6y
First, thank you for your remarks on our benefits and fun environment. And, yes our growth has been extreme. It’s one of the reasons why we focus so much on empowering the voices of our associates. We rely on their feedback and ideas to help us ensure that Ensemble continues to be recognized as a top workplace. That’s a key reason as to why I found this review to be so disappointing. It clearly cuts against the overwhelming associate sentiment about working for Ensemble. It’s worth mentioning that those Top Workplace accolades are earned as a result of anonymous surveys of our associates conducted by Beckers Magazine and the Cincinnati Business Courier. And our internal surveys consistently reinforce that sentiment. Further, I have reviewed the data related to our 498 leaders and their respective promotions within the company. Less than 2 % of leaders are from Arkansas and less than 2% of promotions of our 498 leaders are from Arkansas.
What I regret is that not only is your review not actionable, as it centers on demonstrably false claims, but it also reflects a total disregard for the internal communication/feedback channels that we have worked hard to create and promote. I can hardly imagine how we could be more encouraging of our associates to use their voice, to champion their ideas and to push for the changes that would make their job at Ensemble the best they’ve ever had.
Clearly, you find the circumstance you are in to be frustrating and I am sorry that is your experience, but that’s exactly what our open door policy is for. Your supervisor, director, VP, SVP are all ready to hear from you. If you find that your frustrations aren’t addressed at one level, keep going until they are. My door is open as well and I welcome your voice. We all have to work together to redefine what is possible in supporting American healthcare.
What disappoints me is when a demonstrably false claim turns into a flame job in a public forum where exceptional people looking for great jobs end up with a false perception of Ensemble as a prospective employer.
Let me also be extremely clear on the importance of patient experience. I’ll start with a demonstrably true claim: health systems that partner with Ensemble see an average 6% improvement in patient experience scores. We don’t take this lightly. Our dual focus on driving both financial performance while simultaneously improving patient experience is an absolutely critical differentiator for us in the market. It’s one of the reasons why the majority of all full outsourcing contracts nationwide have been awarded to Ensemble over the past three years. It’s easy to squeeze more cash from a health system by compromising patient experience, but to truly deliver excellence in both of these areas is the very definition of "redefining the possible in healthcare.” You remark that we are “worried about saving money.” 100% yes, we absolutely are. As we have weathered the storm of COVID-19, with hospital volumes down 40-60%, we have put our people first, making the sacrifices necessary to preserve the jobs of ALL of Ensemble’s associates while so many providers and RCM services companies have furloughed and cut jobs. We've done this to ensure exactly the opposite of what you suggest: that our client sites and patients are in the dark. We believe that if we do everything we can to support and invest in our associates, they in turn will give their best in the work they do for our partners and their patient populations. If that’s not a sentiment you are operating on, I must insist you take every step you can to get aligned with our mission - talk with your leaders, talk with your peers, talk with me. Your comment regarding “the broken ways of the past” also seems to reflect a poor understanding of who we are, how we operate and what we have achieved. A business functioning on broken processes is not going to achieve designations like Best in Klas, Top Workplace, Peer Reviewed, Cincinatti’s only unicorn company, etc. Certainly we adapt and evolve as we grow, but that’s not an indication that our past processes were incorrect, only that we we continue to move forward to provide the absolute best for our clients in a dynamic landscape. Per your remark that we are intensely focused on bringing money in, keep in mind that that’s exactly what our clients partner with us to accomplish. Maximizing yield from a health system’s revenue cycle is our job - ensuring that our provider partners have the margin to preserve their mission and can invest in continuous improvement of care and supporting better health in their respective communities. We succeed ONLY if they succeed. Again, if that dynamic is not clear to you, I must insist that you take time to connect with your leaders to truly understand our mission and the role that we are playing in American healthcare.
Last year we had 50,000 applicants and we hired just 1,000 people. The rough math would suggest that you stood out as the most promising candidate from some 50 other individuals. We clearly saw promising things in you, but if you don't understand our mission or how we go about accomplishing it, it is a certainty that you’ll not be able to apply your full potential in helping us achieve our goals. Please, take the time to speak with your leaders or come to speak with me if you’ve exhausted the alternatives. If you can find time to rant online knowing that an anonymous post can hardly lead to any meaningful change, have the courage to champion your ideas and lend your voice to helping Ensemble continue to be the employer of choice for 5000 remarkable individuals that call this company home.
Judson Ivy, CEO