The vaccine industry honor also builds on the company’s achievements in the last year, which included being named the 2022 Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS) Excellence in Patient Centricity Award. “DM Clinical Research expects this growth and success to continue for the foreseeable future,” said Millwala. “The company has earned a reputation as an extremely dependable and transparent site network focused on quality, safety, and robust diverse enrollment for all of our research partners. These are just a few of the many reasons for our continued success.”