Join us for an insightful conversation with Pam Saechow, Founder and CEO of Ellit Groups. With over 20 years of experience in healthcare IT and a unique background rooted in integrated medicine, Pam shares her vision for patient-centric technological solutions. We'll explore recent industry developments, strategic partnerships, and the future of healthcare IT.
Pam Saechow, CEO, Ellit Groups
Megan Antonelli, Chief Executive Officer, HealthIMPACT Live
Welcome 0:00 Welcome to Digital Health talks. Each week, we meet with the healthcare leaders making an immeasurable difference in equity, access and quality. Hear about what tech is worth investing in and what isn't. As we focus on the innovations that deliver. Join Megan Antonelli, Janae sharp and Shahid Shah for a weekly no BS deep dive on what's really making an impact in healthcare.
Megan Antonelli 0:30 Hi. Welcome to Digital Health talks, where we explore the cutting edge of healthcare innovation. I'm your host. Megan Antonelli, founder and CEO of health impact live and today, we're thrilled to have Pam sideshow, founder and CEO of elite groups. Pam brings a unique perspective to healthcare. It Blending her background in integrated medicine and with over two decades of experience as we navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of healthcare technology, Pam's insights on recent industry development strategic partnerships and patient centric solutions are more valuable than ever. Whether you're a healthcare leader, innovator or simply passionate about the future of medicine, you're in for a lightning discussion. Let's dive in and explore how Pam and Emily groups are bridging technology and compassion to revolutionize healthcare. Hi, Pam, how are you?
Pam Saechow 1:21 Hey, Megan, so good to see you. Thanks for having me.
Megan Antonelli 1:24 It is so good to see you. It's been too long, obviously you're joining us in New York at El health impact, but I'm so glad you are here today. And it has been quite a summer, you know,
Pam Saechow 1:37 Very hot summer
Megan Antonelli 1:41 both in weather. And, you know, lots of things going on in digital health, but we always start off trying, you know, getting to know our guests. And of course, I know a lot about your story and your founder story with elite groups, but share with our audience a little bit about what sparked your passion for healthcare innovation and and how you got to found elite groups
Pam Saechow 2:04 absolutely well, my journey into healthcare, it really began very early in my life, and it started in last where my grandmother, which I know, you know me very well, is a healthcare provider in our village, right? That was my first inspiration. When I moved to the US at about age of nine, I found myself naturally stepping into a role helping the Laotian community with language support and navigating the complexities of healthcare. You know, that's really where my passion for patient advocacy really took root. I realized the weight of responsibility and helping people manage their care, often by manually guiding them through the system rather than through streamline automated processes. Is kind of where I think technology started coming to light for me. And you know, I steal this phrase actually, to give credit to Judy Faulkner about duet, D, U, e, t used to be a phrase she used when we were learning epic back in early days, it was difficult on us, easy for them, and I always that really resonated with me. You know? It really encapsulates the mission I strive for in the healthcare it when I think about elite groups, right? Is, how do you make sure that while the systems and technologies may be complex for us to build or configure, they should always simplify the user and the patient experience.
Megan Antonelli 3:25 Yeah, I really, I mean, it's amazing. And Judy has, you know, done so much for the industry, and that, that, you know, simplifying the process is, is a huge part of that. And I, I love your story about your grandmother, and I think, you know, when I thought about this conversation and and what your approach has always been. It has been very compassionate and listening and, you know, tell, tell me a little bit about, you know, what that's like, and how you bring that to your client work,
Pam Saechow 3:53 for sure. You know, I think knowing that my grandmother's practice of integrative medicine shaped my approach in healthcare. It I do always keep I feel two key ideas at the center of everything we do, right? The duet I just mentioned to you is, how can we take on the hard work in it to make the experience easier for our healthcare providers, relieving them of some of their administrative burden. We always hear about burnouts, right? So they can focus on patient care, because you hear more and more, all the stuff we introduce takes time away from their ability to see the patients and talk to the patients. The second is improving workflows from the patient's perspective. You know, we've all been patients or loved ones, who's been patient, where we sat through there in waiting rooms and trying to get results or getting access to care and getting frustrated, right? So for me, the second is truly improving those workflows. From the patient's perspective, as I help the Laotian community navigate the healthcare system, I often have to personally connect with every single entry point, from overcoming language barriers to securing access to care, I think that experience really drives me to develop solutions that remove the need from manual intervention wherever possible, allowing patients to access the care they need when they need it. And I think at the end of the day, you know, without relying on someone else to help them navigate the system, because they may not have someone like me to help them navigate their health system. And I think that really is the staple of what we bring to our organizations and clients when we're out there, you know, really keeping those in perspective,
Megan Antonelli 5:27 yeah, I mean it. And it is at any point or role that you are within the healthcare system, I feel like you need a navigator. Of course, no, you know, no more than the patients do, right? But you know it becomes, you know, as you said, for you know, with clinicians and burnout. I mean, it is a complex and difficult place to work and to be, you know. And I know you work a lot with so many different healthcare system clients, and have for many years so and of course, that a lot has changed. I mean, from both, you know, from before the pandemic to now, and kind of seeing that, tell me a little bit about what you're seeing. You know, what are your clients working on, and where are these, you know, what are the big challenges they're facing lately?
