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Healthcare Leaders Spotlights San Antonio-based MR3 Health

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Over the years, one of the most gratifying aspects of our monthly networking events has been learning about new San Antonio-based companies and meeting the visionary entrepreneurs behind them. San Antonians are justly proud of our city’s reputation for innovation and leadership in the healthcare industry so occasionally we like to highlight and celebrate these companies. This month, we shine our spotlight on MR3 Health.

MR3 Health is an innovative remote patient monitoring company focused on preventing the costly and life-altering complications associated with the foot ulcers associated with diabetic neuropathy. And, as most of us are aware, both the San Antonio and South Texas population in general have an unusually high prevalence of diabetes. The company integrates advanced medical devices, daily monitoring protocols and clinical oversight to identify early physiologic changes before they can escalate into acute events.

The company’s flagship monitoring device, TempTouch™, was likewise developed here in San Antonio by a distinguished group of local clinicians and engineers. An FDA-cleared dermal thermometer, the efficacy of the device was clinically proven in the field in partnership with the Veterans Health System and additional researchers associated with the University of Texas at San Antonio Health Science Center. Results of the clinical trials were documented in three peer-reviewed journal articles available on the company’s website. The company possesses proprietary patient management software and maintains a number of strategic industry partnerships that position it, according to MR3 president, Stan Marrett, as a credible and scalable partner for podiatrists, physician practices and health systems.

Given the ongoing prevalence of diabetes, the toll in human suffering in terms of repeated surgeries and amputations, and the staggering medical costs, estimated to be in the billions, that could be prevented by preventive monitoring for the range of chronic conditions including, not only diabetes, but hypertension and COPD as well, MR3’s business model and mission align closely with national public health priorities.

Another example of a San Antonio company helping people while setting the pace for its competition.

Commercial Leaseback as a Strategic Funding Tool in Healthcare

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Healthcare organizations operate in one of the most capital-intensive industries in the economy. Hospitals, outpatient centers, physician groups, imaging facilities, hospice, senior care etc, must continually invest in high-cost equipment, technology, and compliance—all while managing reimbursement pressures, labor, and regulatory complexity. In this environment, access to flexible, non-dilutive capital is critical.

One increasingly attractive funding strategy is the commercial leaseback, a structure that allows healthcare providers to unlock capital tied up in owned real estate or equipment without interrupting operations. When used strategically, leasebacks can improve liquidity, strengthen balance sheets, and support long-term growth.

What Is a Commercial Leaseback?

A commercial leaseback (often called a sale-leaseback) is a transaction in which a company sells an owned asset to an investor and simultaneously leases it back for continued use. The seller becomes the tenant, while the buyer becomes the landlord or equipment lessor.

Leasebacks can involve:

  • Commercial real estate (hospitals, medical office buildings, surgery centers, labs)
  • Healthcare equipment (imaging systems, surgical equipment, diagnostic devices, IT infrastructure)

From the provider’s perspective, the transaction converts an illiquid, fixed asset into immediate cash while preserving full operational control of the facility or equipment.

Why Leasebacks Are Particularly Relevant in Healthcare

Healthcare providers often hold a disproportionate amount of capital in non-earning assets. A hospital campus, imaging center, or fleet of high-value equipment may be essential to operations but does not directly generate financial returns in the way clinical services do.

Leasebacks address several structural challenges common in healthcare:

  1. Capital constraints – Traditional bank financing may be limited, slow, or restrictive.
  2. Reimbursement pressure – Cash flow volatility makes liquidity critical.
  3. Rapid technology cycles – Equipment becomes obsolete faster than real estate depreciates.
  4. Growth demands – Expansion, acquisitions, and service line investments require capital.
  5. Balance sheet optimization – Asset-heavy balance sheets can limit strategic flexibility.

By monetizing owned assets, healthcare organizations can redeploy capital into patient care, growth initiatives, and operational improvements.

Real Estate Leasebacks in Healthcare

Common Asset Types

  • Acute-care hospitals
  • Medical office buildings (MOBs)
  • Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs)
  • Imaging centers
  • Behavioral health facilities
  • Specialty clinics and labs

In a real estate leaseback, the healthcare provider sells the property to an investor—often a healthcare-focused real estate fund or REIT—and signs a long-term lease, typically ranging from 10 to 25 years.

