Whatever It Takes:
Another iMethods Healthcare IT Success Story
Flagler Hospital, St. Augustine, Florida
The Client:
Flagler Hospital
As a private, not-for-profit healthcare institution
with 335 beds and a national reputation for clinical
excellence, Flagler Hospital has offered superb
patient care since its founding in 1889. Flagler
was recently named one of Health Grades Top
50 hospitals in the nation and was Northeast
Florida’s first hospital to receive the ANCC Magnet
Hospital Award.
“They were creative,
flexible, available, and
totally committed to the
success of this process
-- and they bent over
backwards to make
sure each hire was a
great fit.”
- Bill Rieger, CIO Flagler Hospital
With a mission of “providing the best patient
experience with the best staff,” the Flagler team
is committed to maintaining the highest possible
standard of care and utilizing the latest technology
to maintain its competitive edge. The Flagler
implementation is one of the largest Allscripts
“Big-Bang” implementations in an inpatient facility
in their history.
The Challenge:
Bring 39 New Professionals onboard in 6-8 Weeks
In keeping with its commitment to technology and
best practices – and in compliance with upcoming
legislative mandates – Flagler Hospital chose
Allscripts as its new Electronic Medical Record
(EMR) platform in mid-2011. The move carried
many benefits, including reducing costs over
time and improving efficiency and quality of care
– not to mention the prospect of a $7.2 million
reimbursement from the federal government.
However, hospital administrators knew that
implementing the new system would require an
unprecedented hiring effort. Initially, they would
have to find eight consultants and 17 full-time
employees in weeks rather than months, with
additional placements to follow.
Flagler made the decision to execute an exclusive
agreement with Jacksonville-based iMethods
Healthcare IT to secure the necessary talent.
Flagler’s confidence with iMethods stemmed
from the pair’s long-standing and successful
professional relationship.
Once the agreement was signed, iMethods
had approximately two months to find,
qualify, interview, negotiate with and hire 25
IT professionals in one of the toughest hiring
environments in years.
www.imethods.com · 1.888.306.2261
The Process:
Tireless Commitment and Creative Thinking
iMethods sprinted out of the starting gate.
Leveraging every tool at their disposal, including
their strong existing relationship with Flagler.
iMethods team members crafted a radically
streamlined hiring process.
“It was exhilarating and frightening at the same
time,” says Melissa Brannon, iMethods Health IT’s
Vice President for Client Accounts.
“We were confident that we could
get the job done, but it was an
incredibly ambitious project and
we had to think creatively and step
up our game to make it work!”
Overcoming initial reluctance from hospital
administrators, iMethod recruiters also set up a
Google Docs site to provide all participants with
continuous access to information. They made
themselves available around the clock until the
goal was met.
Perhaps most importantly, they fine-tuned a fasttrack, two-tiered interview process with stringent
deadlines: candidates would be interviewed first
on the phone, then, if appropriate, in person or on
Skype. The pinnacle of this unorthodox-interview
process was the fact that Flagler decisionmakers would have to provide a verdict within
four hours of both phone and final interviews.
Offer letters would go out to successful
candidates the day they were interviewed,
a concept in the traditionally glacial healthcare IT
hiring environment.
They enticed prospects from far-flung locations
such as Texas, Illinois and Maryland, touting
the appealing climate and lifestyle available in
Northeast Florida, the opportunity to create a new
system from the ground up, and Flagler’s strong
values and supportive work environment.
The recruiters took a highly personalized approach
despite the time crunch. iMethods’ commitment
to doing the right thing for all participants in the
hiring process was evident every step of the way,
and the company’s good reputation added to the
attraction for like-minded professionals. Working
against them, however, was high demand in
the HIT field versus Flagler’s lower level of
compensation, relative to healthcare systems
in larger metropolitan areas. Also at issue were
relocation difficulties stemming from the collapse
of the housing market.
With creativity and determination, iMethods team
members established exactly the right dynamic for
the search. Having worked closely with the hospital
in the past, recruiters spoke knowledgeably
about Flagler’s care for its employees as well as
its patients. As local residents, they personally
attested to the natural beauty and easygoing
lifestyle to be found on Florida’s First Coast.
And in consideration of the bottom line, they were
able to secure some financial relocation assistance
from the hospital while partnering with regional
powerhouse Watson Realty to help candidates
find the right housing solutions.
Flagler Hospital approached the process with
similar energy. Senior leaders made themselves
readily available and enthusiastically participated
in defining not only their needs but their core
values as well. The recruiting team then looked for
individuals who met those needs and resonated
with the respected healthcare institution’s values.
While the new process was being conceived and
implemented, iMethods recruiters aggressively
began seeking the right people with the right skill
sets to fill the available positions.
www.imethods.com · 1.888.306.2261
The Results:
Success!
Due to an all-out effort by the iMethods team
working seamlessly with the client, the Flagler
Hospital EMR implementation staffing project
was an unqualified success. All 25 initial positions
were filled by the end of October 2011, and
seven additional professionals came onboard in
December and January.
Melissa Brannon credits excellent
relationships with Flagler Hospital
foundation of the team’s success.
working
as the
“We knew their culture well and
they knew we would do what was
best for them,” she says. “That
relationship and level of trust
made all the difference.”
The innovative and highly-structured process the
iMethods team created was also important to
meeting the project’s deadlines. “I think it’s safe to
say that the process will be replicated on behalf of
future clients,” Brannon says with a smile.
Bryan Hassel, Senior Healthcare IT Recruiter,
offers yet another metric of the project’s success.
“During this process, we ended up placing two
candidates at Flagler that we had a relationship
with for over four years!” he says.