Pam Saechow 6:13 Absolutely, you know. And I think all the clients we work with know, especially everybody that I've talked to, how much I'm invested in the relationship and their success, and every time we walk in, I always tell them, they say they learn from me, but I say I learn from them every single day. It goes both ways, right, and I'm just a lifelong learner, and I will definitely say that we are currently engaged with several clients on a range of projects. It could be helping them with really being their trusted partner, migrating them to a new EHR platform, or optimizing their use of their IT investment and enhancing that patient experience. But across all these efforts, I think there are a few consistent challenges that consistently present itself as opportunities to a lot of these healthcare organizations. I think the first one I see, that's really big, and I think I've, you know, dealt with this even when I was a healthcare IT executive myself in the organizations I've worked with, is governance is one of them. You know, it's, it's quite a challenge and a debacle, really, to kind of make sure that, with so many depend on the size of your organization, right? How do you ensure that the right decision makers are involved at the right times throughout the project? You know? And we often find that streamlining decision making processes around across people, process and tools and knowledge is a top priority. So effective governance ensures transparent communication, you know. How do you get that communication horizontally and vertically across the organization, so that you can manage competing priorities. Because, as you know, in today's world, more than ever, you know you have a greater demand than you do supply of talent and bandwidth. So that's always a challenge. Like, how do you have the right governance structure to help you focus in on some of your strategic assets, and where do you apply that right then that comes to your talent as the next challenge. You know, I think recruiting, developing and retaining skill talent remains a significant challenge, particularly in, you know, I think community health, rural health and public health care systems, while we work with all kinds different types of health care organizations, we also serve a lot of those segments within various healthcare organizations. And I think this talent gap can impact operations, obviously, innovation and long term success. So I think talent continues to be top of mind. I think post COVID Right as more people are figuring out, what type of workspace Are you looking for, fully remote, hybrid, back on site. You know, I think people have learned that a lot of people want to be 100% remote, in many cases, and it makes it even challenging for those who still believe in that high touch, stay visible and present. You know, in the patient care organizations, you know, wanting to people come back, it just makes it a little bit harder to find that right, because now they're I want to be remote, and I know I can be remote, and that's what I like because of their lifestyle. I think data analytics continues to be a challenge. You know, organizations are now data rich, but finding the right ability to extract that data into meaningful insights and action are very important to that. And then I think you know about cyber attacks, right? Just unplanned downtime and disaster recovery. You know, helping people prepare for unexpected downtime, especially due to cybersecurity threats, is another area of focus. You know, robust business cognitive plan, well trained teams and clear downtime protocols is essential when you're ensuring patient care and operations you know, are not disrupted or have minimal disruption whenever a disaster strikes. And then I'll just end with AI. Integration is another thing I see our clients kind of grappling with. It's become very integrated EMR systems, but there's so many emerging technology companies that are coming out around. And, you know, AI and what AI can do for you. So I think there's a lot of hype around for our clients, and they're just grappling with, how do I pick the right product, what workflow should I consider to be part of this process, you know, and how do I implement it successfully, and how do I measure the success? So I would say, across all of our customers, those are some of the common themes I've seen across different clients.
