Healthcare Executive – Operations, Technology and Strategy

Overview

Martin B. Howard
Great IT Costs Less
Transformational leader with over 25 years’ experience driving performance, revenue and profit increases for employers and clients primarily in healthcare and professional services. Continuing success in designing and transforming structures and process to deliver impactful analytical platforms, drive organization-wide improvements and enable new business capabilities. Proven executive offering unique combination of technology, operations and business development experience and acumen.

Aligns technology with business and client goals, builds and leads teams, business lines, projects and programs that significantly improve efficiency and productivity in diverse environments. Optimizes the balance of emerging and proven technologies, commercial software and state-of-the-art development methodologies, and in- and out-sourcing, to deliver secure, functional, scalable, high-performing and cost-effective information platforms.

As an industry executive and consultant in leadership capacity with Big Four accounting firms, led mergers and acquisitions for 600+ organizations, while also directing healthcare operations and IT transaction diligence, post-deal and other M&A projects. Frequent speaker and contributor to industry publications. Can contribute immediately by:

- Linking all expenditures to business objectives
- Aligning personnel and processes to positively impact the bottom line
- Translating and converting business requirements into technical solutions
- Architecting scalable solutions for both large and small environments
- Building, leading and motivating top performing technology teams

Timeline

  1. -
    Chief Operating Officer , Maryland Hospital Association, Center for Performance Sciences

    Represents all acute care hospitals, specialty hospitals, and health care systems in Maryland

    CPS included IT at MHA, International Quality Indicator Project (QIP), and consulting services for performance management. Also served as Vice President, CIO, Data Analyst and co-creator of CPS, start-up global health information and clinical outcomes company. As member of the MHA executive team, participated in decision-making on mergers, integrated systems development, clinical performance, regulatory and payment issues, managed care, and accountability. Represented Maryland’s hospitals for key policy reforms, health information and IT, Medicaid reform, and other state and federal initiatives. Planned and managed all information technology at MHA.

  2. -
    VP and Chief Information Officer, Erickson, LLC

    Develops, builds, and manages continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs)

    Erickson had diverse business lines, from one of nation’s largest construction firms to operating an HMO, extensive residential and retail operations, and research foundation. Erickson was fast-growing company, operating 19 sites in 10 states. Designed and built shared services back-office model to support nine 2500-resident sites in five states, enabling growth while reducing operating expenses 4% +each year. Completely rebuilt IT department, reduced staff by 35%, eliminated multiple management layers, instituted structures and processes. Overhauled inadequate infrastructure and application portfolio to meet current needs and enable growth. Developed shared services model to support sites.

  3. -
    Chief Information Officer, ngenix Inc. (division of UnitedHealth Group

    Global company with a full range of services provided to the pharmaceutical and biotech industries

    Designed and built industry-leading global infrastructure platform and new application portfolio to enable aggressive growth. Reduced staff and costs by 25%, combining departments, and creating a global shared services center. Named “turnaround performer of the year” for department improvements after 6 months at Ingenix.

  4. -
    Senior Vice President, Patient Care, Inc.

    Home health care provider in 10 states, caring for over 7,000 people each day

    Brought on by new (private equity) ownership to create strategic direction for IT and other back-office functions to position company for rapid growth. Rebuilt back office and shared services functions, reduced staff by 45% and expenses by 25%. Blended established and cutting-edge technologies to support growth and innovative programs. Enabled measurement and control of clinical practice.

  5. -
    Executive Director, Transaction Advisory Services , Ernst & Young, LLP

    TAS provides financial, tax, technology, operational, commercial, and legal due diligence assistance to investors and companies across the life cycle of a transaction, for mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, spin-offs, and carve-outs.

    Led diligence activities for Operations and Technology (O&T) matters for over 400 transactions, ranging from national providers of care to start-up organizations. Led a management consulting project for an academic medical center’s re-acquisition of hospitals from a private for-profit management company. Sold and led follow-up consulting projects for healthcare organizations including integration, business process improvements, cost-reduction initiatives, and shared services design and implementation. Leading revenue generator for the practice.

  6. -
    Managing Director, Strategic Services Group (SSG), KPMG, LLP

    SSG provides deal-related operation, integration, operations, and other non-financial diligence and post-deal services

    Lead practitioner for non-financial healthcare transactions. Led initiatives to offer and sell “pull-through” work originating from diligence – helping clients realize opportunities, mitigate risks and achieve improvements.

  7. -
    Director, Strategy and Operations, Deloitte Consulting

    S&O provides performance improvement and deal-related operation, integration, operations, and other non-financial diligence and post-deal services

    Developed IT transformation / strategic plans for large healthcare systems (Catholic Health Initiatives, Novant Health) and for integration of two global medical device firms. Developed new diligence offering (Enterprise Information Management) delivered to health systems and private equity clients.

  8. -
    Chief Information Officer, Amedisys, Inc.

    Leading home health/ hospice provider with care centers in 39 states delivering 9+ million patient visits each year

    Recruited by CEO while I a Deloitte consultant assessing IT at Amedisys. Assumed leadership role in “Hospital at Home” Emergency Department diversion pilot program. Outsourced non-strategic while building effective leadership team. Performance measures rose dramatically. Led integration of multiple acquisitions on schedule and within budget.

  9. -
    Partner / Interim Chief Information Officer, TechCXO / Axia Women’s Health

    Largest Women’s Health Care Group in the United States

    While a partner at TechCXO, recruited by Axia’s private equity owner (Audax) to take on CIO role. Primary objectives were to integrate two back offices and build an IT platform to support aggressive growth.

