Earnest Consulting Group

DHA Seeks Alternative Care Models for the Next TRICARE Contract

September 1, 2020 | Business Development, Government, Opportunity

Photo by Army Medicine on Flickr We recently reviewed a report from the Senate Committee on Armed Services to the Defense Health Agency (DHA). This report encouraged DHA to embrace more competition in the next TRICARE procurement process. Since the release of this report, some key milestones have taken place specifically these developments: DHA Responds to Senate Committee on Armed Services On Thursday, August 13th, DHA responded to the Senate's report released on June 24th. In this report, DHA indicated to the Senate that it would "expand on the existing two-region structure by implementing demonstrations that will permit DHA to test…

July 1, 2020 | Self Help

[caption id="attachment_934" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Photo by cottonbro from Pexels[/caption] There's a quote I like from the first Indian first prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. He said, “Crises and deadlocks when they occur have at least this advantage, that they force us to think.” During the past few months, this quote has been on my mind as we’ve all been forced to think a little differently. While my focus has certainly been on all the individuals and families whose lives are being disrupted through the catastrophic health effects of the coronavirus pandemic, I also know it’s affecting even those of us…

June 22, 2020 | Opportunity

Photo by JeffOnWire on Flickr The Sioux Falls VA Health Care System (SFVAHCS) intends to secure on-site and off-site 24-hour coverage for Radiology Physician services for the SFVAHCS. These services will be delivered through a contractual relationship which may last up to five years. The VA is currently seeking responses from parties interested in providing these services. Responses collected will help determine the direction in which the VA wants to take to procure these services. If you are interested in learning more, please contact rich.earnest@betteryourcompany.com.

June 8, 2020 | Business Development, Government

Photo by carnagenyc on Flickr As someone who specializes in helping companies do business with the government, I get asked a lot of questions about the quickest path to getting a contract. While not often phrased this way, one of the most questions I hear amounts to this: “What is the least amount of work my company needs to do to get a government contract?” The good news is that there is a simple answer: Register your company in the government’s System for Award Management (SAM) system, and you’re eligible to be awarded a contract. The bad news is that…

May 27, 2020 | Communication, Leadership, Self Help, Time Management

This is the final post in a three-part series–why I don’t buy into all the negatives associated with Mondays. In Part 1, I shared my tips for prior planning: how a little forethought can help us avoid the Monday blues. In Part 2, I talked about setting boundaries--how to take more control so I can start the week more productively. Today, I’ll cover the importance of mindset: what we can do to reframe the way we think about Mondays. WHY WE GET “A CASE OF THE MONDAYS” Changing our mindset about Mondays begins with understanding why they can be such…

May 19, 2020 | Business Development

Photo by Army Medicine on Flickr I remember one of the reasons I pursued a career in healthcare was because I saw it as an industry that was not affected by the economy. I learned that to be untrue pretty early in my career as I watched my employer, a small urgent care clinic in my hometown, be significantly affected by shrinking reimbursements by a shrinking local workforce due to the closing of multiple well-paying local factories. Proven Wrong Again I'm seeing this mindset as a myth once again. I see hospitals and health care systems suffer considerably due to…

May 12, 2020 | Uncategorized

This is the second in a three-part series--why I don’t “do” the dread associated with the first day of the week--and how we can make Mondays more productive. If you’ve ever had, to quote a line from Office Space “a case of the Mondays,” this series is meant to be the antidote. In Part 1, I discussed prior planning: how some forethought can help us stay ahead of some of the challenges that seem to plague most people’s Mondays. Today, I’ll focus on setting boundaries. Boundaries Lead to Freedom When it comes to protecting our time, the greatest enemy we…

May 5, 2020 | Uncategorized

Photo by Penn State on Flickr We have all see what the Coronavirus has done to our economy. No one, me included, saw this coming or understood the effects a pandemic could have on how we do business. While the states and Federal government continue to sort out when and how we should start opening up the economy, two facts remain: The Federal government is the largest customer in the world. Yes, the world! History has shown the Federal government spends more money than usual in hopes of reviving the economy during recessions. The CARES ACT shows this pandemic is…

April 28, 2020 | Leadership, Self Help, Time Management

No, this does not mean I don't work on Mondays. What I don't do is the idea of Mondays. Remember the line from Office Space, "Sounds like someone has a case of the Mondays." I think that line from the movie speaks more to the person who pines for the weekend and is sad it's over. I don't usually share that sentiment and look forward to my first day back after the weekend. Maybe that's sometimes why I tend to work a bit more on Mondays than other days. Chaos Rules I also have gotten a sense from many that…

April 7, 2020 | Uncategorized

Late last year, I began a series of posts about workplace burnout. At the time, my goal was to help those in my network enjoy a little more sanity in their work lives. Well, things have changed quite a bit in the past month, and we're facing very different challenges. RECAP We begin to experience workplace burnout when we lose sight of any of these four pillars of workplace wellbeing: Setting Boundaries Gaining Perspective Connecting with my Mission Practicing Self Care. While this is always a challenge, these topics are perhaps more relevant than they’ve ever been in the midst…

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MYTH: Government agencies always award contracts based on price alone. Lowest price always wins.

FACT: While some contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, government agencies also make awards based on the best value which includes trade-offs between the ability to perform the work, quality, past performance, and price.

DHA Seeks Alternative Care Models for the Next TRICARE Contract

September 1, 2020 | Business Development, Government, Opportunity