April 2021 issue of In Business Magazine by InMedia

MAR. 2021

‘Healthcare amid COVID-19’ Guide to Workplace Health & Safety

Health & Your People Has the pandemic changed workplace health and wellness forever?

Meetings Can

Generate Engagement Ethics: This Month’s Guest Editor

Frances Ducar

Founder of Healthcare Solutions Centers

Value in the C-Suites

E-Signatures

on Loan Docs

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THIS ISSUE Arizona Technology Council

Stay Healthy. Return Smarter. Return Stronger. With public health top of mind, Arizona is moving forward safely and responsibly together.

Since the start, the state of Arizona has worked hard to keep Arizonans safe and healthy while slowing the spread of COVID-19. By continuing to follow the data and recommendations of public health officials, we can safely move forward with the next steps of Arizona’s economic recovery. And as our state’s businesses gradually reopen their operations, the Arizona Commerce Authority is here to continue offering tools and resources for families, workers and businesses to return stronger.

azcommerce.com

We’re Making Our Mark on Medicine OptumCare® believes that great health begins by providing forwardthinking leadership in the discipline of medicine. So we proudly serve Phoenix with advanced health care at 16 clinics with over 40 providers, all dedicated to putting the patient first. We’re here to stay—and to move care in our community in bold new directions. Find out more at professionals.optumcare.com.

APRIL 2021 GUEST COLUMNISTS

Pioneer Title Is Committed to Forging a Better Tomorrow

This month spotlighting Pioneer Title Agency, Tyler Butler’s series explores the myriad ways businesses give back and the positive ways their programs impact our community.

Make the Workplace Safe for Open and Honest Dialogue about Mental Health Discussing strategies business leaders can use with themselves and their workforce, nationally renowned federal crisis negotiation specialist Doc Elliot continues his series on preventing workplace violence.

PARTNER SECTION

COVER STORY

FEATURE

Stop Meeting and Start Co-Creating

Carlos Valdes-Dapena provides a new look at “meetings” and how to generate enthusiasm and engagement among participants.

DEPARTMENTS

Guest Editor

Frances Ducar, president and owner of Healthcare Solutions Centers, introduces the “Healthcare” issue.

Feedback

Linda Luman, Sean Reeves and Joel Winant respond to In Business Magazine’s burning business question of the month.

Briefs

“Remote Recruiting and Hiring Can Further DEO,” “Guides and Resources,” “Local Standouts Recognized for Achievements and Philanthropy,” “Return to Work Safely: YellowBird Guides the Way” and “Fit for Moving”

Arizona Technology Council

SPECIAL SECTION Presents

Healthcare Amid

COVID-19 Business Safety and the New Workplace

Sponsored By

57 Healthcare amid COVID-19 Guide to Workplace Health & Safety

APR. 2021

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Health & Your People

Experts who know how this plays out in our local community help us dive into multiple facets of healthcare, of healthcare delivery, and of healthcare as an employee benefit. Plus: Arizona’s Surge Line – A Case Study of Success

By the Numbers

Customer lifetime value provides metrics to inform strategic business decisions and marketing budget allocation.

Startups

“BapronBaby Eases the Stress of Mealtime Mess” and “Lauro: Refreshingly Cactus”

CRE

“Pandemic Sparks Adaptations in Healthcare Design and Construction,” “New Golf Course Graces Toll Brothers’ West Valley Development,” “Phoenix Mid-Century Marvel Offered for Adaptive Reuse,” “New Multifamily Project in Phoenix’s Expanding Deer Valley Area,” “Developer Enters Arizona Market with Large Opportunity Zone Project in Tempe” and “The Future of the PostPandemic Office”

From the Top

With their healthcare SaaS, Bret Larsen and Miles Romney set out to “disrupt the disruption in healthcare.”

Healthcare

“Bioscience and Healthcare Contribute to a Healthy Economy,” “Expansion Underway for Banner Gateway Medical Center in Gilbert” and “Integrative Healthcare – The Ideal Benefit for 2021”

Technology

“Cox Business Leans In with a Powerful Work-at-Home Solution” and “Innovative Solution Matches Quality Businesses and Job Seekers”

Books

New releases give fresh insights on business thinking.

En Negocios

Liderazgo / Leadership: “¿Está iniciando una pequeña empresa?“ / “Launching a Small Business?”

Economy

Rob Schwister discusses why financial wellness packages are the new “must-have” for competitive employers.

