AHA Solutions is a subsidiary of the American Hospital Association that identifies and endorses products to help hospitals improve operational performance. It uses a rigorous Signature Due Diligence Process to evaluate vendors seeking endorsement. This involves an in-depth request for information, interviews, and reference checks. RL Solutions underwent this process and received endorsement for its RL6 risk management software. Both hospitals and endorsed vendors benefit from the endorsement. It provides credibility for vendors and saves hospitals time in vetting products.

1. INSIDE THE AHA’S
Product
Endorsement
Process
W ithout a doubt, 2010 has
proven to be one of the most
dynamic years that the
healthcare field has seen to
date—and more changes
are just around the corner.
Healthcare reform is shaking up the field,
impacting everyone from doctors and
patients to hospitals, healthcare facilities,
and medical technology vendors. As hospi-
tals continue to be pushed to improve effi-
ciency without compromising the quality of
patient care, they are also grappling with opera-
tional issues such as reducing risk and exposure.
Advances in new products and technologies have
drastically improved operational efficiencies and
patient safety over the years. Identity tracking, incident
reporting and management, electronic medical records, and
risk assessment software are just some of the innovations that
are improving patient outcomes—and making hospitals safer
and more efficient. However, the growing number of tech-
nologies and mergers and acquisitions has also put a strain on By Anthony J. Burke
hospitals in terms of researching the market and vetting the
best products to fit their needs in areas such as finance and
operations (risk management), information technology,
46 P a t i e n t S a f e t y & Q u a l i t y H e a l t h c a re ■ September/October 2010 w w w. p s q h . c o m

2. human resources, patient flow, and others.
Hospital procurement departments or broad-
While AHA Solutions does not endorse
er purchasing committees must comb through companies, just products, it does
vast amounts of advertising materials from
vendors with claims about performance and recognize the role that the company as
capabilities that are difficult to verify.
a whole plays in terms of
Addressing Market Needs with
Innovative Solutions culture, direction, and innovation.
Thirty years ago the American Hospital Associ-
ation (AHA) saw hospitals struggling with physician liability everyday challenges and needs of hospitals, and plays a sig-
issues that were increasing hospital risk and subsequently the nificant role in enabling AHA Solutions to more critically
cost of care. In response, the AHA created a subsidiary organiza- evaluate products.
tion, AHA Solutions, to assist hospitals with finding products While AHA Solutions does not endorse companies, just
and services that provided liability coverage. Since that time, products, it does recognize the role that the company as a
AHA Solutions has greatly expanded its reach to include identi- whole plays in terms of culture, direction, and innovation. As
fying and endorsing products across many operational areas such, the RFI extends beyond basic feature/functionality ques-
within the hospital, including workforce and culture, patient tions. Part of the goal of AHA’s trademarked Signature Due
throughput and experience, cost containment, IT infrastructure, Diligence Process is to understand everything from financial
regulatory compliance, and operational improvement—all in strength and customer service rankings to marketing capabili-
the name of making hospitals run more efficiently. ties and pending litigation.
To achieve its goal of supporting hospital operational A team of AHA Solutions staff narrows the RFIs and invites
improvement, AHA Solutions developed a comprehensive a select group of vendors to advance through the full AHA Sig-
process through which it identifies and endorses products nature Due Diligence Process, two important aspects of which
that are best aligned with meeting the challenges hospitals are in-person interviews and references. Both AHA Solutions
are facing today. Because of its position with the AHA, its and participating vendors sign a non-disclosure agreement,
strong relationships with hospitals across the nation, and ensuring that all shared information is kept confidential.
its intimate access to C-level and departmental leaders,
AHA Solutions is uniquely positioned at the epicenter of Interviews
the healthcare field. Through the AHA Signature Due Healthcare quality and safety software provider, RL Solutions,
Diligence Process™, the organization is helping to drive is one such vendor to participate in the AHA due diligence
the product and service innovation that hospitals require process, ultimately earning the AHA endorsement for its RL6
to meet the changing demands in the marketplace. Risk Management Solution. “During our interview, the AHA
Regular discussions are held between AHA Solutions and team posed difficult questions that extended well beyond the
a “Voice of the Customer” panel of member hospitals to bet- typical feature/functionality product demo,” commented San-
ter understand the solutions they have in place, how they are jay Malaviya, president and CEO, RL Solutions. “We were
working, and what the holes or gaps may be. It is this unique asked to clearly articulate the benefits to the field, community,
insight that enables AHA Solutions to understand the issues and even the specific roles within the hospital during the inter-
being faced by hospitals today. Coupled with the objectivity it view.” It was during this interview process that the RL Solu-
is able to provide, hospitals have confidence in AHA Solu- tions’ team began to truly understand that an AHA endorse-
tions’ ability to streamline the due diligence and product ment was not simply about the capabilities of its RL6 product,
selection process with endorsements. but about the company’s commitment to the healthcare field
as a whole, and what RL6 could do to perpetually improve
Understanding the Process hospital operations and safety.