Benefits of Real Estate Leasebacks

Immediate liquidity
The transaction can free millions (or tens of millions) of dollars in capital that was previously tied up in bricks and mortar.

Operational continuity
Providers continue operating in the same facility with no disruption to patient care, staff, or branding.

Predictable occupancy costs
Long-term leases provide rent certainty, aiding budgeting and financial planning.

Risk transfer
Ownership risks such as market value fluctuations, structural obsolescence, and certain capital expenditures may shift to the investor, depending on lease terms.

Strategic focus
Management can focus on clinical outcomes and growth rather than property ownership.

Considerations and Trade-Offs

  • Lease terms may include escalators tied to inflation or fixed annual increases.
  • Some leases are triple-net (NNN), meaning the tenant remains responsible for taxes, insurance, and maintenance.
  • Selling real estate reduces balance sheet assets, which may affect certain financial ratios.

For many healthcare providers, these trade-offs are acceptable when weighed against the liquidity and strategic flexibility gained.

Equipment Leasebacks in Healthcare

In addition to real estate, healthcare organizations often own millions of dollars in equipment—much of it rapidly depreciating but mission-critical.

Common Equipment Eligible for Leaseback

  • MRI, CT, PET scanners
  • Linear accelerators
  • Surgical robots
  • Cath lab equipment
  • Laboratory and diagnostic systems
  • IT and data center infrastructure

An equipment leaseback involves selling owned equipment to a lessor and leasing it back under fixed terms, often aligned with the useful life of the asset.

Why Equipment Leasebacks Make Sense

Unlocks trapped capital
Many providers own equipment outright that no longer supports financing but still holds significant market value.

Preserves clinical capability
Providers continue using the same equipment without interruption or retraining.

Aligns cost with usage
Lease payments spread the cost of equipment over time, matching expenses to revenue generation.

Supports technology refresh cycles
Lease structures can include upgrade or replacement options, helping providers avoid technological obsolescence.

Alternative to debt
Equipment leasebacks may be off-balance-sheet or treated differently than traditional loans, depending on accounting standards and structure.

Strategic Uses of Leaseback Capital in Healthcare

Healthcare organizations commonly use leaseback proceeds to:

  • Fund expansions or new service lines
  • Acquire physician practices or ambulatory centers
  • Invest in digital health, EHRs, and cybersecurity
  • Reduce higher-cost debt
  • Stabilize working capital during reimbursement delays
  • Support turnaround or restructuring initiatives

Unlike equity financing, leasebacks do not dilute ownership or governance control—an important consideration for physician-owned groups and nonprofit systems.

Regulatory and Compliance Considerations

In healthcare, leasebacks must be structured carefully to comply with applicable regulations, including:

  • Stark Law
  • Anti-Kickback Statute
  • Fair Market Value (FMV) requirements
  • Commercial reasonableness standards

Lease terms must reflect market rates and legitimate business purposes. Working with experienced healthcare legal counsel and specialized investors is essential to avoid compliance risk.

Who Uses Healthcare Leasebacks?

Leasebacks are used across the healthcare spectrum, including:

  • Independent physician groups
  • Multi-site specialty practices
  • Ambulatory surgery center operators
  • Regional hospital systems
  • Behavioral health and post-acute providers
  • Private equity-backed healthcare platforms

They are particularly valuable for organizations in growth mode or those seeking balance sheet flexibility without taking on additional traditional debt.

Conclusion

Commercial leasebacks—covering both real estate and equipment—represent a powerful but underutilized funding strategy in healthcare. By converting owned assets into liquid capital, providers can strengthen financial resilience, support growth, and focus on their core mission: delivering high-quality patient care.

In an industry facing constant change and capital pressure, leasebacks are not merely a financing tool—they are a strategic option for healthcare organizations seeking flexibility, stability, and long-term sustainability.