Legal

Local attorneys Quinn Wheeler and Khaled Tarazi discuss the use of e-signatures in closing commercial loan transactions.

Nonprofit

Through a new public-private partnership, loans address.predevelopment costs that are difficult for small communities to finance.

Assets

2021 Land Rover Defender Plus: PPE kits may be the ideal return-to-office gift.

Power Lunch

The Craftsman Cocktails and Kitchen: Built on (of course) Craftsmanship

Roundtable

Garry Barnes examines ethics and business’s need to recoup the public’s flagging faith in corporate purpose.

HEALTH IN THE ECONOMY In the City of Phoenix, there currently is more than $3 billion in bioscience healthcare facilities under construction or in the final design pipeline — which will bring to market over the next two years more than 4.4 million square feet of new facilities and 7,000 jobs.

Doctors Plan of Arizona: Your new health plan experience In collaboration with Banner Health Network, Doctors Plan of Arizona is designed to provide a better health care experience for you and your employees. With lower out-of-pocket costs1 and an integrated approach to care designed for better outcomes, this health plan helps your employees and their families access a broad network with over 4,200 providers2 to choose from — right where they live, work and play.

Learn more

Call your broker or visit uhc.com/dpaz

Savings based on lower premiums for Doctors Plan compared to standard Choice Plus plans at the same deductible and coinsurance level as of 7/1/2020. This policy has exclusions, limitations and terms under which the policy may be continued in force or discontinued. For costs and complete details of the coverage, contact your broker or UnitedHealthcare sales representative.

UnitedHealth Network Access internal analysis, June 2020.

Additional copays, deductibles or coinsurance may apply when you receive other services — such as surgery and lab work.

Insurance coverage provided by or through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or its affiliates. Administrative services provided by United HealthCare Services, Inc. or their affiliates. Health Plan coverage provided by UnitedHealthcare of Arizona, Inc. B2B EI20236739.1 1/21 © 2020 United HealthCare Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 20-189173-B

0 copays

for primary care provider visits, urgent care visits, online visits and convenience care visits3

Apr. 2021

Hi Phoenix, Let’s spend smarter.

In Business Magazine is a collaboration of many business organizations and entities throughout the metropolitan Phoenix area and Arizona. Our mission is to inform and energize business in this community by communicating content that will build business and enrich the economic picture for all of us vested in commerce.

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS Kristen Merrifield, CEO Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits (602) 279-2966 www.arizonanonprofits.org Jess Roman, Chief Executive Officer Arizona Small Business Association Central Office (602) 306-4000 www.asba.com

Learn more at getdivvy.com/phx1

Steven G. Zylstra, President & CEO Arizona Technology Council One Renaissance Square (602) 343-8324 www.aztechcouncil.org Doug Bruhnke, Founder & President Global Chamber® (480) 595-5000 www.globalchamber.org Jean Briese, President NAWBO Phoenix Metro Chapter (480) 289-5768 www.nawbophx.org Anne Gill, President & CEO Tempe Chamber of Commerce (480) 967-7891 www.tempechamber.org Our Partner Organizations are vested business organizations focused on building and improving business in the Valley or throughout Arizona. As Partners, each will receive three insert publications each year to showcase all that they are doing for business and businesspeople within our community. We encourage you to join these and other organizations to better your business opportunities. The members of these and other Associate Partner Organizations receive a subscription to In Business Magazine each month. For more information on becoming an Associate Partner, please contact our publisher at info@inbusinessmag.com.

ASSOCIATE PARTNERS Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce ahwatukeechamber.com Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry azchamber.com Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce azhcc.com The Black Chamber of Arizona phoenixblackchamber.com Chandler Chamber of Commerce chandlerchamber.com Economic Club of Phoenix econclubphx.org Glendale Chamber of Commerce glendaleazchamber.org Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce phoenixchamber.com Greater Phoenix Equality Chamber of Commerce gpglcc.org Mesa Chamber of Commerce mesachamber.org North Phoenix Chamber of Commerce northphoenixchamber.com Peoria Chamber of Commerce peoriachamber.com Phoenix Metro Chamber of Commerce phoenixmetrochamber.com Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce scottsdalechamber.com Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce surpriseregionalchamber.com WESTMARC westmarc.org