Megan Antonelli 10:25 Yeah, we're seeing those. You know, for sure, I think the talent one, I think is really interesting, you know. And I think because at first, certainly as the workforce went virtual, kind of during the pandemic, and certain, you know, the scaling that was required, and the work that was required was, you know, it was immense. And then, I don't know that we even, it even occurred to us that they weren't going to come back at the same, yeah, right, and yeah, because you just, you know, and really it was, it was a progression, you know? It was sort of like, okay, we all went virtual, okay, now it's hybrid, and it's eventually going to come back, right? They're going to come back. Oh, wait, they're not, you know, I mean, and I think that's so interesting with with a health system, it group right, where you've already got a little bit of like, are we really in this? Are we, you know, how much are we part of this healthcare system? And then they're not there, they're no longer necessarily on premises, or they're not there as much. How are you kind of helping folks, you know, with that strategy? What are your recommendations? I mean, because obviously having them remote increases the talent pool, but in some ways, it also increases the competition, right? I mean, because now you know you're not just, you know, if you're in a rural health system, and say, you do have a few incredibly talented engineers and developers or and project managers, well now they could go work for, you know, some other organization. So tell me how you're now, how your clients are navigating that, how you're helping them.
Pam Saechow 12:03 I think culture is the big thing, no matter what model you choose, right because I don't know that there's right or wrong. I think it's for your organization, what is best for you as an organization. So when we work with clients, we really lean in to what type of model they like, and we just adapt into that from that perspective, you know? So for example, when you're in a virtual, 100% virtual environment, with our team, we are pretty much 100% virtual however, we comply with whatever our clients need. So a lot of them will be you. We need you on site once a month. You know? Some is like, we need you here all of the time. Some are like, Nope, there's 100% remote job. We totally support that. But I would say for the organizations that are 100% virtual, you know, one thing that I've seen worked really well for us is just, you know, camera on policy, you know, it's very easy to multitask when you don't see what's going on. And so, like, I know, even with our own company, I'm like, we're a camera on policy, you can't be on the camera for some reason. I need a I need a reason, justification as to why you're not able to on, be on camera, because things happen. And I would like to know that, but I need you to know that you're present, you're available, and you're engaged in this conversation, or whatever that is at the moment in time, right? So I think instilling some of those policies, we also do a lot of virtual events. So like, we'll do quarterly virtual town hall meetings. We do virtual happy hours, holiday celebrations, and then for us, you know, in our company, we also have a couple events during the year, where I bring all the leadership and core leadership on site to do some stuff, but you just get creative with how do you stay engaged and active and promote that type of culture of that high touch you don't get? And I know one thing we do very well at elite two is you probably know this better than anybody making part of my role is traveling to visit our clients, and whenever I'm visiting our clients, I mean, that's where my inspiration comes from. Is really, I'm inspired by people, anybody who knows me, like, I just love meeting people and spending time with people, because I think there's so much to be said about seeing the talent and what motivates people, what inspires people? Like, I just love being in front of that building that relationship. And so when I do travel and go see my customer, I'm always like, we have staff that practice over 30 states. I will say, Hey, I'm in town. Let's I get a report who's all out there, and I make sure I spend time with them so that they all come together. So we do that throughout the year, and I think that's really gone a long way. But I do think, you know, culture is a really big thing, and as a result, you know, we've had a really good culture. We have really high employee satisfaction scores here, and our retention rate is extremely high here at elite group. So I think you gotta, like, continue to foster that culture of Engagement. You know that you're engaged or invested in their success, and that they are part of a bigger team, and we're all part of a greater purpose. Yeah, I mean, and I think that so it's so important within healthcare, because, you know, resources are tight, salaries aren't as competitive as they are in other technology, you know, areas, so if you don't have that culture and you can't, you know, engage your teams, you know you're going to lose the and we're in a high touch environment, right? Patient Care is a high touch environment because you're talking about the human empathy and understanding. You know people come to see you, whether it's a wellness check or, you know they're coming to see you and they just got delivered a diagnosis or prognosis. You know, that's just life changing and life altering. In fact, I will never forget Dr lava Beverly, you know, is a good friend, and I worked with her one time, and I will never forget this question. She said to me, bacon. She said, Pam, across any industry, what is the one thing in healthcare that you would say, regardless of your gender, age, race, etc, that you share across the world. And I struggle with a lot of different words, I'll tell you, I tossed up a couple words to her, and then she said, No, it's in healthcare if you were handed a prognosis, and they're like, you have breast cancer as an example. For me, you can't change that diagnosis and prognosis at that time. You don't have a choice other than what is that program look like, and what does that journey look like moving forward. And she said, think about it. You go to a restaurant, you don't like the food, don't go back to that restaurant. You don't like the hotel. Change will change to go to a different hotel, right? But when you get handed that, Pam, I'm sorry you have breast cancer, you can't change that. Pam, and that, really, you know, resonated with me. Because I'm like, Absolutely, and that's why we're part of their journey at that point. And you want to make it the best journey they will have in that process.
