FORWARD ANNUAL REPORT 2012
On this opening page of our last annual report, we wrote that, “we might ultimately come to judge 2011 as a defining moment in the evolution and growth of Atlas Research.” We could not have imagined at the time just how prescient those words would prove to be. The trends that began to take hold that year foreshadowed a 2012 defined by increasing federal budget and market uncertainty and intense price competition that would test the mettle of large and small firms, our partners and competitors alike. But even as the company was buffeted by those downward trends, we began to see returns on our strategies of portfolio diversification and investment in key hires. We finished the year with a flourish of new contract wins, including several high-visibility, multi-year awards that will be key drivers of our sustained corporate growth and the strengthening of the Atlas brand. We continue to lead important national initiatives for federal clients: the Department of Defense (DoD)/ Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Interagency Care Coordination Committee; the VA Homeless Veteran Supported Employment Program, National Veteran Caregiver Training Program, and Veterans Health Administration Strategic Communications and Planning Support project; the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities and the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Newborn and Genetic Screening; the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Federally-Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC); and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Knowledge Transfer requirement. And we continue to provide thoughtful, client-focused, results-driven performance on projects large and small across an expanding range of domain areas. We also remain committed to building a company that we can be proud of, delivering value through meaningful work and a corporate culture dedicated to excellence, a collaborative spirit, and a sense of responsibility toward our clients and our community. We are welcoming new additions to our corporate family each month and strengthening our organizational capabilities and internal processes. We are a learning system, and the hard work of our entire staff and the trusted collaborations with our partners remain critical pillars to our continued
4
progress in the years to come. We remain excited about what lies ahead but, as we look back upon the past year, we are proud of our accomplishments to date. The end of 2012 marked our fourth consecutive year of continued revenue growth, and we are humbled to have again been recognized by the federal contracting community for that achievement and our engagement with the populations we touch through our work. Atlas was honored with the District of Columbia Small Business Person of the Year award from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the SBA Administrator’s Award for Excellence, the Department of Defense Pro Patria Award, and we received U.S. Chamber of Commerce Free Enterprise Honors. We draw strength both from what we have accomplished and from the lessons we have learned over the past year. That strength, the talented team we continue to build, and the trust and confidence our clients place in us point to significant opportunities and a very promising future. And so forward we go,
Ryung Suh, MD, MPH, MBA, MPP Chief Executive Officer
Mark H. Chichester, JD President
16 22 26
Atlas in Time
2
Research, Studies, and Analyses
4
Planning, Technical Assistance, and Facilitation
10
Education and Training
16
Health Care Improvement
22
Strategic Communications
26
In the News
30
Awards
33
Leadership
34
Populations and Communities We Serve
36
2012 Annual Report
1
ATLAS IN TIME 2008
2009
2010
FOUNDING AND INITIAL AWARDS
FIRST PRIME AWARDS
FIRST MULTI-YEAR PRIMES
■ Atlas hires first employee in August
■ First prime HHS contract: HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Emergency Department Situational and Tactical Awareness Tool
■ First system-wide VA contract: Continuous Survey Readiness for VA Medical Centers and Veterans Integrated Service Networks, with Joint Commission Resources
■ First subcontract: Veterans Health Education and Outreach Initiative, Martinsburg VA Medical Center, with Georgetown University ■ First multi-year subcontract: Policy and Planning Group, VHA Office of Rural Health, with NORC at the University of Chicago
■ First prime VA contract: VA Capitol Health Care Network (VISN 5) for women’s health, rehabilitation services, transportation studies, and communication strategies projects ■ First non-federal grant: Commission on Accreditation of Health Management Education, comparative study of international health management programs
■ First multi-year VA facility prime contract: Washington DC VA Medical Center medication management study, grand rounds series, and narrative medicine workshops ■ Expansion into VISN 16: Contract with South Central VA Health Care Network to develop a social media platform for rural health care providers ■ Innovative collaboration: Partnership with the National Association of Community Health Centers to improve collaborations between VA and community health centers
2
www.atlasresearch.us
2011
2012
PORTFOLIO DIVERSIFICATION
EXPANSION AND GROWTH
■ Expansion of HHS portfolio with new contracts for: • Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration • Health Resources and Services Administration • Office of Population Affairs • Office of Adolescent Health • National Health Lung Blood Institute • Office of Minority Health
■ Expansion of IDIQ contract vehicles: • Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Knowledge Transfer • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) • CMS Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) • VA Services for Program Excellence and Corporate Transformation (SPECTRUM) • Air Force Medical Services (AFMS) Consultant, Advisory, and Technical Services (CATS) • Chief Information Officers-Solutions and Partners 3 (CIO-SP3) • National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) • Joint Program Executive Office Chem-Bio Division (JPEO-CBD)
■ Expansion of VA portfolio with new contracts for: • Evaluation of Hospice and Palliative Care for VA Midwest Health Care Network (VISN 23) • Homelessness Prevention and Outreach Initiative • Women’s Health Surveys • Mobile Mini Residency Training Program • Homeless Veteran Case Management • Study of Transcendental Meditation for Veterans with PTSD ■ First Department of Labor award
■ Expansion of 5-year prime awards: DoD/VA Interagency Care Coordination Committee, HHS Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Newborn and Heritable Disease Screening, VA Workers Compensation Program Case Management ■ Expansion of high-visibility national awards: National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities, Homeless Veteran Supported Employment Program, VHA Strategic Communications Support Services, National Veteran Caregiver Training Program, Mental Health First Aid Outreach, Housing First Technical Assistance ■ Expansion of commercial and grant portfolio: IndigoBay Ventures, University of Michigan Health System, Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, The Commonwealth Fund
2012 Annual Report
3
RESEARCH, STUDIES, AND ANALYSES
4
www.atlasresearch.us
RESEARCH, STUDIES, AND ANALYSES
As the U.S. health care system continues to undergo dramatic transformation brought on by the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Atlas health systems experts anticipate and study its impacts and the range of issues our clients face at the nexus of public policy and business strategy. We provide objective research and analysis on the critical questions of quality, access, cost, and financing.
