CSR Equals a Stronger Community and Happier Workforce

To Joel, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a critically important piece of the work experience and, specifically, the nThrive culture. Taking time out of the hectic work day to serve the community not only builds strong rapport between businesses and community members, it helps build camaraderie amongst colleagues through shared meaningful experiences.  

Recently, nThrive sponsored a Make-A-Wish Family Night with the Vermont Lake Monsters, a New York-Penn League affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. The event was a uniquely local opportunity to for nThrive colleagues and families to attend the Lake Monsters game and join in on the fun while supporting the Make-A-Wish foundation in Vermont. Joel takes the time to ensure the event is set up to best serve the community, and to best support the Make-A-Wish foundation. He hopes to make a meaningful contribution to an organization he loves.

From Joel’s perspective, fun, yet meaningful CSR partnerships like these are a simple way to make a company stronger. There are a number of worthy causes that may benefit from the attention and resources of nThrive employees, and Joel is committed to ensuring nThrive supports the causes that reflects the breadth and depth of nThrive’s expertise and experience, as well as its interests and presence across the country.

Though there is a time and financial commitment involved, the payoff is happier employees and stronger connections within the community. His aim in supporting these partnerships is for nThrive to be an example to the healthcare industry and beyond of how effective and valuable CSR contributes to employees’ communities and helps to boost morale through a positive cause to rally around.

Medical Coder Program Strengthens Workforce and Provides Opportunity

As CEO of a growing company like nThrive, having a pipeline of strong, highly-skilled talent is a top priority for Joel Hackney. When Joel was a young man considering his options for higher education, he was fortunate to receive a scholarship to attend the University of North Carolina. He understands the value of the assistance he received, and makes an effort to give back to young people in ways that both improve their career opportunities and build a wider pool of skilled professionals in the healthcare industry.

How nThrive Provides Opportunity for the Community

On June 11, 2016, nThrive welcomed to their team 18 newly graduated medical coders. Selected from an original pool of more than 350 unemployed or underemployed Vermont residents who applied for one of the slots in Vermont’s HITEC’s Certified Medical Coder Program, these 18 individuals worked hard to earn their certificate and an apprentice position awarded by nThrive.

Programs like the Certified Medical Coder Program (CMCP) help to fill the gaps between motivated individuals who lack specific job skills and employers looking for well-trained, qualified staff to join their teams. Skilled employees who are motivated to perform are invaluable, and strengthen the workforce as a whole. Joel partners with the CMCP because it’s a perfect example of the type of organization that nThrive can have a strong, mutually beneficial relationship with, while improving the community where nThrive is located.

As graduates of the CMCP, each of the 18 students in the class of 2016 earned a one-year paid apprenticeship with nThrive, including full benefits. Joel understands that success is not always about passion or drive, but sometimes about opportunity. He is proud to extend opportunities to these individuals, and hopes to continue to fill the nThrive talent pipeline with equally skilled individuals in the future, and watch the current apprentices grow in their careers.

Fast Feedback Trumps Annual Reviews

When nThrive was formed in early 2016 – a joining of three distinct and well-known companies – one of the organization’s early and critically important tasks was to quickly learn employees’ strengths and weaknesses, and identify the best way to provide positive and constructive feedback that would help lead the newly unified company into its next phase.

How Joel Hackney Successfully Implements Fast Feedback

As the CEO of nThrive, Joel Hackney sets the tone for how feedback is delivered and used to drive the business forward. Joel recognizes the challenges inherent in delivering feedback, but encourages managers to provide real-time feedback as much as possible to ensure employees can make more immediate adjustments to their work

Whether it’s the fast-pace of day-to-day work, or an aversion to conflicts that prevents employees from participating in real-time feedback, it is possibly one of the most critical components to the company’s growth overall. Optimizing performance of each team member is critical to the business’ success.