APR. 2021

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Apr. 2021

VOL. 12, NO. 4

Publisher Editor En Negocios Editor Graphic Design

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Rick McCartney RaeAnne Marsh Edgar Rafael Olivo Benjamin Little Quentin Abramo Alison Bailin Garry Barnes Tyler Butler Doc Elliot Shannon Hogue Mike Hunter Craig Kurtzweil Mardi Larson Chris Nickle Rob Schwister Ruth Seigel Tova Sherman Patty Starr Khaled Tarazi Lisa Urias Carlos Valdes-Dapena Quinn C. Wheeler Michael Zalle

ADVERTISING Operations Louise Ferrari Business Development Louise Ferrari Cami Shore Events Amy Corben More: Visit your one-stop resource for everything business at inbusinessphx.com. For a full monthly calendar of business-related events, please visit our website. Inform Us: Send press releases and your editorial ideas to editor@inbusinessphx.com

President & CEO Rick McCartney Editorial Director RaeAnne Marsh Financial Manager Tom Beyer Office Manager Allie Schimmel Accounting Manager Todd Juhl Corporate Office InMedia Company 45 W. Jefferson Street Phoenix, AZ 85003 T: (480) 588-9505 info@inmediacompany.com www.inmediacompany.com Vol. 12, No. 4 In Business Magazine is published 12 times per year by InMedia Company. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to InMedia Company, 45 W. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003. To subscribe to In Business Magazine, please send check or money order for one-year subscription of $24.95 to InMedia Company, 45 W. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003 or visit inbusinessphx.com. We appreciate your editorial submissions, news and photos for review by our editorial staff. You may send to editor@inbusinessmag.com or mail to the address above. All letters sent to In Business Magazine will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication, copyright purposes and use in any publication, website or brochure. InMedia accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or other artwork. Submissions will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. InMedia Company, LLC reserves the right to refuse certain advertising and is not liable for advertisers’ claims and/or errors. The opinions expressed herein are exclusively those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the position of InMedia. InMedia Company considers its sources reliable and verifies as much data as possible, although reporting inaccuracies can occur; consequently, readers using this information do so at their own risk. Each business opportunity and/or investment inherently contains certain risks, and it is suggested that the prospective investors consult their attorney and/or financial professional. ©2021 InMedia Company, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission by any means without written permission by the publisher.

APR. 2021

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FRANCES DUCAR, HEALTHCARE SOLUTIONS CENTERS

COVID-19 Defines the Workplace

Frances Ducar is the founder and president of Healthcare Solutions Centers, LLC, where she developed and leads a team of talented and dedicated medical providers who will provide client companies with the highest quality of medical care while reducing their overall healthcare cost. Ducar graduated from Arizona State University, UCLA and University of Phoenix, all with first honors, and is a member of Sigma Theta Tau. She is a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner and a Registered Nurse First Assistant.

Almost everything now is seen through the lens of COVID-19, from work to entertainment to family. Perhaps the most impacted is healthcare itself. In March of 2020 Arizona healthcare providers and systems had to dramatically adapt to the fear that the Coronavirus would develop into the next 1918 Spanish Flu. Lacking PPE, most healthcare providers quickly transformed to provide telehealth or closed their doors. We knew the workplace was going to change forever. And, as a healthcare business serving Arizona companies for the past 18 years, I knew we had a job to do. Businesses faced challenges to keeping their employees healthy and working, and the healthcare community has played a critical role in helping keep business operating. For instance, our team at Healthcare Solutions Centers worked more efficiently with technology, offering 24/7 telehealth and COVID testing, tracking and tracing, while monitoring those employees who were at home quarantined, only returning them to work when healthy and safe. Arizona companies are looking for answers from healthcare professionals to keep their doors open for business. Fast forward to March 2021, with vaccines being accessible to everyone aged 16 and older, and the availability of same-day rapid COVID Antigen testing, business owners are working to keep their employees healthy and at work. There is no question healthcare is changing. The cover story this month is an extensive section that dives into multiple facets of healthcare, of healthcare delivery, of healthcare as an employee benefit — and includes coordinated articles on COVID testing, disparities that exist in healthcare delivery, and an Arizona success story about the state’s Surge Line. COVID’s impact on meetings has injected a new term into our English lexicon: Zoom fatigue. But, as Carlos Valdes-Dapena discusses in feature article “Stop Meeting and Start Co-Creating,” there is more underlying the problems with meetings that pre-dates the pandemic. He suggests an overhaul in the structure of meetings, and even a case-by-case evaluation of whether one is needed at all. Feedback, on the other hand, looks this month at ways physically distanced co-workers may “come together” as companies purposely create opportunities to increase employee engagement. Buchalter attorneys Quinn C. Wheeler and Khaled Tarazi discuss the use of e-signatures in closing commercial loan transactions in this business environment of social distancing and work from home. And the Roundtable feature takes a hard look at leadership ethics amid the public’s flagging faith in corporate purpose. Along with the usual varied mix of topics from technology to HR, from what’s new for lunch to what’s new in the business community, and from commercial real estate to companies going the extra mile for their community, this issue includes the special guide “Healthcare amid COVID-19” spotlighting products and services businesses need now. Just as my mission is to help people be healthy, In Business Magazine’s mission is to help ensure the health of our business community, and it is my pleasure to help bring this April edition to you. Enjoy the read. Sincerely,