Request for Information References
The AHA Due Diligence process is both intense and multi- The AHA Solutions team doesn’t just listen to what the prospec-
faceted, with the goal of uncovering all there is to learn about tive companies say about themselves; they want to know what
both the solution provider and the product itself. To begin, their customers think. Therefore, a critical part of the endorse-
companies seeking endorsement must complete a very ment process is references. Companies are required to give a
detailed request for information (RFI). This RFI is created mixture of references from long-term hospital clients to new
utilizing the knowledge and expertise of an Advisory Panel hospital clients, large-scale users to more limited users.“We pro-
made up of CIOs, CTOs, CMOs, chief medical directors, and vided a list of current clients,” noted Colin Hung, vice president
chief nursing officers from member hospitals. This team of of alliances and marketing, RL Solutions. “During the one-on-
in-the-field individuals is able to share insights regarding the one phone interviews with our clients, the AHA Solutions team
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3. PRODUCT ENDORSEMENT
included questions pertaining to operational
AHA S OLUTIONS
benefits, organizational staff and innovation, cul- A subsidiary organization of the American Hospital Association, AHA Solutions is
ture, and results.” focused on improving the operational performance of the nation’s hospitals. Among
its programs are the Signature Learning Series of issues-focused educational, conven-
Final Selection ing and peer-to-peer information exchange events; AHA endorsements awarded exclu-
Throughout the AHA Signature Due Diligence sively to products and services believed to best meet hospitals’ most critical
Process, the AHA Solutions team weighs/scores challenges; the National Healthcare Career Network, connecting healthcare employ-
responses, often through email and phone con- ers with two million highly qualified members of more than 200 trade associations
versations. From there, a limited number of ven- and professional societies; and Healthcare MarketMPactSM, a strategic consulting
dors emerge as frontrunners. group ensuring that products and services are viable, valuable contributors to improv-
For RL Solutions, selection as a frontrunner ing hospitals’ performance. For more information, please visit www.aha-solutions.org.
meant involving a variety of people across
departments.“What started out as a product ini- RL Solutions
tiative expanded to include a variety of individ-
RL Solutions designs innovative healthcare software for patient feedback, incident
uals across our sales, marketing, and alliances
reporting and risk management, infection surveillance, and claims management. At
teams and, because of the amount of resources
RL Solutions, nurturing long-lasting relationships with our clients is what we do best.
it required, we spent time debating internally if
We have more than 600 clients, including healthcare networks, hospitals, long-term
the endorsement was worth it,” according to
Malaviya. “But, in the end, the intensity of the care facilities, and more. RL Solutions is a global company with offices in Canada, the
process served to demonstrate AHA Solutions’ United States, Australia, and the UK. For more information, visit www.rl-solutions.com.
commitment to the healthcare field—a com-
mitment that we as a company also share.” educational webinars, peer-to-peer hospital convening events,
The final endorsement decision is based on a variety of fac- e-marketing promotions, and industry conferences/tradeshows
tors. The product must meet the field needs of AHA’s broadest are common among endorsed vendors.
base of hospitals—those in the mid-market. In addition, the RL Solutions has found perhaps the greatest benefit of its
company selected must demonstrate the deepest commitment RL6 endorsement to be access to AHA member hospitals.“The
to the requirements of the endorsement, including education- endorsement has opened up a new market to us, not just for
al and cultural compatibility. selling but for gathering critical information on the healthcare
field,” Hung stated. “We are now teaming up with AHA mem-
Demonstrating Value bers for thought leadership panels and webinars. We hope to
The term “endorsement” is used in all industries, at times very leverage the AHA connections to further improve our products
loosely. Unlike other endorsements that may simply serve as a and services by reaching an audience that would have been dif-
rubber stamp, the AHA endorsement confirms a commitment ficult to pull together prior to our association with the AHA.”