SERVICES > Study design
> Focus groups
> Evaluation
> Interviews
> Assessment
> IRB and OMB procedures
> Clinical trials > Pilot programs
> Survey design and administration
> Policy analysis
2012 Annual Report
5
Atlas to Support Research and Development Center for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) manage $800 billion in annual health care spending and are indispensable stakeholders in the implementation of health care reform. When CMS needed assistance streamlining, improving, and modernizing the systems that promote quality measurement reporting, value-based payment, and improved care delivery, they turned to MITRE Corporation and a team of small business partners that includes Atlas. The MITRE team was awarded a contract valued at $1 billion over five years to establish and manage a CMS Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC). Having partnered with MITRE on previous work in support of CMS, Atlas welcomed the opportunity to bring critical experience and expertise to the leading edge of the transformation of the U.S. health care system. Atlas will support the team in performing on task orders to develop and manage long-term strategic plans, conduct studies, and recommend and implement cost-saving initiatives. The MITRE team will also help CMS streamline its billing and eligibility systems, develop modern analytical capabilities, improve oversight of data, and promote a patient-centered focus on prevention and wellness.
6
www.atlasresearch.us
Investigating Complementary and Alternative Medicine Treatments for Veterans As part of a comprehensive response to the high rate of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in post-9/11 Service members and Veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs awarded a contract to Atlas and the Maharishi Foundation to support a study of Transcendental Meditation as an alternative treatment option for Veterans diagnosed with PTSD. Atlas provides project planning and management support as well as certified Transcendental Meditation trainers for Veterans enrolled in demonstration projects at VA Medical Centers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Saginaw, Michigan.
Advancing Newborn Screening for Early Detection of Heritable Disorders In September 2012, Atlas received a contract to support the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Secretary Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children. The committee provides the Secretary with advice and recommendations on the development of policies that support building capacity among state and local health agencies to provide for newborn and child screening as well as counseling and health care services for newborns and children having, or at risk for, heritable disorders. Atlas and partners from the Duke Clinical Research Institute support the committee by developing public health policy impact analyses, supporting the Committee’s Condition Review Team, and developing background, analytical, and other resources and tools that the committee requires to carry out work that supports screening for more than 97 percent of babies born in the United States each year.
ATLAS/MITRE PARTNERSHIP Atlas and MITRE have a successful history of working together to support the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services. In the transformation from a pay for service environment to that of value based purchasing, CMS needed to determine important clinical quality measures to incorporate across its clinical systems. By providing strategy, research, and guidance, Atlas and MITRE informed quality measures for individual programs as well as the overarching strategic direction for the clinical systems in the CMS health information technology agency environment. In addition, CMS wanted to better communicate components of its transformation from the pay-for-service environment to that of value-based purchasing system that incentivizes quality care. Atlas created a communications strategy and supporting products to successfully launch a new tool that helped multiple stakeholders work together to develop and finance new CMS projects faster and more efficiently.
2012 Annual Report
7
Helping States Respond to the Needs of Veterans, Service Members, and their Families In an effort to improve services and resources for West Virginia’s Veterans, Service members, and their families, the State Legislature engaged Atlas to design, conduct, and analyze a statewide survey targeting more than 8,000 Veterans and military personnel. Atlas collaborated with a research team from West Virginia University to explore issues related
8
www.atlasresearch.us
to health, employment, education, family, retirement, and benefits. “Back in 2007, horror stories in the media about the treatment of wounded Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan prompted the Legislature to consider whether our state was doing everything we could to help them,” said Delegate Barbara Evans Fleischauer, D-Monongalia, co-chair of the Veterans Interim Committee. “We figured the best way to find out what was needed was to ask Veterans themselves.”
Results from the Atlas-led study provided West Virginia policymakers with a better understanding of the daily lives and well-being of Veterans and Service members, which makes it possible to better tailor state services to meet the unique needs of this special population.
Seeking Evidence-Based Solutions to Homelessness Among Women Veterans When the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau sought to better understand the challenges faced by women Veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, it turned to Atlas. In partnership with the National Center on Family Homelessness and Advocates for Human Potential, Inc., Atlas studied obstacles to reintegration and considered strategies to support the Department’s efforts to meet the needs of this priority population.
program staff, and women Veterans. Study results and actionable recommendations were presented to Women’s Bureau leadership and will inform future program initiatives.