 

If you would like to discuss Lease Sale back in reference to your business, please Contact

August Trevino
Direct: ‪(210) 951-9268
e-Mail: au.ent9@gmail.com

 

August Trevino
Fractional Executive
Commercial Strategist
Direct: (210) 951-9268
e-Mail: au.ent9@gmail.com
Webpage: https://www.linkedin.com/in/acttoday/

 

Right Health Systems hosts DreamHealth: Community Health Fair

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Right Health Systems is proud to host the upcoming Dreamhealth: Community Health Fair, a collaborative initiative created to improve access to quality healthcare resources while promoting education, prevention, and overall well-being within our community. Phoenix Management International is honored to support and promote the DreamHealth initiative, a cornerstone of the annual DreamWeek San Antonio Summit. This initiative unites healthcare providers, wellness advocates, local businesses, educational institutions, and community-focused organizations around a shared mission to expand access to essential health resources for individuals and families at every stage of life. By bringing services and support directly to the community, DreamHealth strengthens collective well-being, fosters meaningful collaboration, and advances long-term health equity throughout San Antonio and surrounding communities.

Event Details:
Date: January 24, 2026
Time: 12:00 NN – 4:00 PM
Location: San Antonio Botanical Gardens
555 Funston Pl. San Antonio, TX 78209

We invite you to come and join us for an afternoon of connection, education, and community empowerment as we work together to build healthier futures for all.

Add your support as a sponsor! Download the sponsor prospectus here. And then fill out the form to be a sponsor, or an exhibitor, here!

Right Health Systems, a 501(c), licensed health care system forged on the pillars of
Advocacy, Collaboration, and Education. EIN: 39-4092536
RIGHT HEALTH SYSTEMS:
MARQUEE COMMUNITY HEALTH FAIR
A Dreamhealth feature

 

 

Medical Funding for Service and Healthcare Providers.

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12/2025 By August Trevino commercial strategist

Introduction:

Nature of Transaction: Funding is a debt (a loan), while factoring is considered the sale of an asset.

 Medical Receivable funding (MRF) is designed as a quick funding solution for service companies that bill healthcare providers directly. Examples would be staffing, transcription, hospice, supplies/devices, etc.

Medical factoring (MF) is designed as a quick funding solution for healthcare providers that bill insurance directly (Insurance Companies, Medicare/Medicaid, etc.). Examples would be physician medical practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing / assisted living facilities, etc.

Let’s start with Medical Receivable Funding. (MRF) has emerged as a vital financial tool for service companies that bill healthcare providers directly. In industries where cash flow is often strained by delayed reimbursements, MRF offers a streamlined solution to bridge the gap between invoicing and payment.

The challenge of delayed working with payments for healthcare providers, including hospitals, clinics, and long-term  care facilities, is that they operate within complex reimbursement structures. Payments may be delayed due to insurance verification, compliance checks, or administrative bottlenecks. For service companies that support these providers, such delays can create significant financial stress. Payroll obligations, vendor payments, and operational expenses continue regardless of when invoices are settled. Without reliable cash flow, even well-established businesses can struggle to maintain stability.

MRF is designed to address this challenge by converting outstanding receivables into immediate cash. Instead of waiting weeks or months for healthcare providers to pay invoices, service companies can sell or finance their receivables through specialized funding firms. These firms advance a percentage of the invoice value—often within 24 to 48 hours—providing the company with quick liquidity. Once the healthcare provider pays the invoice, the funding firm collects repayment, deducts its fees, and remits any remaining balance to the service company. This process is similar to commercial factoring but tailored specifically to the healthcare ecosystem. By focusing on receivables tied to medical providers, MRF firms understand the unique payment cycles and compliance requirements of the industry.

The advantages of MRF are multifaceted:

  • Immediate Cash Flow: Companies gain access to funds quickly, ensuring they can cover payroll, purchase supplies, and manage day-to-day operations without disruption.
  • Operational Stability: Predictable funding allows businesses to plan growth strategies, expand services, and invest in new technologies.
  • Reduced Financial Stress: By eliminating the uncertainty of delayed payments, MRF helps companies focus on service delivery rather than collections.

This next section deals with medical factoring (MF).

Healthcare providers operate in a financial environment unlike most other industries. Physician practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and nursing or assisted living facilities often deliver services upfront but must wait weeks—or even months—for reimbursement from insurance companies, Medicare, or Medicaid. This lag in payment can create significant cash flow challenges. Medical factoring (MF) has emerged as a practical solution, offering immediate liquidity by turning receivables into cash.

What Is Medical Factoring?

Medical factoring is a financial transaction in which healthcare providers sell their insurance receivables to a factoring company. Instead of waiting for insurers or government programs to process claims, providers receive a cash advance—often within 24 to 48 hours. The factoring company then collects the payment directly from the insurer when it becomes due. Importantly, this arrangement is not a loan. Funding through traditional debt instruments adds liabilities to the balance sheet, while factoring is considered the sale of an asset. This distinction makes MF an attractive option for providers seeking liquidity without incurring debt.