Megan Antonelli 17:11 Yeah, 100% you know, and it, it's so important as you go through that. And I think the Connect, and that's why that in person connection, the relationships in healthcare, whether it's between partners that, you know, vendors and their the hospitals and health systems. Obviously, the relationship between their the clinician and the patient are so important. And, you know, I think it's such a huge part of it, you know, and that's, you know, what we love to do is kind of bring people together. We didn't make it to Epic UGM, but I know you were there in terms of, you know, what was going on and, and some of the stuff, I imagine there was a lot of discussion around AI integration and what people are doing. Tell me a little bit about some of the solutions you saw there, and, and, yeah, they're, you know, kind of, no, I really enjoyed it.
Pam Saechow 18:02 You know, there were, like, top 10, and I probably took away, you know, out of the top 10 on, like, here's five things I'll focus on, you know, at least for our conversation, you know, one is business continuity, which I talked about, opportunities across the organization. I think we're all looking at the lens of just cyber security, right, and how to protect us, you know, and making sure we have a resiliency built into that. But I think for business continuity here at elite groups, you know, one of the things we are proactive about, and we really think about is that, you know, we understand that recovering from unplanned down times in hours versus days, you know, is really critical to the healthcare operations. So we offer a very comprehensive program to help organizations strengthen their business continuity plans, and that includes ongoing refreshers to ensure that when a downtime occurs, teams are well prepared to implement the protocol seamlessly and effectively. Because if you don't keep that practice up, and it hasn't happened to you when it happens, you just naturally don't have that instinct to trigger all those components to operate right and be able to put those policies and procedures into play. So we do provide a comprehensive program that goes through your downtime, policies and procedures you know, really doing the round table tops and making sure it stays very current and relevant in your life. So when it happens, because we don't know when it happens, that you're able to move into that as a natural order in process. So I think you know that was one of the takeaways, you know, like, how do we help organizations get to a place where you have such a robust plan that you can recover in hours and not days or weeks or months in some cases, right? So I think that's really important. I think here are the lead groups. That's one way of us being able to address something like that. You know, the other thing you talked about AI, you know, one of the things they talked to is, how do you embed AI into your strategy? Into the Workflows that you use every day. So it's not this new product you're trying to bring into right but making it a seamless part of your work. So I really think as healthcare organizations face the influx of these emerging technologies around AI, determining the right fit and strategy can be extremely challenging. And I know that UGM, you know, they listed all the different areas where they've provided that, you know, AI integration directly into the workflows. And I think that's really robust in terms of what they do so for us as a consulting organization, for a lot of these so we bolster that right. When we're there, we're like, listen, these are all the functionalities we want to be able to turn on. Let's make sure we have a good plan. Since we're a service provider organization, we provide services to help you put a good plan and methodology in place to stage and roll these changes in in an effective manner where we can measure and monitor the success of these changes, right and make sure that they stick. So that's one thing we're certainly doing in AI. In fact, we're working with a client to help them with how do we make decisions around AI through your governance structure? How do we prioritize those? How do we stage out those, roll out features and functionalities, and how do we put together a good implementation methodology and plan to implement those? And then, how do we measure and monitor progress, right, and as we move forward? So that's certainly one thing we also took away and then unlocking ROI with shared goals. You know, a lot of times, people want things, and we don't really take time to evaluate, you know, your ROI behind it, like, what's your business case, or what's the business case you're bringing forward? And I think here, you know, we have a dedicated department or organization that focuses on performance improvement and informaticists informatics. So we help organize, build out their ROI strategies with five to 10 year total cost of ownerships. We also assess their current KPIs against industry benchmarks and target KPIs really helping them to reach their full potential and drive value for their IT investment. So, you know, that's kind of like here's things I took away, and I'm so glad we have these services that we can align perfectly and be able to bolster that message and because together, I think no matter which you know, organization you serve are, or whoever is pitching it from a conference standpoint. You know, we're all about patient care, and patients