Studying Health Care Management Education Around the World The Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) International Healthcare Management Education Initiative turned to Atlas when it sought to improve understanding of international health care administration education and practice. Supported by a grant from the ARAMARK Charitable Fund, Atlas, the University of Scranton, and the University of Central Florida conducted a study of supply and demand for professionally trained health administrators and leaders in 16 countries in Latin America, Europe, and Asia. ■
The analysis was informed by a comprehensive literature review and interviews with experts,
GROWING THE SCIENTIFIC CONSULTING PRACTICE Atlas offers clients a suite of services in clinical research and regulatory affairs, including auditing, regulatory strategy, and due diligence services. Pharmaceutical, medical device, and biotechnology clients look to Atlas to help them overcome critical regulatory hurdles, devise effective regulatory strategies, and provide hands-on regulatory support. Jeffery A. Baetz, PMP
Jeff Baetz, vice president for regulatory affairs, and Kyungsun Suh, PhD, vice president for clinical research, oversee development and management of the Atlas clinical research portfolio, medical and scientific communications, scientific consulting for clients, strategic planning support, and exploration of new professional services areas.
2012 Annual Report
9
PLANNING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND
10 www.atlasresearch.us
PLANNING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND FACILITATION
Atlas creates tools and strategies for helping health care providers and organizations ensure that diverse patient populations receive highquality care that is safe, patient- and familycentered, evidence-based, and equitable.
FACILITATION SERVICES > Capacity building
> Facilitation
> Cross-system planning
> Strategic planning
> Consensus building
> Technical assistance
2012 Annual Report 11
Better Care for Wounded, Ill, and Injured Warriors The Interagency Care Coordination Committee is a joint effort between the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, formed to improve the coordination process for the care of wounded, ill, and injured Service members and Veterans. The committee was established in response to a series of Congressional reviews, which found several areas of concern surrounding the coordination of care among Warriors. The goal of the committee is to streamline and coordinate the care, benefits, and services provided to Warriors and their families as they transition between the two departments and into the civilian community. Atlas and project partners Deloitte Consulting and Ward Circle Strategies support the activities of both the overarching committee and its work groups. The Atlas team collaborates with department representatives to develop interagency policies, tools, and processes that will be implemented across both departments to improve Warrior care management. In addition, Atlas provides strategic guidance to the committee on sustainability, resource management, and communications. Three Work Groups serve as the planning and task engines of the IC3: Policy and Oversight Work Group - Atlas supports the creation of interagency guidance with common terms, definitions, and language to guide the operation and maintenance of a single model for care management and coordination through the Warrior’s continuum of care. Comprehensive Plan Work Group - Atlas is contributing to the development of a single, interagency comprehensive plan that includes the Warrior’s goals for recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration; this work group is also charged with crafting and implementing an information technology solution to support the comprehensive plan and care managers across both departments. Community of Practice Work Group – Atlas staff support this work group’s drive to conceptualize and implement a new model for care coordination that makes use of lead coordinators, who are designated members of care management teams who serve as the primary points of contact for team members, the Service members, Veterans, and their families.
12 www.atlasresearch.us
Improving Family Planning Programs for Low-Income Populations
household. Housing First (HF) has been identified by both VA and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness as an effective solution to end homelessness.
Atlas worked with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Population Affairs (OPA) to revise its Title X Family Planning program guidelines. The Title X program is the only federal grant program dedicated solely to providing individuals from low-income families with comprehensive family planning and reproductive health services.
The Housing First and Technical Assistance Services Project is an effort to integrate the HF model of care into the HUD-VASH Supportive Housing system, a partnership between the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Veterans Affairs, and local public housing authorities. Through this project, HUD-VASH employees in the VA Capitol Health Care Network are learning to employ the HF model of care for homeless Veterans within the network.
The Title X guidelines are designed to assist current and prospective grantees with understanding and utilizing the family planning service grants program in relation to project management, administration, clinic management, and clinic service requirements. The Atlas team, which included Altarum Institute, updated the Title X program guidelines to ensure that they were evidencebased and served the greater reproductive health community, as health reform broadens the options for receipt of reproductive care. The team organized and facilitated expert panels to address various topics.
Reducing Homelessness Through Rapid Re-Housing Homeless Veterans may face additional challenges in their search for a home, including mental illness, substance abuse disorders, poverty, health problems, and complicated family dynamics. These issues are taken into consideration in a Housing First model of care tailored specifically for Veterans and implemented within VA’s health care system. The model first places homeless individuals directly into permanent housing, then focuses on other issues affecting the newly formed
Atlas and project partners Pathways for Housing and Advocates for Human Potential manage a group of nationally recognized HF experts who provide training and technical assistance via a variety of methods, including workshops, peer-to-peer learning, case studies, articles, and guided discussions.
Developing a Strategic Plan to Improve Adolescent Health Since the establishment of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) in 2010, experts from Atlas and Altarum Institute have assisted in the development of a strategic framework for the Office. To create this framework, the Atlas team facilitated conversations with OAH to create mission and vision statements and prepare a strategic plan; created documents to support the strategic planning process; engaged a panel of adolescent health experts to further develop the framework; and involved external stakeholders in the planning process by preparing briefing materials, presenting at
2012 Annual Report 13
conferences and meetings, hosting regional stakeholder meetings, and conducting webinars. The Atlas team’s work to develop the strategic planning initiative strengthens OAH’s ability to advance more efficient and effective programs and policies to improve adolescent health promotion and disease prevention.