to improving the healthcare field. These endorsements provide
outstanding benefits, both to hospitals as well as to solution Investing in the Future
providers. Endorsements are typically awarded for a period of three years
For hospitals the advantage is clear. AHA Solutions identi- and are non-transferable should a company be merged or
fies the critical issues, researches the solutions to address those acquired. After the three-year period, an endorsed company
issues, and undertakes the comprehensive due diligence so hos- may re-apply for endorsement. During the three-year endorse-
pitals don’t have to. Knowing that a product or service has ment, AHA Solutions is actively engaged with both the
undergone such a rigorous review saves hospitals time, money, endorsed product company as well as hospitals using or consid-
and resources in the research and selection process. Perhaps ering using the product. AHA Solutions regularly monitors its
even more valuable, by developing close relationships with the endorsed products’ performance to ensure that the product or
AHA through educational forums, the “Voice of the Customer” service is up-to-date and adjusting to meet market demands.
panel and other initiatives, the voices of hospital leadership can The team monitors installation and customer issues that arise.
be heard in the market. Additionally, if a hospital is experiencing customer service prob-
Solution providers that earn AHA endorsement benefit lems or other issues, they can contact AHA Solutions directly.
from instant credibility in the marketplace, having aligned with The AHA Solutions team then acts as an advocate on the hospi-
an industry-leading, 130-year-old organization representing tal’s behalf, going through the solution provider to directly
more than 5,000 healthcare organizations and hospitals. address issues and get things back on track. This is not only
Because endorsements are exclusive to one product in a given important to the hospital, but also ensures constant innovation
category, it is an immediate product differentiator. While it on the part of the solution provider.
does not guarantee the selection or sale of a product, it certain- AHA Solutions was formed with the intent to improve
ly differentiates a company and its solution. Leveraging the the operational performance of hospitals. While it is a for-
endorsement through cross-marketing campaigns, including profit arm of AHA, the majority of its revenues are
48 P a t i e n t S a f e t y & Q u a l i t y H e a l t h c a re ■ September/October 2010 w w w. p s q h . c o m

4. reinvested into AHA’s policy and advocacy efforts, as well increasingly critical. Solution providers that offer AHA-
as supporting free education and peer-to-peer informa- endorsed products and services that streamline communica-
tion exchange meetings designed to keep dialogue open in tion and data sharing across a wide spectrum of interrelated
the healthcare field. healthcare organizations will be well positioned to help hospi-
tals address these issues. ❙PSQH
Looking Ahead
Tony Burke is senior vice president at the American Hospital
AHA Solutions has seen a growth in its endorsements and Association and president and CEO of AHA Solutions. Burke has more
anticipates that growth will continue as the need for endorsed than 20 years of business marketing experience. He has served
products and services continues to expand —especially as hos- national clients at one of the world’s leading
pitals continue to grapple with the most dramatic healthcare marketing/communications firms and managed financial
reform in our nation’s history. In light of healthcare reform, communications for a Fortune 50 consumer product company in
Chicago. Most recently, he was principal of his own marketing
AHA Solutions is taking a more proactive stance to provide hos-
consulting firm in Chicago, where he counseled AHA Solutions, as well
pitals with field knowledge and education; as well as working as other local and national organizations. Burke helped develop and
with hospitals to identify and prioritize their main operational launch the National Healthcare Career Network to assist in meeting
issues. Subsequently ensuring their expanding portfolio of the staffing challenges in healthcare and also created Healthcare
endorsed products is squarely aimed at helping hospitals navi- MarketMPact, a consulting service to help incubate innovative
gate changing regulatory and operational requirements. healthcare products and companies. Burke earned his degree in
AHA-endorsed products and services will continue to assist marketing from California State University at Fullerton. He is a
member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association,
hospitals in addressing healthcare reform issues like continuity
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, Society for
of care, meaningful use, and increased accountability by filling Healthcare Strategy and Market Development, Health Care
in operational “gaps”; empowering hospitals to meet growing Compliance Association, and American Society of Association
challenges efficiently while simultaneously improving the qual- Executives. To demonstrate his commitment to health and wellness,
ity of care. Additionally, as the continuum of care expands he founded the Proactive Kids Foundation, to provide much-needed
beyond the hospital to include rehab centers, long-term care, nutritional, physical and psychological support to obese children and
and home healthcare, sharing information is going to become their families. He may be contacted at aburke@aha.org.
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