at this center of everything we do. And so when I think about that, I'm like, How do I help make that change? And how do I help bring that great impact here to lead groups right or enhancing patient online access? You know, we recognize that growing importance of improving online patient access. I know as a patient myself, let me tell you, from a primary care physician, it takes me four to six weeks to even get to them. I have to go to urgent care, you know, and go in the waiting room waiting urgent care. I have to find out which Urgent Care has the least amount of waiting time so I could go there. So we need to find ways to like, automate that process and improve our ability to get access to care and be seen when we need to be seen. So, you know, we actually just invest in a digital VP of Digital patient experience, and we have a division because it's a growing line, and we're seeing a great demand for that that is really addressing the need through comprehensive program, including from the scheduling point to the patient service desk to proactive outreach to the patients and ensuring that seamless experience for our patients seeking care. So those were some of the takeaways we I did when I went to the conference. I'm like, How are we as an organizational lead group providing services that complement driving those results for the shared customers?
Megan Antonelli 23:44 Yeah, well, it seems like you guys have it covered, and it is, you know, it's always such an, I mean, it's such an amazing event, and it's so fun to watch what they do. And they're, you know, as as I've seen so many organizations have more and more user groups meetings and get bigger. But they were really, you know, they sort of cornered the market, and had such a have such a great one every year, and I love seeing the news that comes out of it. But I know you mentioned data analytics, and I know I had the pleasure of meeting the team at heart at so tell me a little bit. I saw that there was a strategic partnership announced between you and heart. Tell me what that what that looks like, and what that means for you know, your clients and everybody.
Pam Saechow 24:28 Yep, for sure. Well, so I gotta tell you, Megan, you gotta love the word heart. When I saw Chris, I'm like, I heart you Chris, but no, all kidding aside. Um, you know, at the heart of everything, it's always about the patient. I think at elite group, we partner with different organizations. So you always go through your strategy, like, do I want to build this? Do I want to buy this serve service or product that I don't currently have as my core accomplish? Or don't want to partner with somebody? Right? And. So certainly, you know, we work with a lot of clients where we're helping them do system selection around what's a good data migration path for them, what makes the most sense for them, as an example. And even previously, when I was healthcare, IT executive, you know, I was the one on the other side choosing some of those solutions. And I think there were some things that were always top of mind every time I pick a solution or we try to do anything around data conversion, data migration always took a lot of time, cost us a lot of money. And sometimes I'm not sure at the end of the day, did it bring the value I want or the quality I wanted? And so when I started evaluating the heart product, you know, it took a little bit time. And I know the people at heart who actually freedom developed a lot of this, you know, I was really impressed that it met all the workflow needs we come across with our clients and meeting their requirements. And in doing it, it was faster, more cost effective, and it delivered quality results, and so for us, it's not a tool we can build or buy. So partnership strategy meant, what's the right fit for us, they bring the product solution. We are a professional service delivery kind of organization. We specialize in integrating solutions with operational mindset and helping people put together robust implementation plans, you know, and they're very rich in some of their EHR clients and very rich in a different EHR client product. And so together, we really kind of expand our footprint in terms of the number of customers we can serve together, you know, by combining both of those. And you know, also, it's like a one stop shop for us in that area, versus going out and sourcing for different, you know, partners or vendors as an example. Yeah, we're hearing a lot about how, yeah, health systems want, you know, they want, you know, things in one place. Not a lot of point solutions, exactly, and integration. So then just being a good, trusted partner, you know, working around trusted relationships and people who share, you know, the same culture and values. And that's what I like about heart obviously, you know, I'm always very intentional about things like that, because your values and your culture is not something I compromise when it comes to patient care, you know. And so they put patients at the heart of what they do, and so that is something we also have in common. So it's been a good partnership. They're good people, yeah. So I'm excited to see what comes of it, and to work with them more and and to see you know, how both of you can amplify the work on both sides and amplify the great things that you're both doing. Speaking of that earlier this year, there was also the news about lumerity capital, and I'd love to hear