Story Ideas/PR: editor@ inbusinessphx.com

Oh, What a Year It Has Been

Business Events/ Connections: businessevents@ inbusinessphx.com

employees and overall workforce

businesses. From closures, openings, pivots and change to remote

wellness. We want to thank Frances

work, zoom communications and rearranging office space. It has

Ducar for leading this issue. She and her

been unlike anything we have known in business. As a result,

staff kicked into high gear to combat

certain changes are here to stay. While the health and safety of

the early effects of the pandemic and have steadily advanced to

staff has always been an important part of building a successful

meet the needs of her clients at a time when many of us were

company, we see that they are defined in new ways and will have

flying blind in the face of getting our workers to feel safe. It is safe

more dire consequences without expertise.

to say that companies like Frances’ are great partners to helping

This issue looks at COVID-19 and the effect it has had (and will continue to have) on our workplaces, the healthcare of our

ce Health

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MAR. 2021

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to Workpla 9’ Guide

COVID-1 are amid

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This Month’s

us help our workers and the environment around them.

Stay informed on business topics in Spanish through En Negocios, articles for Spanish-speaking readers in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Visit inbusinessphx.com/ ennegocios for more information.

CONNECT WITH US:

Frances Ducar President and Owner • Healthcare Solutions Centers

So much has happened in the past 12 months to shape our

EN NEGOCIOS Manténgase informado sobre temas empresariales en español a través de En Negocios, artículos para los lectores de habla hispana en el área metropolitana de Phoenix. Visite inbusinessphx.com/ ennegocios para más información.

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APR. 2021

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SPEAKING OUT

Continuing to engage employees at home is more important than ever as many workforces approach one year out of the office. What are some team-building programs or events you’ve organized to help ensure individuals remain productive and successful at work and home?

FEEDBACK QUESTION: Let us know what you want to know from the Valley’s top business leaders. editor@inbusinessphx.com

For all past Feedbacks go online to inbusinessphx.com and see what Valley executives think on various business topics.

APR. 2021

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LINDA LUMAN

SEAN REEVES

JOEL WINANT

SVP of Human Resources Freedom Financial Network Sector: Financial

Claims Contact Center Site Leader (Phoenix) Farmers Insurance® Sector: Financial

Director of Customer Care Cox Communications Sector: Communications

Freedom Financial Network shifted our workforce to a work-from-home environment, in response to the pandemic. This change challenged us to get better as an organization and develop new ways of collaborating, communicating and engaging employees. In doing so, we leveraged existing channels (e.g., Slack, Zoom and email), but also introduced a number of new programs to ensure our people felt supported and cared for. We launched virtual company-wide town halls, Zoom Zumba and yoga, a monthly newsletter, a new Employee Assistance Program, and reaffirmed our commitment to diversity by launching new employee resource groups. Further, Freedom placed an emphasis on transparency around business operations and the state of the U.S. consumer. As a consumer-centric company, we focused on articulating the voice of the customer, in an omni-channel approach, to promote productivity and employee engagement. This included emails from our CEO spotlighting client testimonials, shout outs during town halls, video vignettes from customers, and more. By underscoring the difference our employees make in the lives of our customers, it helped keep employees connected to our mission. Freedom Financial Network freedomfinancialnetwork.com Linda Luman is senior vice president of human resources at Freedom Financial Network in Tempe, where she is responsible for the company’s people operations and human capital strategy. Since joining the company in 2015, she has been passionate in leading Freedom’s vision to build a great company through its people and its culture.