“We had never worked with them before –
they were just people we had met and built
a relationship with until the timing was right.
It made me feel great that we were able to place
them in such an outstanding organization.”
By the Numbers:
88% Hire Ratio
Since the staffing project for the Flagler SCM 6.0
implementation kicked off in August of 2011,
iMethods has brought in 48 new members to
the IS staff (24 FTE’s and 24 Consultants). These
numbers include both the Clinical Application
teams, as well as the Infrastructure teams.
Of the 48 employees identified by iMethods,
42 have been classified as successful placements,
for an 88% successful hire ratio. With the industry
average for successful hires hovering around 6570%, the staffing project to date can be classified
as a tremendous success.
Preparing for Training:
Preparing Best Practices
With the Core and Ancillary build well under way,
the focus for the implementation shifted towards
training. iMethods brought in a Clinical Training
Coordinator, as well as a Training Consultant
to lead the efforts in crafting a design for
successfully training the hospital. Flagler asked
iMethods to bring in 12 trainers to go through
intensive Allscripts training, in an effort for those
12 to then become the subject matter experts of
the system. They were responsible for classroom
training the hospital in an effort to enhance the
adoption process.
With the Flagler Senior Leadership and iMethods
having studied “Beyond Implementation” written
by Heather Haugen and Jeffrey Woodside, both
were well aware of the critical nature of the
training process to a successful project.
Activation/Go Live:
Unprecedented CPOE
In order to continue the success of the
implementation, iMethods worked closely with
the Flagler IT department to prepare for the
“Go Live!” process. iMethods helped prepare the
hospital staff for this exciting transformation
through
creative
programming.
iMethods
prepared the Activation Team for the effort by
providing them with communication documents,
intranet access, training, onsite orientation
and tours, logistical support and onsite
command center. 43 additional healthcare IT
consultants served as training resources for
hospital staff. By day 3 of Go Live, the hospital
had achieved a CPOE rating of 74%. More than 45
days after Go Live, the project has been considered
a huge success and iMethods continues to
provide support in the Optimization phase with
preparation for a new version upgrade.
www.imethods.com · 1.888.306.2261
The Feedback:
“iMethods Delivers!”
In the wake of what might be called an “extreme
hiring process,” Flagler Hospital CIO Bill Rieger has
nothing but good things to say about iMethods.
“The iMethods team really worked to get to
know this organization so they could meet our
needs and the needs of the people they placed,”
says Rieger.
On the iMethods side, Melissa Brannon has
equally positive memories of the experience.
“We love working with Flagler,” she says, “and I’m
really pleased and proud that we were able to
help them get this project off on the right foot.
Partnering with such a wonderful organization
doesn’t feel like work to me – it feels like a blessing!”
How has iMethods stayed involved and added
value throughout the implementation one year
into the project?
“iMethods has done a great job of helping our
team effectively manage the consultants we
have on site. They have truly partnered with
us in regards to communicating expectations
and performance to our consultants, and have
consistently delivered. It has also been refreshing
to see how they have invested in their people. They
build a high degree of rapport in the relationships
that they are able to form, and that translates into
a more productive implementation.”
“And I’m really pleased
and proud that we were
able to help them get
this project off on the
right foot. Partnering
with such a wonderful
organization doesn’t
feel like work to me – it
feels like a blessing!”
- Melissa Brannon, iMethods Health IT’s
Vice President for Client Accounts
Would you choose iMethods again? Why?
“Yes, we would feel very strongly about choosing
iMethods again. One of the leading reasons for
our confidence in selecting them again would
be because of their processes, specifically
onboarding. Their commitment to onboarding
the right people in highly efficient time took effort
from both our team and theirs, but in the end has
been a large contributor towards paving the way
for the future of this implementation.”
www.imethods.com · 1.888.306.2261
The X Factor:
iMethods Healthcare IT succeeds by providing
an enjoyable workplace and building lasting
relationships with employees and consultants.
With nine Best Place to Work awards, three
Inc. 500/5000 listings, and numerous community
service awards, we are proud of our record.
iMethods founders Clint Drawdy and Chad Perce
have stayed true to their mission of matching
the right professional with the right client since
starting their company in 2004.
Core Values separate iMethods from other
consulting firms. More than just a plaque
on the wall, the Core Values at iMethods are
the foundation of our business culture and
performance. President , COO & Co-Founder Clint
Drawdy describes it as follows:
“Our core values are the heart of everything
we do. From interviewing, to hiring to following
up and especially to servicing our clients and
our community.”
•
Ardent service- we take an authentic human
interest in employee and client success
•
Tireless efforts- we encourage an energetic
and cheerful drive to succeed
•
Truthfulness- we believe transparency and
truth are vital
•
Delivery of positive results- we follow through
for our clients, candidates and company
•
Constant learning and development- we
believe in continuing education and open
exchange of information among clients,
candidates and employees
•
Community- we seek positive relationships in
the office and beyond
“We live out our Core Values
every day. Careful sourcing and
selecting of employees has led to
our successful placement ratio
of 90%, proving our commitment
to employee and consultant
relationships.”
Most of our consultants are sourced via referral
from other consultants with whom we have
worked. iMethods provides clients with custom
and enthusiastic consultation focused on
job execution.
“Whatever you do, work at it with
all your heart, as working for the
Lord, not for human masters”
- Colossians 3:23-24
iMethods was founded on firm Christian beliefs
and principles. In essence, our mission is to
serve our internal employees, consultants, clients
and community.
2009
‘11
CEO & Co-Founder Chad Perce, who was recently
named Small Business Leader of the Year,
attributes iMethods’ success to a strong employee
adoption of the company’s core values.
www.imethods.com · 1.888.306.2261