“Stand out from the crowd”

HealthmarkIT offers cost-effective consulting services in healthcare IT and technical areas such as: project and strategic management, systems implementations and upgrades, EMR optimization, systems conversions, interfaces, and integration, ongoing legacy application applications, testing and training, and help going live. Jeff Urban, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of HealthmarkIT Consulting, states that “personal touch, resilience to get better, and being on the bleeding edge of market trends sets us apart in a competitive industry.”

According to his staff, Jeff is bright and respectful when conversing and is eager to assist. If the team finds an unforeseen challenge and wants to brainstorm solutions, he encourages his coworkers by frequently praising them when things are going great, and guiding by example for challenging times. His charisma has been vital to the growth and success of the organization. Jeff cares about his team and their long-term goals and pushes them to think creatively while holding them responsible for what they do. He also has a clear focus on the 50,000 foot level for the business and the industry, and ensures the organization is taking steps to ensure that the organization is prepared.

Jeff wants his business to be transparent to all parties. He brings up processes, agreements, and financial components in all internal and external meetings. He supports the team as he is aware that employee success is also corporate success. Jeff promotes strong comprehension and communication. “Communication is important; however, comprehension of that communication is much more vital. We can communicate all day long, but if we aren’t comprehending exactly what is being communicated, things can go awry quickly.” To ensure this, the company has daily meetings to discuss direction for the day and ensure everyone is on the same page and directionally correct. Jeff believes that if you can't offer your whole focus on a given day, you should save it for the next. “There is a big difference between being present and being in attendance,” he says, “If individuals in the company have personal items that are are needing their attention, I’d much rather they take some time, focus on that, and get that resolved, then come to work fully focused.” He thinks one 100% day is better than two 50% days. Jeff's flexibility and ability to adapt to any scenario makes him an effective leader.

His employees are of the opinion that Jeff never takes criticism of the business personally. He's objective when hearing criticism because the success of HealthmarkIT is his major focus. He prefers to hear how the organization could do better, and understands that some ideas work for one individual but not for other. He forgives himself and othersfor shortcomings. Jeff says, "I'm always working to get better at taking personal criticism,” he says, .."It’s my nature to let personal criticism increase internal doubt However, I've learnt from experience to dismiss personal criticism in most scenarios, as many times the criticism is not actually directed at the target as much as it is a reflection of the criticizers personal shortcomings. I believe businesses should seek input, so I do so often. If, as a business, we hide our weaknesses, we can't improve.”

When asked about technology, Jeff asserts that it is necessary to incorporate new technologies. "Utilizing modern technology that enables us to be accessible to our clients and consultants at all times has proven to be extremely advantageous. Although technology is essential, it can never replace personal connection. There is just no comparison to personal touch," says Jeff.

When asked about competition, “It's about the client and the consultant and improving their conditions daily” As for us, we control our success or failure. We've opted to improve and grow from every experience. This isn't the easiest method, but it is the most assured route to success. Our industry and our business are not zero-sum games, our success isn't tied to a competitor's failure, or vice versa. Just because someone fell down doesn't make you taller,” adds Jeff.

While discussing implementations and client advantages, Jeff addresses some of HealthmarkIT’s earliest clients. They had worked with another firm for weeks looking for someone to fill a single critical position. When we received the opportunity, it took us about 4 hours to have two individuals in front of them, and ready to go. Interviews were held the next day, and the client hired both individuals to start the following Monday. “Our response time was unprecedented.”

HealthmarkIT solely provides services. We do not have any new software or hardware, but we are masters at identifying talent and providing them with the resources they need to succeed in their contracts, thereby eliminating errors and waste. This frees up time for the next individual, etc. I've advised CIOs, "We will not manage technical concerns directly, however, we find the people that can, and that can be much more difficult," says Jeff. We try to find the best answer for each client, even if that means recommending them to a specialist. We excel at helping our clients succeed, not "beating our competitors."

Culture and external consistency drives success and our clients’ experience yesterday will be the same as tomorrow, says JeffHowever, internal consistency can sometimes promote complacency. We are always trying to find new methods to keeping the energy and enthusiasm up. Second, when conversing with consultants and clients, he supports everyone, regardless of immediate advantage. “I firmly believe initial conversations are the beginning of a 10-year relationship. Through that lens it’s much easier to not lose focus of the long game. It makes it easier to not be transactional. Hospital administrators know who wants to work with them and who is merely interested in money. We recently had a client give kudos to one of our RVP’s, Lauren, for the smallest of things. The hiring manager was celebrating her 20th year with the hospital. She said Lauren was the only vendor to send her a congratulatory card, and she was overly impressed that she took the time to hand write it. This personifies who we are as a company.

The future looks bright for HealthmarkIT. "We will be unveiling a new approach to doing contract to hire and permanent placements later this year," says Jeff. There have been significant shifts in the industry, and it is now moving in this direction. This approach is unlike anything else the industry has really seen. We have trial ran it for a while, to large success, and I’m anxious to see the response the market has. IE