At Farmers Insurance®, we are committed to fostering a workplace environment that supports and empowers employees to thrive in their roles, and we have continued to focus on achieving that mission as the majority of our workforce has been virtual over the past year. It’s important to Farmers® leadership that we provide appropriate tools and resources to help employees stay connected, productive and successful. Recognizing the need to communicate with transparency and frequency, Farmers has deployed robust employee communications during this time, including regular updates from Farmers leadership and a streaming series with tips for working from home, coping with stress and more. We also make it a point to gather direct employee feedback through regular surveys that help Farmers track real-time engagement and sentiment. Another resource Farmers made available at no cost to our employees is a subscription to Headspace. Headspace’s robust library of videos, articles and mindfulness tools — organized by different focus areas, such as sleep, managing stress and anxiety, increasing productivity and exercising — makes this a useful resource for our people. Farmers Insurance® farmers.com Sean Reeves, claims contact center site leader (Phoenix) for Farmers Insurance®, has served in many roles in the customer service arena, including AMC Theatres for seven years and currently at Farmers Insurance® for 19 years. An avid proponent of employee development and engagement, Reeves continually studies and examines different methods to improve employee engagement in the workplace.

Sign up for the monthly In Business Magazine eNewsletter at www.inbusinessphx.com. Look for survey questions and other research on our business community.

Continuing to engage employees at home is more important than ever as the vaccine rolls out and employers grapple with staffing models that include both remote and in-office work. Executive teams and leaders who are creative about engaging their staff virtually will continue to ensure individuals remain productive and successful at work and home. Cox employs more than 3,000 people across Arizona, and, at a time when many have been working from home since the pandemic began, we know it is so important to keep our team energized and engaged! Here are some examples that we have found helpful in boosting morale and improving team collaboration while heightening productivity: • Cooking classes where teams Zoom together with a local chef (picture the chef at the Gladly teaching everyone how to make the famous Original Chop Salad) • Home-office MTV Cribs where team members give tours through their unique and unexpected home-office setups • Zoom talent shows where teams bond over unique talents that were previously unknown • Sending Jib Jab emails from time to time to lighten the day Cox Communications cox.com Joel Winant is a director of customer care at Cox Communications and leads a team of more than 200 talented care agents who work with Arizona customers seven days a week.

QUICK AND TO THE POINT

GUIDES & RESOURCES Find out more in each issue of In Business Magazine as we provide resources and guides that can help businesses get and stay connected to the information they need to build business.

COVID-19 Business Stimulus: With now two phases of the Paycheck Protection Program loans and other Small Business Administration loans and stimulus packages, we include these links for businesses: • PPP Loans: bit.ly/sba-ppp • SBA Stimulus: bit.ly/c19-guide-resources • Get My Check: irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment • Federal Resources for U.S. Small Businesses: covid-sb.org • Vaccine Finder and information: vaccinefinder.org • Testing (Onsite and Mobile): aztestnow.com Vaccine: As vaccines become readily available and

Remote Recruiting and Hiring Can Further DEI Last year, companies that would typically hire software engineers from geographical bubbles (i.e., select colleges and within Silicon Valley) began embracing the idea of tapping into a talent pipeline of remote workers. As more organizations consider making the shift to remote work permanent, engineering management teams are incorporating remote developer hiring as a core growth strategy for 2021. However, attracting recruits within markets outside a company’s traditional hiring areas presents some unique challenges. For example, while many technical skills translate across industries and geographical bubbles, jobs may evolve due to specialized criteria. That said, engineering leaders need to work with talent acquisition partners to set clear expectations around what competencies they are looking for and develop metrics for assessing them. As organizations look to be more inclusive, they can take the first steps by reviewing and ensuring job descriptions align with performance reviews. This tactic allows organizations to tap into more diverse and inclusive populations, including neurodiverse candidates that may shy away from jobs due to how the position is listed (outgoing, rock star, etc.). Beyond reviewing job descriptions, organizations should also review interview format and questions, and the scoring rubric used to make hiring decisions. Document all findings during this process and work on aligning each of these areas to shared competencies. Similarly, commit to additional interview training to reduce biases. This ensures that interviewers assess the right competencies and eliminate false negatives with bias mitigation and unconscious bias techniques. It is also important to measure the candidate’s experience by tracking drop-off rates. Tracking drop-off rates can reveal weaknesses in the organization’s hiring practices when those rates diverge from industry norms. For example, take-home or automated coding challenge for engineering candidates typically comes with a drop-off rate of around 50% (rates will vary by role). If an employer is experiencing significantly more candidates dropping out at that point, the volume of work or other aspects of the activity may be driving away qualified candidates. The past year brought a lot of change, but the shift to remote work is going to be one of the most significant and lasting transformations. To fully take advantage of remote workforces, companies need to provide consistent and transparent recruiting and hiring processes. This will improve its brand, the candidate experience and workforce inclusivity initiatives. —Shannon Hogue, CTO of Karat (karat.com), who brings 20-plus years’ experience to her work, as head of Solutions Engineering, with engineering teams to mitigate bias, understand their hiring bars, align interviews and create fairer and more predictive hiring processes

