354 - Building Trust and Integrity: A Blueprint for Success in Healthcare Information Technology Consulting with Anita Nayak

Welcome to Listening with Leaders. I'm Doug Noll, lawyer turned peacemaker. I teach executive leaders how to listen to emotions rather than words so that they can become the leaders everyone wants to follow. And I teach those same leaders how to be authentically present, available, and connected to their families despite being insanely busy. I have learned that we are 98% emotional and only 2% rational. Learning how to listen to emotions is, in my experience, the foundational skill of life. Stick around to the end of the show and I'll reveal how you can be on our next guest in 15 to 20 minutes. So let's get started. Anita Nayak, you are the CEO and founder of a healthcare IT consulting company based in Florida. It's called Is it ClinDcast? Is that correct?

Yes, ClinDcast.

ClinDcast. Welcome to Listening with Leaders. Let's just start off with a little bit of your backstory. Tell us about who you are and how you got to be an IT specialist in healthcare of all places.

Thank you so much, Doug. Thanks for having me. Let me give you a little background to what exactly I do and where I came from. This is Anita Nayak and I'm the CEO at ClinDcast. Yes, we are a healthcare IT company in Florida and it's been 5 years we are in the market.

Wow.

So we do a lot of EHR implementation and integration service. We work in both payer and provider side. So we do like data migration, any kind of integration and EHR implementation. That's what we do. And my background is, so I came from a small village from India and I'm graduated in life science. I had a dream to become a doctor. But life had a different plan. I landed into IT side as I started my career as an IT engineer, and I got experience to work in both payer and provider space. So that's what I started my company. It's been more than 5 years we are in the market. And when I started my journey as a healthcare IT engineer, then by looking into the system code and all, then I thought, really, this my where you are going to be. But then I realized when I see the lab data, radiology, EHR, then I thought, okay, I'm into the right path because I had a dream. So I may not be with a patient on the bedside, but every day the work we do, because everything is related to patient care, uh, the code we write, the system we build, that is impacting patient life. So the work we are doing, we are so proud of that.

So give me an example of the kind of engagement. Who would be your client and what would you be asked to do?

Yeah, that's a good question. As I mentioned, we work with hospitals and insurance company on the healthcare space. For example, like the hospital system, they wanted to integrate with State HI, they wanted to integrate with the lab, they wanted to integrate to the radiology department. So what we do is we integrate all the system make sure data is flowing and patient can get better care.

Yeah. So I have this picture of this hospital system that has never developed a fully integrated IT system and they've got all these little islands.

Yes.

All over the place that don't talk to each other very well and they're on different technologies. You can have a Mac over here and an Apple over here and something over here and some kind of weird network thing over here and a Cisco system over here. And they're all, nobody's talking to anybody. They have enormous inefficiencies because they can't share data. And your job is to come in and make sense of it all and make everybody happy. Everybody plays in the sandbox happily.

That's true. We work as a translator between provider, system, and chaos.

Okay. And so, I mean, are you doing big enterprise-level work?

Yes, we do.

How many people do you have employed in your company?

Currently, we have 80+ employees working all over USA.

Wow. That's amazing. So you're staying pretty busy.

Yes.

So you said you grew up in a small village in India. How did you make your way to the United States?

Yeah, that's a good question. Yeah. So actually, after my marriage, I came here.

Ah, okay. Yeah. So that's what you get. It was love that brought you to the United States. Yes. Good for you. Yeah. And this is the first company that you founded and owned. What's it feel like to be fairly young and to have the responsibilities of a CEO and founder and be responsible for 80+ employees plus God knows how many clients and customers you have. That's a big job. How do you manage that?

Yeah, that's a good thing. Yeah, because as I mentioned, my goal was to provide the care to the patient, right? The work I do, I feel good because when I was working for myself, I was only thinking about me. When as a company, every day, I— because AT family, they depend on me. I make sure that everyone is getting well paid and they have a good career. That's what my life all about and my organization does. And that's what I'm proud, the work I'm doing. Yeah. So I have a really good team and the way I'm working, two core things I work like with trust and integrity. The people they are working with me and the client they are working with me, they trust on me. The work I do, I make sure that whatever I say, okay, this project is going to get successful or we can complete this project within this time frame or the quality we provide, I make sure that my client is successful. Once they are successful, we are successful. That is the core theme and that helps us growing.

So you started the company 5 years ago.

Yes.

Was it just you're the founder?

Ah, yes.

How do you start making your hiring decisions when you were just starting out all by yourself? That seems to me to be a very daunting task.

Yeah, that's true. Actually, I was working for a hospital and I see that the gaps, because when there is something is happening on the data side, because I was working as an integration engineer, most of the time I get involved on the data side, setting up the Breeze mapping. And doing the transformation, everything. When there is something happen, nobody talks about the software. Everyone is talking about it is going to impact the patient, right? And it is going to impact someone life. So that's where then I thought, okay, because I know that because I'm a technical person and when I see the gap, I think, okay, that is my area and in a better way we can solve the problem. Then I thought, okay, let me take a chance and let me do something different. That's what I set up my company and I thought, okay, let Take a risk, right? Without risk, you can't grow. I got a really good project and I make it.