  10. -
    Interim Chief Information Officer, New York Proton Center

    Partnership with Memorial Sloan Kettering, Mt. Sinai, Montefiore Health Systems, Varian Oncology and Optum (United Health Group)

    Joined NYPC to design and launch startup Proton Center in New York State, an IT platform and team dedicated to treatment, research and patient care, in nine months.

Skills

  • Skill Name
  • Vendor Management
  • Cost Optimization
  • Leader / Mentor
  • Security and Compliance
  • change management
  • Compliance
  • SaaS
  • Application Development
  • Integrations
  • Systems Architecture
  • Emerging Technologies
  • Analytics
  • Data Integrity
  • Operations
  • Strategic Planning
  • Big Data
  • Transformation
  • IT Infrastructure

career accomplishments

Prior Accomplishments:
• Co-creator of a data analytics company (Center for Performance Sciences) that exceeded growth and revenue targets. CPS was a subsidiary of the Maryland Hospital Association
• Developed cutting-edge software products that received awards from HIMSS and sold to a national company for $3M
• For United Health Group’s International Pharmaceutical Division (i3), reduced staff and costs by 25% by combining departments from acquisitions from 6 countries, creating a global shared services center.
• Named “turnaround performer of the year” at i3
• At Erickson Retirement Communities, designed and built a shared services back-office model to support nine 2500-resident sites in five states, enabling growth while reducing expenses by more than 5% each year
• At Erickson, reduced IT staff by 35% and spend by 25%
• Developed a shared services model to support sites across states, including healthcare, facilities, dining services, resident management and construction
Founder of successful Analytics and Clinical Quality businesses (CPS and QIP):
• Designed, launched and grew the Center for Performance Sciences (CPS) in late 1990’s:
• CPS was an Analytics company that developed software, reporting and analytics for Providers, Payors, other stakeholders. Several software products were sold to national vendors.
• The Quality Indicator Project (QIP) was a paper-based pilot project designed by epidemiologists and researchers to assess clinical performance based on scientific and robust quantitative principles. Along with a clinical partner, we turned QIP into an innovative, sector-leading business that (i) was a pioneer for the JCAHO’s ORYX program, (ii) uses by thousands of hospitals in the US and many other countries.
Big Four Consulting roles:
• Developed IT transformation / strategic plans for large healthcare systems (Catholic Health Initiatives, Novant Health) and for the integration of two global medical device firms
• Developed new diligence offering (Enterprise Information Management) delivered to health systems and private equity clients
• Met or exceeded all revenue, budgetary and schedule targets while Leading high profile pursuits and projects
• Highest revenue generator for healthcare M&A work, leadership role in over 700 diligence and post-deal related work
• Led initiatives to offer and sell “pull-through” work originating from diligence – helping clients realize opportunities, mitigate risks, and achieve improvements identified during diligence
• Led development and realization of new deal-related services, from expansion of diligence activities through tailoring diligence teams and objectives for specific industries, markets and conditions (including health IT, business process outsourcers, etc.)
• Selected to lead complex and high-profile projects, for example, a legally contested academic medical center’s re-acquisition of hospitals from a private for-profit management company
Amedisys Home Health and Hospice:
• Designed, built and grew an industry-leading prescriptive analytics platform and team, the “Amedisys Care Engine [ACE]”
• ACE both enabled and drove clinical, financial and operational improvement, including STAR ratings improvements from 3.8 to over 4 in about 18 months. The current rating is 4.3 Stars out of a possible 5, 32% above the national average• Transformed the IT function at Amedisys from a limiting factor to a driver of both operational improvements and strategic objectives
• Improved performance dramatically while reducing IT spend from over $37M to about $18M, from over 5% to under 2.5% of revenue, and headcount from about 300 to 60 in about 14 months• Leadership role in “Hospital at Home” Emergency Department diversion pilot program
• Outsourced non-strategic components such as basic help desk, asset management, WAN management, while building an effective leadership team structurally integrated with business lines. In all cases performance measures rose dramatically
• Led integration of multiple acquisitions, all completed on schedule and within budget
Axia Women’s Health:
• Designed and launched functions lacking in two merged legacy organizations, including (i) Decision Support, (ii) Enterprise Risk Management, (iii) Project Management Office (iv) Clinical Innovations Committee and (v) Change Management
• Implemented a new medical records system across 65 locations in six months
• Built initial analytics platform (data lake integrating multiple systems, dashboards, self-service reporting, etc.) for 20% less than cost estimate from consulting firm ($800K vs $1M)
• Following a significant data breach prior to my arrival, built a secure platform and program that resulted in no fines or follow-up actions from CMS or other regulators• Limited IT spend to < 2.4% of revenue compared to peer group median of 3.8%
At the NY Proton Center – start-up project:
• Built an IT platform for a start-up Proton Radiation Center, integrating clinical data and images from three academic medical centers with incompatible patient record and imaging systems.
• Created other functions including Risk Management, Change Management
• Hired an IT department of experienced professionals, resulting in staffing level with 60% lower head count (6 FTEs vs 16 proposed) and 50% less cost than the initial plan ($2M vs $4M).
• Renegotiated previously signed contracts to improve terms and reduce cost; one example is the slashing the price of a business continuity platform from $340k to $100k / year.
• Using hybrid in- and out-sourcing methods, developed critical functions while reducing actual costs for IT support, security, asset management and other functions. Cost reductions compared to legacy or planned spend ranged from 15% to 35%.