Pivot Point Consulting is a healthcare-focused IT services and consulting firm that provides managed services, strategic advisory, and talent solutions to help providers, payers, and life sciences organizations navigate digital transformation and optimize their technology systems. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Pivot Point Consulting VP of Managed Services Molly Kalinowski to learn more.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): What workforce pressures are healthcare organizations facing right now, and how have those challenges shifted over the past few years?
Pivot Point Consulting (Molly): Healthcare organizations today are facing many workforce pressures. Some of those include severe budget constraints and talent shortages, often leading to staff burnout and turnover. We also see a need for healthcare organizations to maintain their legacy IT systems while still trying to roll out the latest and greatest technology. We’re also seeing the pressure of AI initiatives. Which initiatives should I roll out? Which ones do I not want? How do I choose? How do I prioritize all the different AI initiatives that are coming about? This is a shift that we’ve seen over the last few years, as we have new healthcare reform, like the Big Beautiful Bill. We’re seeing many more healthcare organizations adopt AI initiatives, and we’re also continuing to see expanded telehealth options, too.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): Traditional approaches like staff augmentation, contract labor, and direct hiring have been the default for a long time. Where are those models breaking down for health systems today?
Pivot Point Consulting (Molly): Many health systems no longer have funding for traditional staff augmentation with contract labor, so they’re often turning to companies like Pivot Point for more of a blended approach. Maybe they have some contractors plus some managed services, or a longer-term contract agreement that helps save them some of those dollars. Maybe you don’t need a full FTE, but instead you want a fractional team member who can be shared with another client.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): How do you define managed services in a healthcare workforce context, and what makes it fundamentally different from how organizations have historically thought about external talent and vendor relationships?
Pivot Point Consulting (Molly): I would define managed services as a partnership between two organizations, technically Pivot Point and a client. It essentially allows the client to focus on more strategic initiatives, while Pivot Point and our managed services team can focus on those repeatable, keep-the-lights-on tasks, like tickets, requests, and system upgrades, or maybe you have a net new implementation or project that you’re wanting to go down the path of. We can often assist with that. Our employees are full-time employees, and so we often see ourselves as an extension to the client’s team. We bring years of experience, multiple certifications, and best practices, all while saving the client money.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): Can you walk us through an example of a health system that moved to a managed services model? What were they struggling with, what did the shift look like, and what outcomes did they see?
Pivot Point Consulting (Molly): An example of a healthcare system that moved to managed services is Metro Health in Cleveland, Ohio. They had many strategic initiatives that they were undergoing, including a new hospital, several new Epic modules that they were implementing, and a large backlog of projects, enhancements, and ticket work. In addition, right when they finished an EHR system upgrade, it was time to start the next one. So, you almost needed a dedicated team just for upgrades. The Pivot Point team was able to partner with Metro Health to take on break-fix support for Epic module enhancements under 40 hours, as well as Epic upgrades. This allowed the Metro Health team to then focus on other strategic initiatives that they had in the pipeline, ultimately improving their throughput of projects, reducing their average days to resolve tickets, and ultimately better satisfaction for their end users.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): Looking ahead, what role do you see managed services playing in healthcare’s long-term workforce strategy, and what should executives be evaluating as they consider this shift?
Pivot Point Consulting (Molly): In terms of what role I see managed services play in healthcare’s long-term workforce strategy, I feel like managed services is going to continue to grow in the service desk, patient portal, EHR, and ERP support, as it allows clients to see some of those cost savings that they’re pressured to achieve. Additionally, a managed service model gives the client the ability to quickly flex up or down for various projects without having to take on the burden of benefits and directly hire those employees themselves. Executives should find a partner like Pivot Point, who can help them cut costs, yet achieve the best in class results they’re yearning for, as that ultimately leads to increased end user satisfaction and customer service, too.