Just as nThrive clients want real-time data and analytics on their business, so too does nThrive need real-time metrics on employee performance. Annual performance reviews are costly, time consuming, stressful, and often only reflect on the most recent months instead of a whole year of work. In our instant gratification society, waiting a full year for feedback on performance is not only ungratifying, it fails to enable employees to learn and grow in the timeliest and efficient way possible and, ultimately, produce a better end result.

Achieving a culture that promotes fast feedback, or quick notes to help others improve, both from the top down and bottom up, is a major goal for Joel as he leads the newly unified nThrive.

Impact of Adding Data Analytics to RCM Offerings at nThrive

Today, information is king and businesses are using analytics more than ever to inform important decisions.

If metrics can be applied to help show return on investment or financial stability, executives are interested in exploring the best way to engage them to do so. It's good business, but it is complex trying to find which data to track and how to convert the analysis into practical steps towards better investments.

While there can be challenges in tracking the financial health of a growing company, there are analytics that can ease the process. 

Analytics increase and accelerate revenue cycle management (RCM), and streamline processes to reduce inefficiencies. With a better understanding of the revenue cycle, businesses are better positioned to anticipate income, identify consistent issues, and plan for the future.

This is better for everyone involved. It provides people stable jobs, ensures business growth, and ultimately such businesses become a part of the bigger picture. When businesses to better the economy does better.

How Joel Hackney Implements RCM at nThrive

At nThrive, Joel believes in the company’s ability to leverage data to help its clients maintain or improve their financial health through innovations in revenue cycle management (RCM), which positions both nThrive and the client’s company for greater success and profitability long-term.

Analytics in RCM is not new, but few companies aside from nThrive offer a comprehensive end-to-end solution that not only eliminates the challenge of managing multiple point solutions, but also ensures those solutions are fully connected to prove enterprise-wide financial results and value.

nThrive knows profitability is a primary goal for the systems it serves, and that a key component is understanding where there is room for financial improvement. Adding analytics to the RCM offering was a no-brainer for Joel. Companies should demand it in their RCM software, otherwise, they’re not getting the full value.

Implementing the right analytics and making it actionable is dependent on two steps: a defined approach to the project with clear expectations, and software that can support the goals of the program. With nThrive you get both.

With the service offerings of nThrive, clients can recognize the benefits of measuring the performance of their revenue cycle.

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Healthcare

“Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” is a well-known phrase in American culture, and it refers to the “unalienable rights” of all people, which our government is sworn to protect. Our founding fathers decided that all people are deserving of the opportunity to have these rights in their life.

These rights are arguably unattainable without health, which is what makes topics like Medicare and universal healthcare fodder for great debate, particularly this election season.

These important issues will have to be addressed and it is important for the American public to understand the stance of our representatives.

Joel Hackney feels strongly that healthcare is something all Americans deserve access to, while also ensuring the hospitals and health systems nThrive serves are paid fairly for the services they provide their communities. A balance between the two must be struck.

The Healthcare System that Joel Hackney Believes In

Regardless of your political leaning, America is undeniably in pursuit of healthcare. Multi-payor vs. single payor healthcare coverage, independent practices vs. Accountable Care Organizations; the healthcare landscape is changing faster than ever. Healthcare for all is far from a reality today, but it’s no longer just a dream for the distant future; it’s a budding prospect for tomorrow.

Joel is committed to keeping a pulse on the changing landscape, and helping hospitals and health systems streamline accounting services, which will, in turn, provide additional resources for providers to care for patients – even those who may not have the means to pay for their care.

However, of course nThrive can't be the only part of this change. Other industry leaders and politicians will have to contribute in their own way to make universal healthcare a possibility.

There will undoubtedly be unrest in the industry while companies and thought leaders alike attempt to fix the problems in healthcare. Throughout, the team at nThrive will continue to champion access for every individual and fair payments for providers.

7 Little-Known Facts About Joel Hackney

As CEO of nThrive, Joel’s professional accolades read like a laundry list of impressive leadership roles at well-respected brands. Read a company bio of Joel and you can find the list. But, just like most leaders, Joel is more than the career he has built. Here are a few lesser-known facts about Joel Hackney.