Building Capacity for the Office of Minority Health Improving the health of racial and ethnic minorities through the development of health policies and programs that will eliminate health disparities is the mission of the Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Office accomplishes its work through coordination of health disparity programs and activities, assessing policy and programmatic activities for health disparity implications, and building awareness of issues impacting the health of racial and ethnic minorities. Atlas is supporting the Office by providing technical assistance to support capacity
14 www.atlasresearch.us
building. This includes coordinating activities to enhance collaboration among the six new Offices of Minority Health, across State Offices of Minority Health, and with OMH’s funded partners; assisting with the development and monitoring of the Office’s performance measures; assessing and ensuring consistency between goals, functions, and organizational structure; and providing technical writing support. Project partners include the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (year 1) and HeiTech Services (year 2). The team assists the Office in improving its leadership role in advancing programs and policies that eliminate health disparities, while simultaneously increasing effectiveness and efficiency.
Supporting the U.S. Air Force Medical Service As a member of a team led by Evolvent Technologies, Atlas won a place on the U.S. Air Force Medical Service (AFMS) Consultant, Advisory and Technical Services (CATS) contract, a multiple-award, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) vehicle that has a five-year
ordering period and an award ceiling of $985 million. Awardees provide management and professional support services for the AFMS. The AFMS mission is to develop plans, programs, and procedures to support worldwide medical service missions in support of Service members and their families. Under the CATS contract, the team will provide AFMS with a wide range of management and professional support, technical expertise, and engineering services to assist AFMS in maintaining and reengineering its operations globally. “Our team’s expertise in the development and management of effective health care programs that support high-performing health care systems will greatly contribute to the CATS project,” said Ryung Suh, MD, chief executive officer for Atlas. “We look forward to supporting the Air Force – and ultimately Service members – through this important work.”
Strengthening Behavioral Health Care Systems for Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families Atlas supports a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) initiative to strengthen behavioral health care systems for Service members, Veterans, and their families by providing technical assistance, technical writing, and expert facilitation support. The target audience for SAMHSA’s support for behavioral health systems includes senior-level representatives from governors offices; tribal leaders; state, territory, and tribal agencies responsible for mental health and substance abuse; Veterans Affairs; National Guard; Medicaid and/or Social Security; housing; labor/ employment; criminal justice, and stakeholders,
including Veterans service organizations; military/Veteran family support organizations; and providers, consumers, and families who are working with states, territories, and tribes to improve behavioral health systems for Service members, Veterans, and their families. Atlas and Policy Research Associates are providing support to states, territories, and tribes through on-site, telephone, and webinar technical assistance that includes promoting the adoption of promising and evidence-based practices.
Reducing the Backlog of Workers Compensation Claims The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) faces barriers to the efficient management of workers’ compensation claims, resulting in excessive lost productivity and escalating compensation and medical costs. Through the Workers’ Compensation Program Legacy Case Management project, Atlas is assisting VHA in organizing, managing, and resolving large quantities of legacy claims. The project team, which also includes Managed Care Advisors, assesses each case to ensure that the recommendations made are accurate and in the best interest of the injured worker and VHA. This work helps VHA reduce the cost and lost productivity associated with existing workers’ compensation claims by identifying those with work capacity, or those whose injuries/illnesses have resolved. ■
2012 Annual Report 15
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
16 www.atlasresearch.us
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
During this period of unprecedented change in the health care environment, leaders and managers face myriad challenges in preparing their employees to operate more efficiently and achieve better outcomes. Atlas learning solutions enhance our clients’ ability to adapt to change and improve performance by integrating and tailoring expertise, methodology, and technology to address training needs and overcome learning barriers. Firmly rooted in the academic enterprise through faculty appointments and affiliations with leading academic institutions and think tanks, Atlas is committed to providing specially tailored, data-driven learning solutions to the problems our clients face.
SERVICES > Curriculum design
> Instruction
> Meeting and event support
> Logistics
2012 Annual Report 17
Employment Training for Homeless Veterans In May 2012, Atlas undertook a new project for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide evidence-based supported employment training and services to the 400 formerly homeless Veterans hired by VA to help other homeless Veterans find permanent employment.
“We are excited Veteran trainees receive individualized training, mentoring, and consultation
to prepare them to serve as vocational rehabilitation specialists. The training covers one-on-one assessment, peer-to-peer support, and job development, project as one of and has shown impressive results in helping homeless Veterans obtain and retain the most promising employment in their communities.
to be a part of this
strategies to end Veterans seen by the trained vocational rehabilitation specialists receive a work the cycle of Veteran assessment, skills enhancement, and customized ongoing support from VA and/or homelessness.”
the community to help them obtain and keep their desired jobs.
- Hilda R. Heady “We applaud VA’s effort to employ and train homeless Veterans, and we are excited
to be a part of this project as one of the most promising strategies to end the cycle of Veteran homelessness,” said Hilda R. Heady, senior vice president with Atlas and the company’s national program director for the Homeless Veteran Supported Employment Program. The project’s partners include Advocates for Human Potential and Easter Seals, Inc.
18 www.atlasresearch.us
Teaching Caregivers of Disabled Veterans VA established the National Veteran Caregiver Training Program to provide training for caregivers of post-9/11 disabled Veterans. Atlas and Easter Seals partnered with the National Alliance for Caregiving, Family Caregiver Alliance, National Family Caregiver Association, and the National Association for Hispanic Health to administer the high-visibility program, through which more than 10,000 caregivers have received training. Atlas led the development of the training curriculum and classroom facilitation plans, and provided training through three delivery modalities – online course, self-study workbook, and two-day classroom session – from which caregivers may choose according to what best suits their needs. The training is designed to increase caregivers’ confidence and competency, and provide resources on a wide
range of relevant topics, including financial management, legal matters, and emergency preparation and management.
