Jimmy Dascani is now an Arthrex employee, but once upon a time, he was a customer.

It has given him a unique perspective since joining the company six months ago as Arthrex’s Director of Health Care Administrator Relations. Bringing his extensive health care and business background with him, Jimmy’s new role will help Arthrex develop health care administrator relationships around the country – with your help.

We asked Jimmy some questions about this new initiative he is embarking on, including the creation of Arthrex’s Health Care Leadership Forums. The next forum will be held on Wednesday, January 24.

What is your professional background?

I have more than 23 years of experience in the health care and business, working on both clinical leadership roles and sales. Most recently, I have served as the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Nursing Officer for a local hospital. I previously worked for two publicly-traded health care systems, a private hospital system and the VA Healthcare System.

How did you come to work at Arthrex?

As the former CEO of Landmark Hospital in Naples, Florida, I met with Reinhold (Schmieding), (Global Arthroplasty Business Development Director) Steve Schewe, (Medical Education Director) Dr. Chris Adams, and the Synergy team. I then made the quick decision to align with Arthrex and become an “all-in” customer by investing in the Synergy ecosystem and the power of the overall Arthrex relationship. As I was searching for my next career adventure, the opportunity to work for Arthrex and develop a special program to focus on health care leaders like myself became available. I saw this as an opportunity to use my unique perspective to develop administrative-level relationships around the country and to add a new dynamic to Arthrex’s core strategy. 


Tell me about how the Health Care Leadership Forum came to be?

As you know, education is at the heart of what we do at Arthrex, and Reinhold’s vision for the program included the development of this forum to create a unique and impactful educational experience for anyone in a leadership role in hospitals, health systems and ambulatory surgery centers.

You are starting this new initiative from the ground up. What are you excited about? 

I am excited about a handful of current success stories, and I am excited about all of the future success stories and impact we will make together as the program gains momentum. Administrators will go back to their facilities with a new understanding of us and look to us as the trusted partner of choice to help execute their organizational strategy. I am also excited to help administrators improve patient care through a more in-depth understanding of the value Arthrex delivers.

What are your challenges? How are you going to meet those challenges?

Creating awareness of the program and driving attendance are challenges that we face today, but through our corporate communications strategy and the creation of new marketing assets, we will overcome those. As we learn from attendees, we will make adjustments and the program will constantly evolve to stay relevant and impactful.

Why do you think it is valuable to Arthrex as we move forward as a company?

Health Care Administrator Relations is critical to our growth strategy for several reasons. First, there are about 10 administrators for every one practicing physician. In fact, a recent study revealed that from 1975-2010, the number of practicing physicians grew by 150 percent; however, over that same 35 year period, the number of administrators grew by a whopping 3,200 percent. So, the explosion of people in manager to executive-level roles provides us with a huge opportunity to build relationships and develop additional Arthrex champions. Also, the combination of the rise of value analysis teams and the slight erosion of physician decision-making authority has created the opportunity for us to focus on relationships with nursing leaders, operational leaders, supply chain leaders and other influential members of the health care team. 

Secondly, as hospitals, health systems, and ASC’s struggle to balance costs, utilization, quality and the overall patient experience, they will need to align with organizations across the continuum of care that can help them solve these challenges. They are seeking an innovative and trusted partner like Arthrex to deliver technologies and procedures that drive efficiency and close gaps in their care delivery. Our surgeons understand the value of our Technology Specialists and Consultants, and the value of our products, procedures and technologies, so we just need to make the rest of the health care team aware in ways that are relevant to them.

What do you hope the health care leaders who attend get out of this experience?

We want to make sure they learn something new that they can take back to their facilities that will improve patient care or create a better experience for their staff and surgeons. We have already seen this happen after our first leadership forum. One group of OR directors went back to their facility with a sense of enthusiasm to become more aligned with Arthrex and invited our agency partner in to meet with physicians and other leaders to introduce new products – just a few days after the forum. Another example of impact is a director from the Value Analysis team at the University of Miami who was so impressed that she has invited us in to meet with additional members of her leadership team. It is our hope that we make a powerful connection with them while they are here, and that they go back to their facility as a champion of Arthrex.

How can agencies help with the Health Care Administrator Relations program?

We need our agency partners to embrace this program as an important part of their growth strategy and use this program to engage leaders. Extending an invitation for a site visit or to attend a leadership forum is very impactful and powerful in building the relationship. Once administrators understand all of the value differentiators, they will gain a better understanding of why their surgeons and patients prefer Arthrex. I encourage everyone to promote the program and make your surgeons aware so that they can invite administrators or join them during their visit. Please contact me to discuss the program and develop a winning strategy in your area. You can contact me by phone at (239) 216-7083, or email at Jimmy.Dascani@Arthrex.com.

Story published via eConnect North America January 2018.