Oh, so you got— you were able to get a project early on, funding, grow the project. That had to be a little scary.

Yeah, it was scary, but I made it because doing business, it feels like it's a roller coaster ride, right? But end of the day, when you enjoy the ride, okay, you made it.

So today, 80 employees, are they all local or are they all over the world?

No, they are the project we are doing. Since I'm doing the healthcare project, all the PHI data we are touching, so all the project we are doing here in USA. Yes, I have a team in India, but they do the administrative work, but all the project we do here in USA.

Okay, good. So what is it that gets you up in the morning and gets you really excited to go to work? Being a CEO is hard. You got a lot of— you're constantly putting out fires. What is it that gets you excited about doing that work?

Because 80 family, they depend on me.

Families depend on you.

Yes. And I make sure that they're having a better life, better salary. And also every day, actually, since we are doing touching the, like we are working on the IT side, every day, it's a different challenge. Every project is unique. And end of the day, make sure that when clinicians, they are happy. And somebody say, Anita, so today I'm going to get a good sleep. That's a great compliment for me. So that is exciting.

Exactly. So I'm curious about what it is about you personally that you bring to the table that makes you successful.

That's a good question. Actually, the way I grew up, I learned two things in my life: trust and integrity, and also hard work.

Hard work, trust, and be trusted, and walk in integrity.

Yes, those three things that blended in my life, and that's what my client, they also see on me. That's what I'm getting success.

And so you bring trust and integrity and hard work to your work. Your team all sees you as a high-integrity person working hard, and so they emulate you.

Yes.

Is that how it works?

Yes, that's right. Because the team, whoever is working with me, And also, I make sure that whoever is working with me, I hear them. Because as a leader, if you don't hear them, they don't hear you.

That gets me to my next question: how important is listening as a CEO?

Yes. So every week, yeah, I make sure that you heard them. Because the work we are doing, it's not that simple because you are touching somebody's life, end of the day, right? Because in life, what is important? Life itself. And every day, the data you are touching, and it is connected to someone's lives. And what I do is I talk every week, I talk to all my— I set up the meeting, and I talk to them, make sure that everyone is putting their point.

And every week you have a meeting with your team?

Yes, every week I have a meeting. And also there is a monthly meeting. So we discuss and where we are, what is the next step, what is the roadblock, and where we are.

How do you make sure that people feel like they've been heard by you?

Yeah, sometimes actually I have a team also, individually they connect with them. And I am personally, because I'm the CEO, but I connected with all the 80 people.

Been connecting all day with people. You're not isolated in an office somewhere.

Yeah. Yeah. So I make sure that I'm connected with them.

So how do you, when you're in a meeting, how do you make sure that your people are feeling heard by you? That they really, they really feel that you understand and are listening to what they're talking about?

Yeah, because it's not like quietly I just listen. I also put, okay, these are things, make sure that we are taking the next steps and all. They feel better. That's where whoever is working with me, It's been a long time they are with me, because I hear them.

And how well do you think that your team listens, hears you and listens to you and really understands what you're trying to say?

Yeah, actually, frankly telling, initially, listening to the team— initially, I was only listening to my thought. I was thinking, okay, this is my idea. This is going to take to the next level. But as I evolved, I realized, no, you need to hear the room. They have so many things going on in their mind. They are good. Once they are with you, you can go to the next level. I implement as I grow, I implement that logic. And yeah, that is working. Because when you care about somebody, they care about you.

That's right.

Because we are human beings, right? So that is helping me.

So I can just imagine, you seem like a pretty driven woman, wanting to see the vision of what your company could be, and you want to grow that vision as quickly as possible. But you can't leave people behind when you do that.

Yeah, that's true. Yep. Because of them, I'm here.

Where's your work come from? Is it all word of mouth?

Okay, it come from the hospitals, insurance company. Yep.

Okay, they know about you. And so they'll hire you?

Yes.

They'll call you and say, hey, we got this integration problem. And we need some help with that.

Yeah, because I also go to a lot of conference. And there is bigger healthcare conference.

Okay, you got conferences.

Yes, we present our organization and we meet the leaders on the healthcare space.

You go, you're doing a lot of networking out there, huh?

Yes, we do. And we get the project.

Wow.

Yes.

Do you have many competitors?

Yes, there's so many people, but who we are right now—

What makes you, what makes your company stand out and differentiate from your competitors, do you think?

Yeah, because the way we are doing the work, we do not see the project, like the IT project we take, we do not like see it is an IT project, it is going to provide the care to the patient. And the work we do, we give our 100%. We make sure, as I mentioned earlier, we make sure client is getting success because they are spending a lot of money, right? Yeah, it's expensive. And when they see the result, that's what whoever is working with me, the client also It's been a long time they work with me because they see the result.