Promoting Patient-Centered Care Under a five-year contract with the Washington DC VA Medical Center, Atlas provides planning, content development, and logistical support for the Medical Center’s patient-centered care grand rounds series and customized training program. The grand rounds and training sessions feature nationally-recognized speakers from government, industry, and academe, including faculty members from Columbia University Medical Center’s world-renowned Program in Narrative Medicine. More than 300 health care providers took part in Atlas-led education and training events in 2012.
Preparing Service Members for the Transition from Military to Civilian Life As Service members prepare to leave the military, they are offered training that is designed to help ensure the transition from military to civilian life is a successful one. That training has traditionally included briefings on VA and other benefits and services as well as practical guidance and life skills that contribute to Veterans’ ability to thrive in the civilian world. To ensure the continued relevance and value of the transition support services, VA awarded the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) contract to the Booz Allen Hamilton team to reframe the tap briefing experience. Atlas partnered with Booz Allen to apply the lessons learned from the redesign of the VA benefits briefing to the broader program briefed to separating Service members, the team conducted evaluations at pilot test locations at Miramar in San Diego, California and Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas. The new briefing is now being used nationwide. More than 300,000 current active duty Service members are expected to receive the VA benefits briefing over the next few years.
Training Young Adults to Eliminate Health Disparities Health outcomes vary dramatically from community to community, with low-income and minority communities more likely to experience detrimental health outcomes. In response to these disparities, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health developed the National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities to increase the effectiveness of programs that target the elimination of health disparities through
20 www.atlasresearch.us
the coordination of partners, leaders, and stakeholders committed to action. Young adults are one of the groups of stakeholders whose participation in the partnership is crucial for its success. Atlas and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities are supporting the Office in its effort to provide youth an introduction to
the issues that impact health disparities and health equity through training and professional development opportunities that strengthen their capacity to serve as future health workforce leaders. The team is developing a comprehensive youth-focused curriculum and working with partners to plan and conduct trainthe-trainer sessions for young adults and high school and college educators. â–
ATLAS IN THE CLASSROOM Atlas is unique as a consulting organization in that teaching, learning, and research comprise a key tenet of our corporate model. Several Atlas executives hold faculty appointments at Georgetown University where they share their expertise and experiences with students as part of an ongoing commitment to service, leadership, and scholarship activities. Courses include:
Health Care Consulting
President Mark Chichester and CEO Ryung Suh
Health Quality and Performance Improvement Senior Vice President Jason Ormsby
Disruptive Innovations in Health Care
CEO Ryung Suh, Kevin Vigilante (Booz Allen Hamilton), Paul Keckley (Deloitte Consulting)
Medical Technology
Health Systems and Policy CEO Ryung Suh
CEO Ryung Suh, Senior Fellow John Jacocks, and Samuel Jang (U.S. Army)
Management Systems
Biohazardous Threat Agents
Health Disparities (guest lecture)
Biotechnology Management
CEO Ryung Suh and Senior Vice President Jason Ormsby
Executive Vice President Jamie Hart
CEO Ryung Suh and Senior Fellow John Jacocks
Karen Becker (Precision Health Holdings) and CEO Ryung Suh
2012 Annual Report 21
HEALTH CARE IMPROVEMENT
22 www.atlasresearch.us
HEALTH CARE IMPROVEMENT
While the focus of health care is to promote the health of patients, the complex health care system required to do so involves providers, staff, researchers, students, administrators, patients, facilities, regulations, and financing. Atlas experts work across this spectrum of health care with the aim of improving the experience of every patient.
SERVICES > Survey readiness > Clinical training > Evidence-based design
> Performance measurement > Quality improvement > Workforce recruitment
2012 Annual Report 23
Transforming Care Environments Continuous survey readiness (CSR) involves the process of proactively maintaining a safe health care environment conducive to high-quality patient care, delivered by all staff at all times. For the past three years, Atlas senior consultants have worked with Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers across the United States to improve their understanding and compliance with accreditation standards and processes. Atlas teamed with Joint Commission Resources to carry out this work, which involves onsite consulting in patient safety, quality management, leadership development, environment of care, and performance improvement. Atlas consultants inform and train VA staff on accreditation standards, survey processes, national patient safety goals, core quality measures, and disease specific certifications. The consultants also run standards compliance education sessions and organize advisory groups to strengthen CSR activities, helping the medical centers to maintain continuous compliance, prepare for periodic performance reviews, and stay current with regulations.
Fostering Collaborations between Health Professionals and Community Organizations to Strengthen Rural Health Care Delivery The recruitment and retention of primary and allied health care providers in rural communities is a persistent challenge across the country. The Health Resources and Services Administration supports the development of rural health networks to conduct activities to improve recruitment and retention. The Western Maryland Area Health Education Center is part of one such network, and they engaged Atlas to provide program evaluation and technical assistance in network and policy development in the rural region of Western Maryland, which is facing critical health care workforce shortages. The goal of the Garrett-Allegany Health Workforce Development Network project was to effectively integrate the collective experience and expertise of the network members to develop and implement innovative, communitybased educational and clinical health training
24 www.atlasresearch.us
programs primarily for medical residents and mental health professionals. The programs were designed to encourage the recruitment and retention of emerging health professionals in order to address workforce shortages.