Why Healthcare Providers Use MF

Healthcare organizations face high operating costs, from payroll and medical supplies to rent and compliance expenses. Delayed reimbursements can disrupt operations, even for financially stable practices. Medical factoring addresses these challenges by:

  • Accelerating cash flow: Providers gain immediate access to funds tied up in insurance claims.
  • Avoiding debt obligations: Factoring does not involve interest payments or loan covenants.
  • Reducing administrative burden: Factoring companies often manage collections, freeing staff to focus on patient care.
  • Supporting growth: Reliable cash flow enables providers to expand services, hire staff, or invest in new equipment.

Who Benefits from Medical Factoring?

Medical factoring is particularly useful for organizations that bill insurance directly. Examples include:

Physician practices: Smaller clinics often struggle with reimbursement delays. Factoring ensures they can cover payroll and operating costs.

  • Hospitals: Large institutions face significant overhead. Factoring stabilizes cash flow during periods of high patient volume.
  • Rehabilitation centers: Extended treatment programs rely heavily on insurance payments. Factoring provides predictable funding.
  • Nursing and assisted living facilities: With ongoing care needs and high staffing costs, these organizations benefit from faster access to receivable funds.

How the Process Works

  1. Claim submission: The provider submits insurance claims as usual.
  2. Sale of receivables: The factoring company purchases the claims, typically advancing 70–90% of their value immediately.
  3. Collection: The factoring company collects payment from the insurer.
  4. Settlement: Once payment is received, the factoring company remits the remaining balance to the provider, minus a small fee.

Advantages and Considerations for these types of funding.

Medical factoring and funding offers clear advantages: speed, flexibility, and reduced financial stress. However, providers should carefully evaluate these companies. Fees vary, and transparency in contract terms is essential. As example disclosures, some companies alter the client that you are factoring and some companies will keep this confidential. While factoring improves cash flow, it does not increase reimbursement rates or eliminate systemic delays in insurance processing. It is always advised to seek advice from a professional with experience in this field.

 

August Trevino

FRACTIONAL EXECUTIVE

COMMERCIAL STRATEGIST 

Direct: ‪(210) 951-9268

e-Mail: au.ent9@gmail.com

Webpage: linkedin.com/in/acttoday

Webinar: The RPC Method by Dr. Uejin Kim

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Dr. Uejin Kim is a dual board-certified psychiatrist specializing in child, adolescent and adult care. She provides compassionate care by “bridging spirituality and mental health” through her practice, Restore Psychiatry She is a devoted Christian, a compassionate mother and an advocate for mental wellness.

On November 13th, 2025, HLSA was honored to host Dr. Kim as our special guest for a webinar titled, The RPC method: Achieving True Success & Freedom for High Achievers. A perfect topic for many healthcare professionals whose jobs include high-stress, high-responsibility decisions that can leave them feeling drained and overwhelmed, leading to burnout and disconnection. If you missed the life webinar, we hope you can take some time now to watch as Dr. Kim discusses techniques for learning to pause in your busy work schedule without self-judgment, how to protect your energy, and how to reconnect with purpose- transforming stress into resilience.

 

AI for Work and Life

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AI has been under development for decades.  Recently, AI has taken a hockey stick trajectory into the mainstream with the development of new and ever evolving AI tools.  At 67 years old, I have not been the most informed on technology over the years.  As I speak with others at our HLSA Networking events I KNOW there are useful and evolving benefits for AI.   But many have a self-imposed roadblock on learning new technology.

Whether you are just starting your career or if you are a seasoned executive there will be a place in your toolbox for AI which will enhance your career or just assist you in becoming more efficient and familiar with the technology and its tools.

As a result of my shortcomings in technology I decided to become more familiarized with AI and its current development.  I did so by enrolling in a free certificate course from the University of North Florida (UNF). The course is currently free for a limited time thanks to NLP Logix who has sponsored the program.

This program is designed to help professionals, students and lifelong learners understand and apply Artificial Intelligence in practical, everyday contexts – both in the workplace and beyond. The program is fully online and consisted of 8, self-paced modules with an approximate 10-hour duration total timeline.

