Today we’d like to introduce you to Frank Fortner.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Iatric Systems was founded in 1990 by Joel Berman, of Boxford, who had the vision to create a healthcare IT company that would help hospitals enhance and optimize their Electronic Health Record (EHR) technology. Back then, most of these systems ran on proprietary technology (e.g. not Microsoft Windows), so if your EHR vendor didn’t have certain functionality in their software, you might be out-of-luck. We added value by enhancing the systems to provide this additional functionality, along with various technical services that became almost an extension of the hospital’s IT department.
When I joined the company in 1996, we were mainly providing technical services such as report writing, data extractions, and technical training. I certainly enjoyed all of that, and we still do plenty of it today, but my real passion was for creating end-user application software, and thankfully, Joel gave me (and many other talented developers) the opportunity to do just that.
Over time, as our company grew, we began to focus on the software solutions that were most commonly in need across the industry, specifically – where there were feature gaps left by the EHR vendors. These solutions included things like mobile phlebotomy (blood collection), nursing flowsheets, data interfaces between systems, patient privacy monitoring, and data extraction services – to name just a few.
From the beginning, Joel had a vision to use a remote workforce, enabling the company to find and hire the best talent across the county. In the ‘90s, Joel was ahead of his time, but now, 28 years later, we are reaping the numerous benefits of this environment. A remote workforce has been a significant factor in how the company has grown from having two team members to more than 250 of the most talented people in the healthcare technology field.
Has it been a smooth road?
I would love to say it was always an easy, smooth road. There were certainly time periods that resemble this, but we’ve constantly had to innovate, adapt, and stay current with what has been a fast-moving industry, especially in the past eight years. In 2009, under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), healthcare IT was in many ways redefined, and the entire industry was essentially guided down some (often) narrowly defined paths. It was a time of great disruption and consolidation industrywide. In both big and small ways, the landscape looks different in 2017 than it did before the industry underwent this change. While it has been challenging at times, we have seen some record sales years throughout this time as well. Like many, we learned a lot about ourselves in such a disruptive environment.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Iatric Systems – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Today, our focus is on system interoperability, EHR optimization, and patient privacy solutions. We have deployed these solutions within most EHR systems, but our greatest specialty is with the EHR technology of Meditech, another Massachusetts-based company. We’re very proud of having served more than 1,300 hospitals within the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., and we’re still adding new customers every month.
One main focus area for our company is patient privacy – helping hospitals keep patient healthcare and personal information secure from outside and inside threats. We provide hospitals technology that allows them to see every time a patient’s healthcare record is accessed from someone inside the organization, which helps them detect any wrongful access or activities.
Any credit must first go to Joel for having the initial vision of a company that would become successful by treating customers (and team members) how we want to be treated. He taught us to listen to the customer – especially when others told them something was impossible – and then find a way to make it happen. The credit for sustaining our success over the years goes solely to our amazing team who embraced that message and put their best efforts into making it a reality.
Contact Info:
- Address: 27 Great Pond Dr.,
Boxford, MA 01921 - Website: http://new.iatric.com/
- Phone: 978-805-4100
- Email: info@iatric.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/IatricSystems
- Twitter: twitter.com/IatricSystems
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