Improving End-of-Life Care Collaboration in Rural Areas End-of-life care is complex regardless of who the patient is, but Veterans in this stage of their lives face an additional set of emotional and psychosocial challenges and vulnerabilities as a result of their military experiences. Veteran endof-life care also is complicated by difficulties with unclear definitions of VA coverage for non-VA care and dual eligibility for VA benefits and Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance. Educating community hospice providers about these issues can improve Veteran access to high quality end-of-life care. In an effort to address a number of these challenges, the VA Midwest Health Care Network (VISN 23) partnered with Atlas, the National Rural Health Resource Center, and five
rural community hospice agencies to develop and implement innovative care coordination models of end-of-life care for community agencies that serve rural Veterans.
community partners. These recommendations inform the continued development of these programs for Veterans within VISN 23 as well as other VA networks that seek to improve the quality of end-of-life care for their Veterans. â–
The resultant set of recommendations focused on a range of issues, including additional referral sources; improved avenues for outreach and communications; increasing the use of the Military Health Checklist, Family Evaluation of Hospice Care survey, and other tools; promoting a better understanding of VA end-of-life care benefits; and expanding the list of potential
2012 Annual Report 25
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS
26 www.atlasresearch.us
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS
As structural changes across the health sector impose new imperatives of quality, accountability, value, transparency, and efficiency on health systems leaders, Atlas helps clients improve performance and anticipate and tackle the strategic challenges that lie ahead. We collaborate with health systems leaders to develop integrated health communications programs, initiate programs for stakeholder mobilization, and provide communications tools to manage organizational change.
SERVICES > Strategy
> Public relations
> Graphic design
> Knowledge translation
> Social media > Web development
> Community outreach
> Content organization
> Writing and editing
2012 Annual Report 27
Providing Strategic Communications Planning and Program Support for the Nation’s Largest Integrated Health System Atlas, with partners Booz Allen Hamilton and Carnevale Associates, is supporting the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) in the development and implementation of an integrated communications plan that includes communicating the new VHA strategic plan to internal and external audiences. The work the Atlas team is performing will help VHA leadership and communicators understand and communicate effectively and consistently about important initiatives and their impacts on staff as well as patients. High-visibility subtasks on this contract support the development and rollout of a robust communications management information system, which includes an industry-leading media management tool (i.e., Vocus) and expanded functionality for the VHA intranet platform. This work takes on particular significance as VHA leadership anticipates, and prepares to respond to, the impacts of an evolution in the U.S. health care system spurred by the passage of the Affordable Care Act. VHA’s Office of Communications is responsible for informing Veterans and other key internal and external audiences about the services VHA offers, organizational priorities, ongoing initiatives, health and wellness issues, accomplishments and missteps, and a wide array of events and activities occurring both nationally and at the local level. Through consistent and effective communications, VHA leadership, providers, and staff will share the same vision and understand their respective roles in the transformation of VHA to meet the challenges that accompany change.
28 www.atlasresearch.us
Bringing Mental Health First Aid to Rural Communities Many people who suffer from mental health disorders do not seek or have access to professional help, and it can be all the more challenging for those who live in rural areas that suffer chronic shortages of behavioral health providers. Mental health first aid offers a way to get appropriate help to those experiencing crisis until professional treatment is received or the crisis resolves. Like first aid, mental health first aid can be learned and administered by nearly anyone, and when rural community members are trained, they create stronger, more prepared networks of support. Atlas was awarded a contract by the Office of Special Health Affairs in the Health Resources and Services Administration to conduct national outreach to rural communities, organizations, and related stakeholders to increase awareness of mental health first aid, offer rural-specific training opportunities, and encourage community dialogue and collaboration. Through these efforts, Atlas is enhancing rural community collaboration and capacity to address behavioral health issues.
Providing Knowledge Transfer Services to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
the United States. In support of AHRQ, Atlas will develop communications strategies, create and test new communications tools and materials, implement communications plans, and evaluate communications activities to assist the agency in helping Americans make informed decisions that improve health care. â–
In 2012, Atlas won awards as both a prime and team member under an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) five-year, multipleaward, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract, with an overall award ceiling of $150 million. AHRQ is the lead federal agency charged with improving the quality, safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of health care in
2012 Annual Report 29
IN THE NEWS
Atlas Donates Coats and Clothes to DC Area Homeless Veterans Atlas employees and partners donated over 670 coats and sweaters and 42 pairs of new boots for homeless Veterans who attended the Washington, DC VA Medical Center annual Winterhaven Stand Down event in January 2012. Atlas employees also served as volunteers, staffing various stations and supporting activities throughout the day. Atlas’ partners in support of the Stand Down included the Gregory B. Davis Foundation; the Town of Fairmount Heights, Maryland; former Fairmount Heights Councilwoman Patricia Waiters; the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority; and Prince Georges Community Church.
The NEA Foundation Names Mark Howard Chichester Board Chair
Atlas Featured at U.S. Small Business Administration Town Hall Meeting
Mark H. Chichester, co-founder and president of Atlas, serves as the new chair of the NEA Foundation Board of Directors. The NEA Foundation is an independent, public charity that partners with education unions, districts, and communities to create sustainable improvements in teaching and learning.
As part of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 2012 Small Business Week celebration, Atlas was the featured firm at an agency-wide town hall meeting with employees at SBA headquarters in Washington, DC. Administrator Karen Mills attended the town hall, which was moderated by Deputy Administrator Marie Johns.
