CSI Healthcare IT provides the support healthcare organizations need in the digital age. The Jacksonville, Florida based company delivers expert training and implementation solutions for electronic health records and coding projects, as well as IT staff augmentation for ongoing IT support.
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A division of The CSI Companies, CSI Healthcare IT broke onto the scene a decade ago when the implementation of patient-related IT solutions became a national priority. The business filled an emerging gap in the market as healthcare providers around the country scrambled to meet new federal requirements regarding certified electronic health record (EHR) technology. “The government mandated meaningful use – [that] all hospitals become paperless by a certain date – and if they weren’t paperless they would start to be penalized monetarily,” President Zack Wilson recalls. “So there was definitely a vested interest to make sure that they got up and running.”
Healthcare providers were on their own to navigate the complexities of the mandate. “The hospitals realized that either they have to train their people internally, hire people permanently who already knew it, or turn to consulting firms such as ourselves to provide people who have done it in the past,” Mr. Wilson explains.
Getting an internal employee up to speed on the technology is daunting and, with the EHR implementation process lasting just 18 to 24 months, hiring a permanent staff member to oversee the project makes little sense for most healthcare providers. Utilizing the services of an expert for the length of the project is an ideal solution. “They can turn to a firm such as ourselves and bring a person in who has already been through it and knows what they are doing as soon as they walk in the door. They can get it done and get it done quickly.”
CSI Healthcare IT can deliver this expert talent to clients anywhere in America. Completed projects span the nation from Boston to Honolulu and include local, regional, and national healthcare organizations of all sizes. The company’s extensive nationwide network can put talent on a project at the snap of a finger, ensuring that clients can get their projects underway right away.
Hiring a market-leading consultant might cost more money upfront than training an internal employee, “but in the long term they get the project done faster so [in the end] the cost is the same or maybe even less.” While it is possible to find lower cost healthcare consultants than CSI’s, Mr. Wilson warns that you get what you pay for. “There are a lot of companies that have come into it recently that will charge less. But they are in it for the short term. CSI is here to stay so we want to make sure we do right by our clients and our consultants and make sure we are someone they can turn to now and in the future.”
CSI Healthcare IT’s success draws on a strong foundation that its parent company laid a quarter century ago. “Twenty five years ago we started as a clerical and executive search firm, focused on anything from a front desk person to a permanent hire of a CEO or CIO. Then we opened a tech division and soon after we saw the opportunity within the healthcare IT space through a project that we worked on.”
The team dove in to fill the newly emerged gap in the market at the perfect time. “There was a boom – almost a gold rush,” Mr. Wilson remembers. “We got into the business at a good time – at an appropriate time.” Because CSI Healthcare IT was so quick to jump in the game, the company boasts a level of experience that few competitors can claim. “Being in business as long as we have makes us unique; a lot of the companies that do what we do have not been around as long.”
As one of the most entrenched players, CSI Healthcare IT is able to offer some of the best talent in the industry. A large team of full-time recruiters utilizes rigorous screening and recruiting processes to build the company’s extensive pipeline of top-notch consultants. The business also maintains a core nucleus of consultants who have worked on previous projects together, creating a tight-knit team that knows how to work well together and draw on one another’s strengths. Their shared experience helps this core team deliver the most efficient services to project start-ups. In addition, CSI Healthcare IT has a remarkably high rate of consultant retention, so clients enjoy the benefits of an experienced, cohesive team who have already proven their worth on previous assignments.
This retention is hard earned; CSI Healthcare IT goes the extra mile to take good care of its staff. “We treat our employees like people and not like numbers,” Mr. Wilson says. “We bend over backwards day in and day out to do what we can to make their lives easier.” Typically, CSI Healthcare IT consultants live near the client site during the week, returning to their home and families only during the weekend. With such a tough travel schedule, giving employees ample support is crucial. “Everybody that we put on a client site travels week in and week out. So we make sure that we take care of them with the expenses and the pay and benefits.”
The team also works hard to take good care of their clients, and this commitment has led to strong, long-term client relationships. “We try to develop client relationships with these people even outside of work,” Mr. Wilson explains. “We hang out with these people and play golf on the weekends and try to treat them like they are our friends as much as they are our clients.”
Maintaining these relationships requires round the clock dedication. “We are available 24/7.” With clients scattered across multiple time zones, the team often answers emails or takes phone calls late into the night. “We are always available when anyone needs us. I think that goes a long way with a lot of the clients.”
CSI Healthcare IT’s commitment to clients and employees has been officially recognized. The company appeared on Inavero’s Best of Staffing® Talent and Client List for 2013, 2014 and 2015 – an honor given to less than 1% of all staffing agencies in North America. In addition, The CSI Companies have been named one of the 500 top-performing private companies in the nation by Inc. magazine; one of Florida’s 100 fastest-growing companies; one of Staffing Industry Report’s top 25 fastest-growing staffing firms in the nation; and one of Florida Trend’s Top Private Companies in the state. CSI Healthcare IT was also deemed one of the best Go-Live support firms in the recently released KLAS Go-Live Support 2015 performance report. An annual study of which firms perform the best in five areas, the report ranked CSI Healthcare IT No. 1 in Quality of Clinician Consultants and Elbow-to-Elbow Support; in the top three in Project Management and Command Center Leadership; and in the top five in 24/7 Support.
The team is eager to continue this upward trend. “My division is trying to stay ahead of the curve and figure out what is next, now that these EMR systems are getting implemented.” One thing is certain; there will be no shortage of work once systems are up and running. “There is a ton of data that these hospitals need to deal with now that they have the systems in,” Mr. Wilson points out. “If there is one thing that is not going anywhere it is healthcare and IT.” He and his team are ready to continue guiding clients through the digital labyrinth. “We don’t intend to take our foot off the gas at all. We want to make sure we stay ahead of the curve.”
