As we all know, our consulting world, while rewarding, often requires significant travel and, with that, various challenges. While most of our travel challenges are delays or annoyances, they also can, on rare occasions, have inherent risk(s). As consultants and employers, we take important steps to minimize the risks and hope we never have to deal with an extreme situation.
Navin, Haffty & Associates (NHA) is a Healthcare IT consulting firm and has been in existence since 2001. We are fortunate to have over 200 consultants living across mainland USA, serving our clients in the US, Canada and overseas. While we may or may not fall under the umbrella of what Consulting magazine (CM) calls a "Small Jewel" we consider ourselves a "hidden gem". We take pride in our team and in our commitment to provide the quality services our clients have come to expect. To accomplish this, we work hard to plan, prepare, and provide whatever our team members may need along the way. No matter how hard we try, however, there are some things we simply cannot prepare for. This is especially true for two specific members of our "family" for whom we write this tribute.
This past spring, our company experienced the unthinkable. One of our consulting teams was outside Atlanta, GA, on assignment at Upson Hospital. It was 7 AM Thursday, March 9th, 2017, the last on-site day of the week, when three members of our team were driving to the client site. Most likely our consultants were discussing what needed to happen that day, the unfinished tasks that needed attention, and when they would meet to carpool to the airport later that afternoon. Suitcases in the car, they were undoubtedly looking forward to completing their day and traveling home to see their families that evening.
The unimaginable then happened. An on-coming vehicle crossed the center line and struck the vehicle our staff was riding in. Tragically, two of our three consultants, Kimberly (Kim) Lee and James (Jim) Wisniewski suffered fatal injuries from the crash. Our third passenger, Greg Rouleau, was severely injured and airlifted to a nearby Hospital in Atlanta.
In an instant two of our colleagues were gone. A country street in front of the local library in Thomaston, GA, had suddenly become the site of a horrific accident and would forever change all of our lives. Their families, their colleagues and our whole company was completely devastated. It was not surprising how hard this hit us all. We were surprised, however by the outpouring of support. Upson Hospital, MEDITECH, our colleagues in the MEDITECH community, and current and past clients all expressed their heartfelt wishes and overwhelmed us with their support.
What was truly welcomed, and appreciated, was hearing from so many of our colleagues and competitors in the consulting community. It reminded us all that nothing is more important than the people we work with each day. While we all spend time trying to define that which makes us unique from each other, when something like this happens, the differences we so carefully try to delineate to our customers, while important, simply no longer matter. The value we all place on the individual person becomes abundantly similar.
Each year we have the pleasure to read in Consulting Magazine the recognition of the Top 25 Consultants in our industry. Today, with the grace of the editors of Consulting Magazine, CM is providing us an opportunity to highlight and share with you two of our consultants who not only contributed to our profession, but did so in their own unique and humble way; and who are deserving to receive our collective acknowledgement that they did indeed matter to the consulting community.
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Kimberly Ann Lee
July 19, 1961 – March 09, 2017
Kim's nursing career began close to home in Louisiana. From 1992-2006 she was a traveling Peri-Operative surgical nurse. She often stated that she enjoyed traveling as it provided an opportunity to work in different locations and for various organizations. Kim later worked in Napa Valley, California for St. Joseph's Health from 2006-2014 where she enjoyed various positions within that organization. In 2014, Kim joined NHA as a Senior Consultant and served on many engagements from Georgia to Mississippi to Louisiana to Illinois and back again to Georgia. Kim was a very knowledgeable consultant and extremely passionate about making a difference, especially regarding patient care workflow. She always strived to put the best processes together for nurses and physicians, keeping the needs of the client and the patient first and foremost.