I started Module 1 on October 23rd and completed Module 8 and received my certificate on November 16th.  The Course was facilitated by various experts and leaders in AI development in a number of various platforms.

The introduction to AI was the catalyst for starting the program and was interesting and thought provoking.  It fueled my ambition to learn more. The course then moved onto highlighting a number of AI Tools, how to use them and incorporated a demonstration on how these tools can be accessed and utilized for your work or life benefits.

In my opinion, the module on the Art and Science of Prompting was the most valuable as this is the key to getting your desired results from any AI tool.  The program then progressed into the rising ethical challenges that AI brings.  Narrow AI vs Large Language Models (LLMs) were discussed along with the pitfalls of each.  AI is not perfect so there are necessary guidelines you need to know about when engaging with AI tools.

The program then addressed AI in key industries such as Medicine, Law and everyday life and progressed into how AI has and may affect our world as it continuously develops and evolves.  The material covered make me think about the possibilities and cemented my decision to take this valuable beginner’s course.

I can enhance my newly gained knowledge further by engaging further with the utilization of AI tools and learning how to make AI enhance my work & everyday life.  Jumping in and utilizing various AI tools will ultimately determine the extent of knowledge I will gain.  I would suggest that any beginning student or seasoned executive with limited knowledge take a beginner’s course which may possibly inspire you by going into deeper context through the many programs that are developing on the Topic of Artificial Intelligence.

 

by Gary Meyn, LFACHE

 

 

When Healing Others Becomes a Way to Avoid Ourselves: The Quiet Cost of High Performance in Healthcare

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If you work in healthcare—whether you’re a nurse, a doctor, a manager, or someone who works with data—you carry a lot of responsibility. People count on you for their health, safety, and care. And you’re probably really good at handling that pressure.

You’re used to pushing through tough days. You solve problems, stay late, and make hard decisions. You always show up. That’s what makes you great at your job.

But there’s something many people in healthcare quietly struggle with: perfectionism. The pressure to always do everything right and never make mistakes might seem like a strength. But it can also lead to something more serious—emotional fragility.

When you believe your worth depends on your performance, it can be exhausting. You might start to wonder if you’re ever doing enough. Over time, this stress can build up, and you may feel disconnected from yourself and the people around you.

Research shows that perfectionism is linked to higher risks of mental health problems, including depression and suicide. This doesn’t mean perfectionism always leads to those things—but it does mean we need to be aware of how much pressure we’re putting on ourselves.

In healthcare, it’s easy to tie your value to things that can be measured: how quickly you care for patients, how many tasks you complete, and how good your reviews are. But things like connection, reflection, and rest don’t show up on charts or dashboards—and yet, they’re just as important.

So we keep working. One more patient. One more meeting. One more emergency. And slowly, we lose touch with the things that bring us peace, joy, and meaning.

That’s when the real cost shows up.

We become leaders who are respected but feel alone. Healthcare workers who are great at their jobs but drained. Parents or partners who are present, but distant. We care for everyone else but forget to care for ourselves. I know this because I have been there: carrying work performance stress to my kids or not being present in meetings because I feel like I am failing at managing my house.

But here’s the truth: your value isn’t in how well you do things. It’s in who you already are.

To live a life that’s not just sustainable—but also satisfying—we need more than hard work and success. We need emotional resilience: the ability to stay grounded, connected, and strong even when life gets hard. Really, the key to emotional resilience is the ability to accept grace.

Moving from emotional fragility to emotional resilience is the key to staying well in a demanding field like healthcare. It helps you stay present in your relationships, enjoy your work more, and remember why you chose this path in the first place.

Want to know where you stand? Take our free Emotional Fragility Quiz—a simple way to check in with yourself and start building more resilience in your life.