businesses begin to go back to the office, we offer these links for more information on where to get vaccinations and who will qualify: • Registration: podvaccine.azdhs.gov • General Information: azdhs.gov/index.php SMALL BUSINESS Assistance and Guidance: Many businesses are looking for information that will improve business either through programs to enhance services or resources that can assist in day-to-day business or simply connecting businesses with opportunities. Here are this month’s resources: • Small Business Financial Resources: azcommerce.com/covid-19/financial-resources • Arizona Small Business Association: asba.com • CPLC Women’s Business Center: prestamosloans.org/womens-business-center • Small Business Development Center: maricopa-sbdc.com IN BUSINESS MAGAZINE In Business Magazine creates many resources throughout the year. Here are our most recent: • In Business In the Firm Guide: inbusinessphx.com/2021-in-the-firm • Arizona Gives Day Participants: inbusinessphx.com/2021-giving-guide MORE Each month, we will include additional resources and guides. Here is what we have for our readers this month: Anti-Discrimination Resources: • Coronavirus and Infectious Racism: bit.ly/c19-infectious-racism • Bystander Intervention Training to Stop AntiAsian/American and Xenophobic Harassment: ihollaback.org/bystanderintervention/ • Anti-Asian Violence Resource List: anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co

In the recently released spring survey by HR Policy Association, which represents chief human resource officers of more than 390 of the largest employers in the United States and globally, most respondents agree that diversity and inclusion (82%) is the top concern at their companies, with cultural transformation in anticipation of the post-COVID work environment also coming in high at 71%. hrpolicy.org

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QUICK AND TO THE POINT

LOOKING GOOD

Local Standouts Recognized for Achievements and Philanthropy ACHIEVEMENTS

Ballard Spahr Earns Perfect Score in 2021 Corporate Equality Index Ballard Spahr received a 100 percent rating in the 2021 edition of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI), one of 767 employers nationwide to receive the highest possible score. This is the fourth year in a row it has received a perfect rating in the nation’s premier benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality. ballardspahr.com

Ware Malcomb Phoenix Project WINS IIDA SW Pride Award Sendoso, a 10,000-square-foot office space located on the penthouse floor of the 11-story, 136,500-squarefoot high-rise office building of the Camelback Towers in Scottsdale, recently won the IIDA Pride award for commercial office space under 20,000 square feet. Award-winning international design firm Ware Malcomb provided interior architecture and design services for the project. waremalcomb.com

SweetLeaf Is honored for New Product Line SweetLeaf® Sweetener recently took home a Stevie® Award, one of the world’s most coveted prizes, in the New Marketing Solution category for the company’s line of SweetLeaf Organic Monk Fruit Sweetener products. SweetLeaf® Monk Fruit Organic Sweetener is a zerocalorie, organic, zero-sugar, all-natural sweetener. More than 2,300 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry, in 51 nations, were considered in this year’s competition. sweetleaf.com

PHILANTHROPY

AAA Cooling Specialists Donates AC Unit to Food/Clothing Bank Family-owned AAA Cooling Specialists, Arizona’s leader in heating and cooling with an emphasis on energy efficiency, recently donated an AC unit valued at more than $3,500 to Harvest Compassion Center, a local food and clothing bank that helps Phoenix families in need, for its Maryvale facility. HCC is completely free and open to the public, allowing guests to shop freely for essential items of food, clothing, hygiene and baby products. HCC’s current HVAC unit is more than 33 years old and is in dire need of replacement, since breaking down over the summer and requiring continual repairs. aaacoolingaz.com

