This article was originally published in our Lone Star Business Journal: Summer Edition, featuring our client, Henson from NTBHA, on how his co-managed strategic partnership with USM Technology enabled the company to achieve exponential growth both externally and internally.
When you’re the CIO of an organization dedicated to providing mental health services and substance abuse resources to low-income community members, you have enough high-level planning to execute without worrying about the company’s day-to-day technology needs. Then, on top of all this, add a huge reorganization of the business, and it was clear why Henson Rogers and his team at North Texas Behavioral Health Authority (NTBHA) needed some technology assistance. Luckily, they found Stephen Cracknell and his team at USM Technology, and together, their partnership has enabled NTBHA to grow exponentially both in terms of their internal organization and their ability to service their local communities.
An Instantaneous Transformation
Though NTBHA has been around since 1996, it wasn’t until 2016 that it underwent a massive transformation. “NTBHA was actually a pilot program that the state of Texas started,” Henson explains. “When I joined the organization in 2016, I wasn’t here long before the state decided to sunset the program. But the thing was that there was still a large need for these services, so the state allowed NTBHA to recreate itself.” He continues, “However, with this transformation, NTBHA also had to take on all the other functions that another organization previously did. In other words, our technology needs multiplied overnight.”
With this transition, Henson and his team were tasked with launching an IT department and building all the IT processes from the ground up. “Previously, the company’s data and IT needs were pretty minimal,” Henson says. “There were some basic reports, like service and demographics reports, but nothing extensive. Now, it was obvious that we needed support. So we put out a request for proposal [RFP] for the technical services we needed, and USM Technology was one of the firms who responded.” After hearing what Stephen’s team had to say—along with all the other candidates—USM Technology won the RFP, and the partnership began.
Additional IT Support
Immediately upon landing the contract, Stephen and his team got straight to work figuring out a co-managed IT relationship that would work best for Henson and his team at NTBHA. “Reflecting on it now, I don’t know how we would have done it without them,” relates Henson. “There was a tremendous amount of activity. We were hiring new staff, moving offices, and trying to get our internal processes ready before our new launch date. From integrating the Azure Cloud resources to setting up the networking and Wi-Fi to implementing robust cybersecurity protocols, USM Technology was integral to the success of this transition period.”
After the initial reconfiguration, USM Technology became a crucial component of NTBHA’s daily operation. “One thing in particular that USM helps us with is our fairly complicated onboarding and offboarding processes,” mentions Henson. “Due to the different grants and funding—not to mention the fact that many of our clinicians work in other provider’s facilities—we needed someone who would be able to execute these procedures while also being flexible enough to adjust to our ever-changing needs.” For NTBHA, this “someone” is Stephen and his team at USM Technology.
Smooth Sailing
According to Henson, one of the best parts about working with USM Technology is that he gains access to senior-level technicians and expertise without paying another full-time employee. He notes, “Other than data analysis and custom internal programming, Stephen and his team handle everything else IT-related. They’ve helped us move everything over to cloud-based solutions and incorporate a voice-over-IP system (which ended up being especially terrific when the pandemic hit). They are always looking for ways to strengthen our cybersecurity protocols to protect us. They’re just a very valuable partner and are honestly the equivalent of having many more full-time employees, so it’s worked out in terms of capability and cost management.”
Beyond these things, this partnership has also resulted in one major thing for NTBHA: expansion. “In 2016, our projected business plan was to have 35 employees and be a $35M funded organization,” Henson explains. “Well, we’ve smashed these projections and are sitting at 120+ employees as a $100M+ funded organization—over triple our initial goal.” When asked if USM Technology played an integral role in creating the infrastructure and protocols that facilitated this growth for NTBHA, Henson responded simply with, “Absolutely.”
Regarding what he would tell other business owners or decision makers who need some technology support, Henson says, “Give Stephen and his team a call. Their knowledge, customer service, and communication set them apart from other technology firms, and I’ve never hesitated to recommend them to anyone I’ve talked with. They have a 60-second guaranteed response time, meaning you’ll always speak with a real person within a minute of calling, and we’ve just generally had an extremely positive experience.”
He adds, “With USM Technology, it’s more than just a vendor relationship; it’s a true partnership.”
Ultimately, by taking the brunt of the technology needs off Henson’s plate, USM Technology allows Henson and his team to focus on doing what they do best—building out the technology strategy and supporting the executive leadership as they continue to grow and provide much-needed mental health and substance abuse services to people throughout Dallas, Ellis, Hunt, Kaufman, Navarro, and Rockwall Counties. So, if you’ve been searching for an IT firm that will help support you with all your technology needs to allow you to focus on your core mission, look no further than Stephen Cracknell and his team at USM Technology.
Are you actively looking for an IT partner who can deliver cohesive co-management IT services for your organization to develop both externally and internally? Call us at 214-390-9252 or book a 10-minute call with us today.
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