👉 [Take the free quiz now]

You don’t have to carry everything alone. And you don’t have to be perfect to be enough.

by Dr. Uejin Kim, MD

www.uejinkim.com

 

O’Connor, R. C. (2010). The relations between perfectionism and suicidality: A systematic review. Suicide and Life‑Threatening Behavior, 37(6), 698–714. https://doi.org/10.1521/suli.2007.37.6.698 Wiley Online LibraryUniversity of Stirling

Smith, M. M., Sherry, S. B., Chen, S., Saklofske, D. H., Mushquash, C., Flett, G. L., & Hewitt, P. L. (2017). The perniciousness of perfectionism: A meta‑analytic review of the perfectionism–suicide relationship. Journal of Personality. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12333 ray.yorksj.ac.ukPubMed

Hewitt, P. L., Flett, G. L., & Turnbull‑Donovan, W. (1992). Perfectionism and suicide potential. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 101(4), 602–607. (Note: Publication details match findings; but source indicates the study on psychiatric patients) PubMed

Authors, (Year). Perfectionism, prospective near‑term suicidal thoughts and behaviors: The mediation of fear of humiliation and suicide crisis syndrome. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(4), Article 1424. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17041424 PubMedMDPI

Etherson, M. E., Smith, M. M., Hill, A. P., Sherry, S. B., Curran, T., Flett, G. L., & Hewitt, P. L. (2024). Perfectionism, feelings of not mattering, and suicide ideation: An integrated test of the Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model and the Existential Model of Perfectionism. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 42(6), 725–742. https://doi.org/10.1177/07342829241237421 SAGE Journalsray.yorksj.ac.uk

 

Healthcare As We Once Knew it is Dead

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The healthcare landscape has changed over the last 20-25 years.  Primary care physicians used to manage overall patient care, coordinating with specialists for care that was outside their training and expertise.  Now, it seems that the primary care physician sees the patient a few times a year and might even request labs or perform a well-exam.  These exams have been greatly watered down over the years due to government red tape, ill advice from the U.S Preventive Services Task Force and declining reimbursement.  What used to be a true 40-minute history and physical has become a 10-to-15-minute checklist of things that the patient’s insurance company will likely reimburse the physician for providing.  The list of what won’t be done is longer than the list of things that will be done.  For specialty care, I notice that patients are increasingly arranging for care on their own, which often leaves the primary care physician out of the loop.

Primary care physicians used to have a trusted network of specialists to whom they could refer for evaluation and management of concerns outside of the primary care physician’s scope of practice.  A simple phone call once served as an introductory transfer of the patient from primary to specialty care.  Progress notes and polite thank you notes followed upon returning the patient to the primary care setting.  Today, insurance regulations and paperwork have become the primary focus, while the actual diagnosis and treatment of the condition(s) have become a distant secondary focus.  Medicare starts something and commercial insurers follow their lead, whether the policy is beneficial or harmful to their beneficiaries.

Referrals can be difficult to obtain, even for large academic medical centers.  In certain instances, the return of the patient to the primary care setting is delayed or halted altogether, with the specialist’s employer or accountable care organization assuming the role of the primary care physician.  Communication between offices has become something of a nightmare due to absent consultation notes in the patient’s chart.  In years past, referrals could be arranged quickly and easily.  The tides have changed over the last 20-25 years, with referrals becoming increasingly more difficult to obtain.  Due to insurance participation/non-participation, arranging referrals may take quite a while, and the patient’s condition might have worsened during the waiting period.

It is the author’s belief that the healthcare system is still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Preventive care was delayed to re-focus on the medically complex.  Patients who were not taking an active role in their care are now of higher acuity and require more resources to return to a more optimal state of functioning.  Referrals to specialists in large healthcare systems are still being impacted to due continued care for those medically complex patients who never fully recovered during the pandemic.

Referrals can be hard to come by, even in large cities with more than one major healthcare system.  Timeframes to obtain referrals varied for the author: 2 weeks for urology; 2 months for otolaryngology; 4-6 months for pulmonary evaluation after 1 round of COVID-19 and three rounds of pneumonia; 9-12 months for cardiology; and 24-36 months for a routine colonoscopy with gastroenterology.  For three of the above referral requests, the author was told there just weren’t enough good providers in San Antonio to see all the patients.  That waters down the prospects of finding a great provider to treat one’s medical conditions.

Is this the best we can do?  Is the status quo good enough?  While I share the same sentiment as my cardiologist and pulmonologist, “Healthcare as we once knew it is dead,” I say that we can do better, and the status quo isn’t something we should brag about.  While I’m grateful for the providers on my care team, I am disappointed that the healthcare system has changed for the worse.  I see patients being treated like numbers rather than human beings, band-aids being applied until the next care episode arrives, less emphasis on preventive care and fewer people taking part in their own care plans.  Will healthcare return to the glory days of 20-25 years ago?  Probably not.  However, I believe that if enough patients and providers start protesting the state of the current system, we could return to a better state within the next 5-7 years.