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Return to Work Safely; YellowBird Guides the Way Arizona companies preparing to reopen are under pressure to ensure the safety of employees, customers and vendors. Guidelines can be confusing, ever-changing and complex. A local Phoenix organization, goYellowBird. com offers experts on-demand to provide advice, guidance and best practices from highly qualified, industry-specific safety professionals. The Phoenix startup developed a two-sided marketplace that connects companies with certified Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) experts for a few hours, a few days or even long-term, to help organizations stay in compliance, lower risk and keep people safe. Expecting HR managers or small-business owners to develop a “return to work” plan can be problematic because health and safety regulations are complex and carry risk. It can take days to track down local, state and federal guidelines, then figure out how to implement them, train employees and fill out all the required paperwork. YellowBird developed a COVID-19 Return to Work program that connects companies with qualified EHS professionals, often in just a couple of hours. These experts can be on-site in 24 hours to conduct on-site inspections, assess surfaces, test air quality and compile recommendations. They’ll even help train the staff, giving employees confidence to return to work.

Fit for Moving

A moving company with a personal trainer on staff? Seems an almost intuitively obvious fit, but Muscular Moving Men & Storage believes it is the only moving company in the world with a staff personal trainer. Owners Justin Hodge and Josh Jurhill selected personal trainer Lex Hollenbeck to start 2021 off on the right foot for staff and partners of Muscular Moving Men & Storage and its sister division, M3 Commercial Moving & Logistics. Hollenbeck is the owner of FFConditioning, a mobile personal training company in Scottsdale, and holds a master’s degree in science exercise and wellness from Arizona State University. “Moving is an exceptionally physically demanding job,” Hollenbeck says, noting movers are lifting, pulling and maneuvering hundreds of pounds each day. He brings to

All professionals on YellowBird’s platform are approved through a five-step vetting process that includes background checks, interviews, insurance and accreditation checks. The company also takes care of logistics like scheduling, payment and follow-ups, and provides professional and general liability insurance coverage. When the Biltmore-area company launched in 2019, YellowBird professionals conducted OSHA Incident Investigations, OSHA Mock Audits, CPR/ First Aid training, Industrial Hygiene services, and other project work for construction, mining and manufacturing companies. Today, YellowBird still offers those services and more for organizations of all sizes, including schools, universities and churches. —Michael Zalle, founder and CEO of YellowBird (www.goyellowbird.com), who has 25 years’ experience in tech dedicated to finding better ways to serve others

this his experience during his time at ASU, assisting with ASU athlete sports performance — training, programming and coaching D1 and Olympic athletes. “My goal is to train Muscular Moving Men and M3 Commercial Moving staff to live up to its name by increasing strength to prevent injury and expand job satisfaction.” Fitness has long been at the core of the Muscular Moving Men & Storage business model. CEO Josh Jurhill is a former Mr. Natural Arizona, a natural bodybuilding competition, and staff regularly participate in fitness challenges to strengthen the team, mentally and physically. —Mike Hunter M3 Commercial Moving & Logistics m3commercial.com Muscular Moving Men & Storage muscularmovingmen.com

The latest annual spring survey by HR Policy Association, the lead organization representing chief human resource officers of major employers, found a majority of respondents are using two main approaches to encourage their employees to get vaccinated: paid time off (53%) and manager encouragement (50%). However, some are not encouraging their employees to get vaccinated at all (13%), while few are mandating that certain populations be vaccinated (7%).

METRICS & MEASUREMENTS

Mighty Metric: Customer Lifetime Value Use LTV to inform strategic business decisions and marketing budget allocation by Mike Hunter

Customer lifetime value is an indicator of how well a company identifies and nurtures profitable, long-term customer relationships. The biggest challenges for organizations include aggregating the right data for a robust view of the customer, shifting from assumptions to predictive knowledge of the customers’ needs, identifying the moments of opportunity to deliver delight and differentiation, listening for customer cues beyond how they respond to an engagement tactic and meeting the customer in real-time. Marketing leaders spend much of their waking hours — and at least a few sleepless nights — thinking about marketing’s economic impact on the business, questioning, “Are our marketing campaigns targeting the right customers?” “Are customer relationships paying off in the long run?” and, most importantly, “Are we hitting our new revenuegrowth goals?” Attributing marketing efforts to financial outcomes hasn’t been easy but re-thinking an old marketing metric can help pave the way: customer lifetime value, or LTV, which predicts revenue attributed to the future relationship with a customer. A new report from the Chief Marketing Officer Council, “Humanizing + Analyzing Relationships to Drive Revenue, Retention and Returns,” highlights the importance of understanding LTV in order to inform strategic business decisions and marketing budget allocation. In fact, it found that customer value creation is the No. 1 reason marketers are focused on LTV. The insights are based on a survey of over 150 brand leaders and in-depth interviews with executives from Informatica, PepsiCo, Electrolux and RedBubble.