Joel Attended University of North Carolina

1. Joel attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on an academic scholarship from 1988-1991 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Management. He remains a Tar Heels fan and makes it a point to attend as many basketball games as he can.

2. During his time in school, Joel was a member of UNC’s Big Buddy Program, an affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Big Buddy pairs UNC students with “at risk” children ages 6-14 in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro community. They pair these children with mentors to make a lasting impact on the trajectory of their life. This can make big changes later on in life that affect all of society from small actions taken early. UNC continues to be an influential figure in Joel's life because of the actions they take to improve the community.

Joel Hackey and INROADS

3. Joel supports INROADS, an organization that develops work skills and provides opportunities to youths from minority communities. They bring more diversity and equal opportunity for disadvantaged people to work in corporations all across America. Joel sees this as an opportunity to uphold the American dream of social fluidity and the ability to be rewarded for hard work. He feels that with this, America can continue to be on the frontline of innovation and the global standard for what countries can achieve. 

Joel Hackney and His Home Life

4. Joel and his wife are the parents of three children, and he considers raising them as productive members of society to be his greatest honor. He wants to provide them the same opportunities he has had in life, allowing them to live out their dream. He is supportive, loving, and an excellent husband and father.

5. As a Christian, faith is the foundation of Joel’s values and guides his leadership style at work and with his family. He strives to live up to the highest values of his faith and uses the lessons of his religion for moral guidance. His hope is that he will be able to live a life as closely aligned to his purpose as possible to build the most opportunity for those around him to live a fulfilling life.

6. In addition to watching Tar Heel basketball, Joel also enjoys playing basketball, running and generally staying active. Joel uses physical fitness as a stress reliever and time to decompress. He says he likes how it makes him feel and tries to be conscious of his health and take steps to keep himself healthy. Playing basketball is also a great way for him to be competitive on a team and stay connected with his friends. It is important to him to maintain balance all aspects of his life.

7. A Charlotte, North Carolina native, Joel feels it is important to maintain a stable home environment for his wife and children. While nThrive is headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, Joel chooses to keep his family in Charlotte and make regular trips to Alpharetta to see his nThrive team in-person. Read more on how Joel maintains his work-life balance in this insightful post.

Joel Hackney on Work-Life Balance

Corporate Culture's Effects on Work-Life Balance

“Corporate culture” and “work-life balance” are common buzzwords these days. A corporate culture that fosters work-life balance is a testament to the company’s leadership, something Joel Hackney prides himself on instilling in his employees, especially those managing others.

As a young man just starting his career, Joel kept his head down and pushed through long hours at the office to impress his bosses and further his career. It wasn’t long before the grueling pace caught up with him and he was overwhelmed by the amount of work and little time for rest and recuperation between work days. Though he didn’t realize it at the time, Joel’s dedication to work-life diminished his quality of life overall. As his confidence in his abilities increased, he focused on finding the right balance to ensure both quality work and quality time in his personal life.

Joel Hackney's Solution

As a husband and father, Joel has learned that maintaining work-life balance not only alleviates stress at home but also at work. Stress is a normal part of life, but feeling consistently overwhelmed can have a negative impact on physical, emotional, mental, and social health, as well as quality and consistency of work. He recommends to his own employees struggling to find a work-life balance to talk with their managers and develop a plan that both meets expectations at work and helps them find more time for personal commitments.

At nThrive, where employees are intensely focused on delivering innovative technology solutions for the healthcare industry and improving the overall healthcare experience for patients nationwide, Joel stands behind the company’s long-standing, dedicated effort to ensure employees can find work-life balance. In addition to a variety of benefits and generous vacation time, the company offers programs that contribute to a work-life balance and help provide stability for employees’ family and work life, including telecommuting, part-time, flexible scheduling, and temporary employment opportunities.

According to Joel, work-life balance is about efficiency. Having the time needed to fully pay attention to family and friends during time away from the office creates more satisfying, deeper relationships, and allows time at work to be more focused and productive.

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Check out this video about Work-Life Balance!