By Scott J. Grandjean, LFACHE

 

Getting Started with Zero Trust

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By Eric Berard, MIS, CPHIMS

In an era of increasing cyber threats, the traditional approach of securing a network perimeter is no longer sufficient. Enter Zero Trust, a security framework that operates on the principle of “never trust, always verify.” This approach assumes that threats exist both inside and outside the network, and therefore, no user or device is inherently trusted.

Core Tenets of Zero Trust

  1. Verify Explicitly: Continuously validate the identity of users, devices, and applications using multiple factors such as authentication, device health checks, and role-based access controls.
  2. Least Privilege Access: Users and devices should have the minimum level of access necessary to perform their tasks. This limits the potential impact of a compromised account or system.
  3. Assume Breach: Zero Trust assumes that breaches are inevitable. By focusing on segmentation, continuous monitoring, and data encryption, it minimizes the damage caused by breaches and prevents lateral movement across the network.
  4. Micro-Segmentation: Divide your network into small segments with individual access controls to contain breaches and prevent unauthorized access to sensitive areas.
  5. Continuous Monitoring and Analytics: Track user behavior and network activity in real time to detect anomalies and respond to threats promptly.

How to Get Started with Zero Trust

Adopting Zero Trust is a strategic shift that requires a phased approach:

  1. Understand Your Assets: Identify critical data, applications, and systems. Conduct a risk assessment to pinpoint potential vulnerabilities.
  2. Establish Identity Controls: Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA), single sign-on (SSO), and identity management solutions to secure access.
  3. Segment the Network: Use micro-segmentation to isolate workloads, applications, and devices. Apply granular policies to control data flow.
  4. Monitor and Analyze: Deploy tools for continuous monitoring, such as Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems, to track user and network behavior.
  5. Implement Access Policies: Use tools like zero-trust network access (ZTNA) and conditional access policies to enforce least privilege.
  6. Educate Your Team: Ensure your organization understands the principles of Zero Trust. Regular training and communication are key to its success.

The Path Forward

Zero Trust is not a one-size-fits-all solution; it’s an ongoing journey that adapts to your organization’s needs. By starting small—such as implementing MFA or segmenting sensitive systems—and scaling up, you can build a robust security posture that protects against evolving threats.

Embracing Zero Trust is not just about technology; it’s about adopting a proactive security mindset to safeguard your organization’s future.

Vested Business Brokers

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My goal for HLSA is to learn what our attendees seek to improve their business or to acquire their next position. As a co-founder of HLSA we have put together a dedicated board that will provide the guidance and networking required to help you reach your goals. As a Business Broker I utilize the Vested Business Broker platform. Vested is the largest, non-franchised Business Brokerage in the Country. We have over 125 Brokers Nationally and do business in 35 States. Our top priority is for the complete confidentiality of our sellers as we assist them in listing and then finding qualified buyers for their respective businesses. Our procedures are set up to incrementally qualify buyers for acquisitions of businesses we list. Those procedures are unique but will provide any buyer with full
disclosure of all aspects of the business they are interested in. Our processes must be followed by contract with our Sellers. These processes have been honed over 25 years and over 3500 businesses sold. They work well for both our sellers and our buyers. These procedures are the main reason our sellers list with Vested Business Brokers. I make a living by helping people buy and sell privately owned, profitable businesses. Building my practice takes networking. That networking is how HLSA operates and why it was founded. I would like to partner with anyone who may seek to acquire or sell a profitable business. We have a generous referral program to solidify any partnerships.

Vested Referral Program– Referrals are a main source of growing my brokerage practice. I would love to have more listings across the country, regionally and locally, so if you know of anyone looking to sell or buy a privately owned, profitable business please consider referring them to me. See our referral program info below. Thanks and all the best! I would like to introduce you to our Vested Referral Program. Simply refer the name, address and contact information of the seller of a privately owned, profitable business or an interested buyer and you will be eligible to receive a percentage of our commission upon closing of a sale with that referral. This is no small amount depending upon the business purchased and the final sales price. Please see the link below with more information!

Link to Vested Referral Program: https://www.vestedbb.com/referral.html

Vested Business Brokers Website: https://www.vestedbb.com/

Thank you for your consideration!
Gary J. Meyn, LFACHE
210-912-0120
gmeyn@vestedbb.com