how, how that's going and and how that aligns with your current strategy. Yeah, no, I'm very proud to have Lumeria as our partner for elite groups. You know, I, I think everybody knows when you're building your own company, you know that's, that's your baby, and people say you're you don't ever want anybody to call your baby ugly, but you also have to be willing to listen, right? And for me, it was always so important that whoever we pick, it was somebody who aligned with our culture and value and, most importantly, believed in our brand and our playbook and what we did really well, you know, in respecting and honoring what got us here as part of our DNA is what's going to get us further. And so I was looking for a partner who would really help, you know, invest in us, in our ability to grow and scale with quality and not compromising quality. So it took quite a bit of time. You know, while the decision came overnight or so through press release, that process itself took probably a little over a year, because we courted for a long time. Wanted to make sure we were really in alignment on what I saw the company continue to pursue. So anyone who actually has built their own company understands that there it does come a pivotal moment when pursuing a strategic direction becomes essential for your growth, right and scaling. And so this approach really enables us to effectively grow while we're maintaining our commitment to quality. And I think what's really important is we've been now together for about since June, so four or five months, it's been a great partnership. You know, they great advisors. I can reach out to them for things. They give different perspectives on certain things based on their other portfolio companies that we can learn from. And they've been extremely supportive. And I think as they get to know more and more of us, I think they really appreciate us even more than they ever had to realize what's special about elite groups, which is our brand is always about putting patients first of everything we do while we're a healthcare IT technology company. We don't go out and use acumens in selling technology like you'll never hear me talk to our customers of. Out any acronyms in it. I'm talking about the rural operating issues, right? You know, what is your access to care? How long does it take for your third next available appointment? Let's talk about what that looks like. How can we help you improve that throughput, right? So, you know, we really come to them in problem solving through business solutions versus technology, and I think they really appreciate that. So they've been really good partners. I've been extremely pleased they share good values and culture with us. And I think they're very happy with it, too. And as always, you know, I do people, you was worried, right? Like everybody, like I was too, that if you get a new, you know, pe company, or something comes that your brand's going to change, you're going to have to go after certain margins and you're going to dilute the brand, or you're going to have to grow so quickly that you can't, you know, all the growth we've had in the company and what my projections are for elite groups over the next three to five years, they've been part of our plan. It was just them looking at the plan, saying that looks really good for us, you know, and they bring in some, you know, different partners that maybe I didn't think about for certain aspects, whether it's, you know, looking at different tax advisory, you know, CPAs for our organization, or looking at, you know, different firms that do banking with you know, they bring a lot of different, You know, insights to that that has really helped us to kind of look at different things too, but I respect them, and I think they respect us. And people used to say, Pam, are you still going to be the CEO? Will you keep going, as long as it's elite groups, I will keep moving forward. And this is our company, and I love to CEO, operating it and running it with our teams.
Megan Antonelli 31:40 Yes, yes, well, and you know, I think that, you know, as where we started the conversation, and, and your, you know, focus on the human element of of healthcare and and leading both your company and helping your clients through compassion. And as you just said, that focus on not the, you know, technology acronym or the shiny object, if you will, but the problems in healthcare. And I think that so much of what you know, when I go from meeting to meeting, whether they're my own or others, I get tired and frustrated by us just sort of talking, you know, preaching to the choir about all of that instead of getting to, you know, there are just so many little problems low hanging fruit operationally at every organization. You know, we've talked a lot about getting rid of the stupid stuff and all that, you know, those, those little you know, approaching the technology and the innovation process and healthcare through that lens is so important. And I know that's what you and your team at elite groups does so well. So we're running out of time. So, and I always ask, you know, around like, what's the one challenge, or what is the one good thing? So I'm going to let you choose. You know, if you want to talk about some good, the good thing that you think is happening in healthcare, or if you want to kind of close on, you know, what's the one thing that you you would like to see fixed in the next you know?