“Mark sees the powerful impact that the Foundation’s work will have, not just today, but on future generations, as we fund and support educatordriven solutions that contribute to improved student performance in public schools,” said Harriet Sanford, President and CEO of the NEA Foundation.
30 www.atlasresearch.us
Ryung Suh Named PresidentElect of American Association of Public Health Physicians Atlas CEO Ryung Suh was elected as President-Elect of the American Association of Public Health Physicians. This national association serves as the voice of physician directors of state and local health departments.
Atlas Hosts Salon on Health Technology Innovation Atlas hosted an executive salon, The Future of Health Care Technology Innovation, on April 19, 2012. The event featured Nicholas Donofrio, fellow emeritus and executive vice president for innovation and technology at IBM (retired), and Dr. Hon Pak, chief executive officer at Diversinet and former president of the American Telemedicine Association. The two noted thought leaders – whose careers have been at the intersection of innovation, business, and government – discussed the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the wave of technology innovation sweeping over the health care industry. Guided by moderator and former ABC/WJLA news anchor Beverly Kirk, Mr. Donofrio and Dr. Pak walked the audience through the challenges and opportunities associated with rapid technology development and expansion in health care, noting the importance of innovation and higher education.
Atlas Adds Multiple Contract Vehicles in 2012 Atlas was awarded multiple Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicles in 2012 – both as prime and as a subcontractor – thereby extending the reach of our services to many new agencies and clients. • Knowledge Transfer Services - Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality • Chief Information Officer-Solutions and Partners 3 (CIO-SP3) - National Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center, National Institutes of Health • Consultant, Advisory, and Technical Services – Air Force Medical Service • Omnibus Program Engineering and Technical Support Services - Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense • Preclinical Services for the Development of Biopharmaceutical Products - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases • Services for Program Excellence and Corporate Transformation Umbrella (SPECTRUM) - Department of Veterans Affairs • Event Planning, Evaluation, Analysis, and Technical Assistance – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration • Federally Funded Research and Development Center – Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Hilda R. Heady Serves as Guest Editor for Journal of Rural Social Sciences Senior Vice President Hilda R. Heady served as guest editor for a special issue of the Journal of Rural Social Sciences (Volume 26/3) published by the Southern Rural Sociology Association. It was the first peer-reviewed journal issue dedicated solely to the challenges faced by rural Veterans and those who care for them. The special issue brought together 11 articles from leading experts to explore the topic of rural Veterans, their characteristics and demographics, the challenges they face in accessing health and mental health care in rural America, and the efforts being made to serve and assess this special population through research-based studies and analyses.
2012 Annual Report 31
Atlas Travels to China as Part of ExportDC Trade Mission Representatives from Atlas accompanied Washington, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray on an economic development mission to China, which was jointly sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration and “ExportDC”, an initiative of the D.C. Department of Small and Local Business Development. Atlas CEO Ryung Suh and President Mark H. Chichester, along with city officials and 14 other private sector firms, made the weeklong trip to Beijing, Shanghai, and Suzhou. “Our meetings with senior leaders of the Beijing and Shanghai Municipal Health Bureaus, the Hospital Development Center, the Center for Disease Control, senior faculty at Tsinghua and Fudan Universities, and their National Institutes of Health gave us an unparalleled view of the many challenges faced and strategic solutions being applied to the Chinese health care system,” said Dr. Suh. “In many respects, there is much commonality with the work we do for federal and commercial clients in the U.S. health care system.” Meetings led to agreements in principle to establish a U.S.-China health management exchange program and a comparative health services research consortium. These may bring additional jobs and economic activity to D.C., while furthering international cooperation toward improving health care and health system management across the global community.
Ryung Suh Elected to National Commission on Correctional Health Care’s Executive Committee
New Journal Article on Transitional Workforce Challenges for Rural Women Veterans
Atlas CEO Ryung Suh was elected to the Executive Committee of the National Commission on Correctional Health Care. NCCHC is committed to improving the quality of health care in jails, prisons, and juvenile confinement facilities.
Atlas Consultant Ria Muttukumaru co-authored an article that appeared in the Journal of Rural Social Sciences (Volume 26/3). Transitioning to the Civilian Workforce: Issues Impacting the Reentry of Rural Women Veterans details the effects of military service on women Veterans’ civilian employment prospects through a review of current literature, assessment of Bureau of Labor Statistics datasets, and the analysis of qualitative interviews.
32 www.atlasresearch.us
AWARDS Administrator’s Award for Excellence
U.S. Small Business Administration This award recognized Atlas as one of the top small business subcontractors in the Washington, D.C. region.
2012 District of Columbia Small Business Person of the Year U.S. Small Business Administration
CEO Ryung Suh and President Mark H. Chichester were honored during a National Small Business Week awards celebration in Washington DC in May 2012.
Small Business Industry Star
Pro Patria Award
Department of Defense President Mark H. Chichester received this award for exceptional meritorious service in supporting Atlas’s National Guard and Reserve employees and their families during mobilizations.
Employer Support Freedom Award Semifinalist Secretary of Defense
Atlas was one of three Washington, D.C. employers selected as semifinalists for this award, the highest recognition given by the Department of Defense to employers for exceptional support of their Guard and Reserve employees.