In 2014, around the same time she joined NHA, Kim relocated back to Lafayette, Louisiana to be closer to her family. At the time, her father had some health issues, and as the "family nurse" she knew she was needed. Kim was excited to purchase a new home in LA and very much enjoyed decorating and planting flower gardens. She and her brother Ken were very close; they both cared for their parents, took family trips, and enjoyed time at their cabin in LA. Kim was also a special "aunt" to her niece and nephew, and from the pictures shared at her memorial, it was clear that she was at the center of their lives, sharing in the big moments as they grew up. Kim was the planner and she seemed to be the rock for her family as well as the person who came up with the adventure vacation ideas for the group. In fact, she brought her mother to the last NHA company event in Rhode Island, taking some extra time to explore the area. Kim was planning a trip with her mother to Asheville, North Carolina what would have been just 2 weeks after the accident. They had planned to visit the Biltmore there while the gardens would be in full bloom. Kim's family shared that she had a great faith and was very active in her church community.
Kim's background, her family, and her experiences shaped her as a person. She was positive, generous, and always a friendly bright light. She always took care of those around her. On every NHA assignment, aside from being an exceptional consultant, Kim was a valued team member. She made sure others were included and took the time to organize dinners, excursions, and gatherings to maintain the team spirit. Kim was an extremely hard worker, and was just a pleasure to be around.
One colleague best described Kim as 'ebullient' – she could make a room smile.
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James (Jim) Joseph Wisniewski
March 6, 1961 – March 9, 2017
Jim started in healthcare at Provena Covenant Medical Center, Urbana, Illinois, as a Registered Respiratory Therapist. During the ten years he was there, his responsibilities and career expanded on to Hemodynamic Supervisor for Cardiac Surgery to eventual Director for Respiratory Care Services. He later ventured into the system side of the house and led clinical implementations for Provena Health System working with the MEDITECH EHR and facilitating the transformation of improvements in workflow and services. As Provena Health System expanded into a multi-health system with over 10,000 employees and 1,700 physicians, so did Jim's responsibilities. He assumed the role of System Director for Clinical Systems and provided enterprise-wide services and support for over seven years. At this point in his career, Jim took a reprieve from healthcare and successfully pursued entrepreneurial interests for seven years only to be lured back to healthcare and information services consulting at Navin, Haffty & Associates.
While Jim's responsibilities at Provena Health required some travel, when he joined NHA Jim quickly became familiar with the wonderful world of a traveling consultant. His experience and depth of expertise made him a well sought after consultant. Jim's service excellence approach and demeanor made him a pleasure for clients to work with and his breadth of experience made him indispensable. Clients recognized the 'value' Jim brought to the table, as measured by the numerous requests for his extension.
For those of us who have been on the road, we understand it takes a lot of stamina to not only maintain high energy but to be positive. Jim not only enjoyed being on the road but it always seemed to bring out the best in him. Those who worked with Jim described him as a thoughtful and caring man. He was a person committed to helping others and took pride in resolving problems for his clients no matter how long the days were, or how tired he was.
Those of us who had the pleasure of knowing Jim, knew him to be a man who was passionate not only about work but his family as well. Jim often spoke of his family and the importance they held in his life. In work and with his family, Jim was dedicated to always doing the right thing. He was a sincere, humble man focused and meticulous in all his efforts. Through his stories, we gained an appreciation of how much he cared for his family and valued the relationship he had with his son and daughter. Sadly, one of his last requests was his submission for PTO for his daughter's upcoming wedding this September. The joy he felt about this upcoming event was contagious.
Jim's journey was truly marked by the respect of all who worked alongside of him, his passion to pursue what he loved, his devoted persistence to stay the course, and his love of family.
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In closing, we here at NHA find ourselves a bit more fulfilled with Kim and Jim's friendship and contributions in our lives. The Navin, Haffty family thanks you for your interest and hopes you might join us in honoring Kimberly Lee and James Wisniewski and recognizing them as fellow consultants. It bears repeating, that the sensitivity and generosity of Consulting Magazine made this tribute possible and on behalf of the families of Kim and Jim, we thank you for this forum which presented a small window for the consulting community to get to know two of their fellow consultants a bit more.
Update on our third colleague:
As for our third consultant? We have an update on Greg Rouleau: At the time of this writing, while Greg's recovery will be long, we are grateful for all the wonderful treatment Greg received at Grady Hospital in Atlanta. He not only continues to make progress but recently was transferred to a rehabilitation facility in his home town with all our hopes for his continued recovery. This is very good news.
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