Pam Saechow 33:12 Well, I think one of the things I think about is, and actually, you asked me this, right? Like, leave us with one good thing happening in digital healthcare. That makes me excited for what is to come. And I think if you kind of look backwards from my origination of where healthcare technology was in my early stages of my life, channeling, you know, supporting my grandmother through her integrative medicine in the Laotian community, I look forward to today and the future. And I think I'm really excited, because things are only going to get better, you know. And for me, what I mean by that is we now have access to powerful tools with EMR, which we didn't have even more than a decade plus ago, right? 20 years ago, you know, we talk about cloud technology, we talk about AI into our life and all of these things you know, right? And all the devices you know that hook up to us and how we can monitor ourselves at home, you just think about all the emerging technologies that improve the patient experience and empower patients to care for themselves and enable and empower us to take care of ourselves, right? I think about me, the patient, from that particular perspective. You know, they're all transforming healthcare, and I live down the road and I can envision a future where I can say, Grandma, I have helped leave the world in a better place. Your community and the countless others will no longer have to rely on a single person just to navigate their healthcare journey, that instead, they're going to have access to the care and resources they need whenever they need it. And for me, that's just something I can't wait for, you know. And she always like, you want to leave the world in a better place than you came into. And I just think there are so many countless heroes around the world that choose healthcare as part of their careers. I made it, made it, but we all do because it's a very humbling career to know that while I may not be a person bedside taking care of that patient, I know somewhere in a small way, I was able to help influence and make the world a better place and leave some positive impact. And so I just think all these smart, creative, talented people coming up with these amazing ideas, I love that elite group is a service provider. We don't develop product solutions, but I love being able to focus on the act of delivering services and providing those services. So that's what I would leave you with. I just think we are in such a great place, and that will continue to are there challenges, absolutely but every challenge is an opportunity, and we have so many talented people in this world that putting patients at the center of our heart motivates and helps us push our boundaries to continue health care better. I love that, and I, you know, I and I know that you do that, and I know you take it to heart with everything that you do. And I think you know, and that's what technology. You know, technology is the tool and the bridge that is connecting patients to, you know, care that they can't get. And, you know, improving that care, and it is, it's such an important, important place to be and an important time. So, yeah, I really, and Megan, you know the name elite group better than anybody else, you know. So I'll leave you with one final thought, because I think this is important for everybody to know. Elite group's name was very intentional. We came up with that. You know, E, L, L, E is for the French word she. It really channels my grandmother, who was a pioneer back in her days. So every single culture and value that goes into this company is really about that hard work ethics, putting the patients at the heart of everything we do. So L is French word she, and that is her legacy for us, right? Drop the word E. It is exactly what you just said. Technology is to be an enabler and a catalyst to help drive operational efficiencies and help operations find those competitive advantages for them. When it comes to taking care of patients and groups, is about nothing is successful without being able to collaborate across, you know, people, vendors, whoever you need to collaborate with. You know, no success can be done without that. You think about healthcare. Continuity of care requires care coordination across different people, no matter what role you have, from the scheduler right to the MA, to the PA, to the provider, to the nurse. Like we all have a role in this whole equation. So that what group stands for, and it is pronounced elite, because we want to deliver the best results with the best talent to bear, and that is what elite group stands for when it comes to the name of our company.
Megan Antonelli 37:58 Amazing, I actually didn't know that. Oh, really, I didn't. And that's amazing, because, of course, that's what we're all about here, too. Is, you know, I mean, I think it's, you know, it speaks so much obviously, your story, you know, with your grandmother and but you know, the women are, you know, in so many ways, the drivers of healthcare and and, you know, family making, family choices and all of that. So what a huge, you know, what a what a great, what a great name. I mean, I always, I just thought it was because you were elite and amazing and the best.
Pam Saechow 38:31 I'm sure that's a little biased, but
Megan Antonelli 38:36 Well, Pam, thank you so much for joining us. We will, for sure, talk again soon. This has been just, you know, it's always a delight to have you on the show and to talk and to hear about the work that you're doing. So thank you, and thank you to our listeners. You know how to find Pam at elite groups, and she's on LinkedIn as well, and always, you know, at our events at health impact. So that's right until next time keep pushing boundaries of what's possible in healthcare. I'm Megan Antonelli, and this has been digital health talks for health impact. Thank you.
Andrea Vergara 39:11 Thank you for joining us for this week's health impacts digital health talk. Don't miss another podcast. Subscribe at Digital Health talks.com and to join us at our next face to face event. Visit health impactlive.com