SmartCEO
CEO Ryung Suh, MD was recognized for achieving excellence in the complex and competitive small business sector at the 2012 GOVStar Awards ceremony in October.
Industry Educator Award Healthcare Business Alliance
Free Enterprise Honoree U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Atlas was named one of 25 Free Enterprise Honorees across the country, an honor that recognizes excellent business practices in several areas, including strategy, employee development, community involvement, and customer service.
Atlas received this inaugural award for commitment to education of health care business professionals through active mentoring and corporate educational activities.
2012 Annual Report 33
LEADERSHIP P R I NCI PAL S Ryung Suh, MD, MPH, MBA, MPP
Mark H. Chichester, JD
Chief Executive Officer
President
M AN A G E M E N T TE AM Jamie Hart, PhD, MPH
Marie Minier, MBA
Executive Vice President
Senior Vice President, Administration
Hilda R. Heady, MSW, ACSW
Jeffery A. Baetz, PMP
Senior Vice President and Chair of the Rural Health Research and Policy Group
Vice President, Regulatory Affairs
Jason Ormsby, PhD, MBA, MHSA Senior Vice President and Chair of the Health Quality and Information Technology Group
Kate Lynch Machado Vice President, Business Development
AD V I S O RY BOAR D Nicholas Donofrio, MS
Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, JD, MPA
Fellow Emeritus and Executive Vice President, Innovation and Technology, IBM (retired)
President Emeritus, The George Washington University (Chairman)
S E N I O R FE L LOWS Julie Anbender
Sanford M. Garfunkel, FACHE
Principal, Ward Circle Strategies
Former Director, Capitol Health Care Network
Bob Carr, MD, MPH, FACPM
Brian Hurley
Senior Vice President and Corporate Medical Director of GlaxoSmithKline
Principal, Ward Circle Strategies
Fr. Rick Curry, SJ, PhD Chaplain-in-residence at Georgetown University
34 www.atlasresearch.us
John Jacocks, MD, MTM&H (COL, ret) Chief Medical Officer for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA)
Deborah McKay, RN, MS
Dara Conroy, PHR
Vice President, Veteran and Military Health Services
Human Resources Manager
Joy H. Park
Holly Freedlander, MBA, CPA
Vice President, Operations
Controller
Kyungsun Suh, PhD
Wendy Opsahl, PhD
Vice President, Clinical Research
Communications Director
John F. ‘Skip’ Williams, Jr., MD, EdD President at State University New York Downstate Health Sciences Center
Patricia C. Lewis
Brigadier General (ret.)
William Oetgen, MD, MBA, FACP, FACC Clinical Professor of Medicine at the Georgetown University School of Medicine
Siobhan Wescott, MD, MPH Affiliate Clinical Professor at the University of Alaska
Jay Wolfson, DrPH, JD Distinguished Service Professor of Public Health and Medicine, University of South Florida
Paul Rader, MHA, FACHE International health systems expert
2012 Annual Report 35
OUR CLIENTS U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
> VA Capitol Health Care Network (VISN 5)
> Care Management and Social Work Service
> VA Midwest Health Care Network (VISN 23)
> Office of Human Resources Management
> Martinsburg VA Medical Center
> Office of Policy and Planning
> Sioux Falls VA Medical Center
> Office of Rural Health
> Washington DC VA Medical Center
> Interagency Care Coordination Committee, Office of the Secretary > Office of Mental Health Services
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
> Veterans Health Administration, Office of Communications
> Agency for Health Care Research and Quality
> Veterans Health Administration, Homeless Program Office
> Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
> Veterans Benefits Administration/ Department of Defense Program Office
> Health Resources and Services Administration > National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
> South Central VA Health Care Network (VISN 16)
> Office of Adolescent Health
Aging and End of Life
Duty Active ilitary M
s
ran
e Vet
en
om W >>
>> >> >
nts
>>> >> >
I and nfants Yout h
sce
> >> > > >>
>> >>
ole
>>>> >>> >>> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >
es ili
m
Fa
Ad
> >> >> > >>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>> > > > >> >> > >>
> >>
>>>>>>>>>>> >>> > >> >> > >>
> Office of Minority Health
STATES
> Office of Population Affairs
> West Virginia Legislature
> Office of Special Health Affairs
COMMERCIAL
> Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children > Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
> University of Michigan Health System > Indigo Bay Ventures
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
> Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corporation
> Air Force Medical Service
> United Service Organizations
> Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense
> Raytheon > Deloitte Center for Health Solutions
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
>> >
es
>> >
>> >
>> >
s itie
l ra mu u R om C >> >
>> >
>> >
are C s h alt utive e H ec Ex
>
>>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
>> >
POPULATIONS AND COMMUNITIES WE SERVE ti ni
> >> >> >> >>
>>>
R Et acia hn l a ic nd M ino r
Home
He Pro alth C vid are ers
less
> Women’s Bureau
>>>>> >>>> >>> >>>
>>>>
> Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education
>>>>
>> >>> >>
>> > >>> >>
> >>
nt nme s r e v Go loyee Emp
ATLAS RESEARCH 3240 Prospect Street NW, Suite 100 Washington, DC 20007 202.717.8710 www.atlasresearch.us
DUNS: 82-756-0744
A Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business
NAICS: 541310, 541330, 541519, 541611, 541612, 541613, 541614, 541618, 541690, 541711, 541712, 541720, 541990, 561499, 611430, 621330, 621498, 624229, 624310