Do you get a lot of repeat business then?

Yes. With the reference also, I get the business. Wow.

So are you just located in Florida or do you work all over the country?

Yes, I work all over the country. Wow. But our main office is in Florida.

In Florida, right. So on your senior leadership team, how many people do you have reporting to you?

Currently, yes. So I have 10 people, they're reporting to me.

Wow.

Directly, yep.

So typical positions like a CFO and a CIO and—

Yeah, IT director, VP, yeah, they do that.

Yeah, and then VPs of all different companies.

Sometimes the team lead also, they have access to me. Yeah. Wow. Sometimes if needed, yep.

And at the entry level, when people are coming in as IT engineers, what kind of credentials do they have to come work with you?

They should have some knowledge on the healthcare space. If they don't have knowledge also, we provide the training. Actually, the good thing is we are partnership with the like the organization, like the college and all. So we give the free training also. Yeah, HL7, FHIR, that is the standard where data can process from one system to other system. So we provide the training. Whoever wanted to join as a healthcare IT engineer, they should have knowledge on the understanding of the EHR system, HL7, FHIR, API connectivity and all.

So that's all the standard systems that hospitals use.

Yes. Yeah.

So on your LinkedIn profile, I saw that you're a public speaker. Tell me a little bit about that.

Yes.

Yeah.

So actually I go to the event, local event, and also HIMSS and on local HIMSS. I got a chance to. Yeah.

What kind of things do you talk about?

Interoperability side, mostly we talk about leadership, women leadership and interoperability and that how the IT career, healthcare IT, how whoever the pressure how they can join into the healthcare IT space, what skill set they need, because we are providing the training on that space also. And also we go to the university, we tell them, okay, this is the career path that they can choose. Yes.

So when you talk about leadership, what do you talk about? What's important to you?

Consistency. Yeah, because whatever you are doing, make sure that you are doing in a consistent way so that you will get the success. And be a good listener. Yeah, and be a good listener. At the end of the day, hard work is definitely needed and clear goal setting.

Clear goal setting. Yes. Good listening. Consistency.

Yes.

What else? Anything else? Those have been obviously important to you. So from your perspective, to be successful as a leader, you need to be consistent. Yes. You need to be able to set goals for people. This is what we're going to do. And you need to be able to listen so people feel heard.

Good listener. Yep.

Good listener. That is how you learn to be— how you learn how to listen.

Actually telling the way I grow up, I love to listen people. The people that come to me and mostly the older people, I love to hear their story.

Okay.

So they keep on telling because nobody's there to listen to them. Helps me when I started my organization, that skill helps me a lot.

Interesting. So the lessons you learned in India as a young girl.

Yeah.

Came through to help you become a really successful CEO.

Yep.

That's amazing.

Lot of blessing, yeah. I also got from them. Because, you know, right, older people, nobody is there to listen their story, right? Sit with them and they tell all their story. Still it's in my mind, right? So I love to help them also whenever they need. Still they remember me. Yeah.

And older people often get ignored. And so to have a young woman come and pay attention to them, they probably appreciated that deeply.

Yes.

So one more question, I'll let you go, Anita. What is one thing about yourself that we would never know about it unless you revealed it to us?

So the one thing, yeah, so I'm a great motivator. I motivate myself. I put all the affirmations in my phone. I put reminder every 5 to 4 hours, all this pop up. I make sure that I'm on track.

So you're very disciplined about your calendar and about your tasks. Make sure that everything— it's just an IT engineer by training, everything's in the phone.

Yeah, I put— I keep on reminder. Okay, so all the positive quote about myself so that I get motivated, because not all the time you will be motivated, right? Sometimes a lot of things going on, but I make sure that I'm motivated, I'm energetic, so that I can make sure that I'm doing my— I'm on track.

There you go. Our time's up. I really appreciate you taking the time to chat with me today. Really interesting talking to you. You had an amazing career so far, and I know that Moving forward, things are going to be better and brighter for you. So thank you so much, Anita.

Thank you so much, Doug. It was really great talking with you.

Doug Noll here. Thank you so much for listening to Listening with Leaders. If you are a successful executive leader who would like to be on this program, please visit podcast.dougnull.com. Www.dougnoll.com/podcast. If you got something out of this interview, would you please share this episode on social media? Just do a quick screenshot with your phone and text it to a friend or post it on the socials. If you know someone that would be a great guest, tag them on the social media to let them know about the show and include the hashtag #ListeningWithLeaders. I love seeing your posts and guest suggestions. We are regularly putting out new episodes and content. To make sure you don't miss any episodes, go ahead and subscribe. Your thumbs up ratings and reviews go a long way to help promote the show and mean a lot to me and my team. Want to know more? Go to my website, DougNoll.com, or follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. That's @DouglasEnoll. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you on the next show.