The report found opportunity for improvement. Among its findings, 47% of marketers track LTV slightly well or not well at all; 68% rate their LTV-to-CAC (customer acquisition cost) ratio as average, below average, or very poor; and 44% are slightly effective or not effective at segmenting and targeting customer sets with the most potential for long-term value. “More sophistication with LTV can help companies focus their marketing programs and budgets and respond to shifting markets,” says Donovan Neale-May, executive director of the CMO Council. “Our study found that a majority of CEOs, chief revenue officers, sales leaders and line-of-business executives want to see quarterly LTV to help them make better strategic decisions.”

LTV: An Overall Health Check on Marketing and the Business For converting customers, the top four most

Core components marketers use to measure LTV include:

important initiatives are:

Revenue per user

66%

Better communicating the product value proposition

47%

Transactions per user

45%

Doing more sophisticated targeting, profiling and

42%

Sessions per user

26%

Session duration per user

18%

Page views per user

17%

engagement: Improving relevancy of marketing content

42%

Analyzing and addressing customer journey and path-

35%

to-purchase obstacles

Marketers aren’t the only ones leveraging LTV to drive strategic decisions. They’re joined by:

Channels where customers leave signals about their needs are: Email

73%

Social Media Channels

54%

Web Forms

54%

Interactions with Sales Reps

53%

Interactions with Service/Support

53%

CEOs and Board Members

53%

Heads of Sales and Strategic Accounts

49%

Line-of-Business Leaders

44%

Heads of Business Development

39%

CFOs

35%

CROs

33%

Chief Experience Officers

18%

The Chief Marketing Officer Council is the only global network of executives specifically dedicated to high-level knowledge exchange, thought leadership and personal relationship building among senior corporate marketing leaders and brand decision-makers across a wide range of global industries. The CMO Council’s 16,000-plus members control approximately $1 trillion in aggregated annual marketing expenditures and run complex, distributed marketing and sales operations worldwide. In total, the CMO Council and its strategic interest communities include more than 65,000 global executives in more than 110 countries covering multiple industries, segments and markets cmocouncil.org

Source: CMO Council (https://cmocouncil.org/thought-leadership/reports)

A majority of CEOs, chief revenue officers, sales leaders and line-of-business executives want to see quarterly LTV to help them make better strategic decisions, according to the recent study by the Chief Marketing Officer Council, “Humanizing + Analyzing Relationships to Drive Revenue, Retention and Returns.” cmocouncil.org

APR. 2021

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BY RAEANNE MARSH

ENTREPRENEURS & INNOVATORS

BapronBaby Eases the Stress of Mealtime Mess BapronBaby is an online toddler mealtime brand. Its flagship product, the “Bapron,” is a bib-apron hybrid designed for kids who hate traditional bibs and need full coverage for messes and spills. It started out as a product that solved a unique problem. “My tornado child created quite a mess at mealtime, but refused anything that tied around his neck (bowties, bibs, etc.), and it was stressing me out,” relates owner and founder Kelsey Larsen. She designed a solution: something that fit like a traditional shirt and tied in the back around his body. “This would allow him to explore his food on his own terms without me hovering over him and worrying about his white shirt getting stains.” With a very small budget to start, Larsen worked to grow a following organically. “We utilized free platforms like Instagram and Facebook and spent a lot of Saturdays at local boutique events

standing at a booth of Baprons,” she says. She also networked online with brands she looked up to by including their items in BapronBaby posts and sending requests for collaborative giveaways and photoshoots, and sold on Etsy and through the “Handmade at Amazon” platform. “Being able to say we were sold on Amazon lent a great deal of credibility to our operation,” she says. “I believe we were able to sidestep a lot of credibility concerns by selling on Amazon’s platform.” Larsen credits a statement by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, “If you are not embarrassed by the first version of our product, you’ve launched too late,” for giving her the confidence to promote a less-than-perfect presentation of BabronBaby products while she “worked out the kinks.” For instance, Larsen packaged the Baprons for nearly a year using curling ribbon and

printing on cardstock using a $50 inkjet printer in her home. “By partnering with experts in the mealtime field and never being afraid of being told ‘no,’ we were able to gain authentic support from influencers and other brand owners who have established reputations in the toddler mealtime category. I’m so proud to say that BapronBaby is a 100% debt-free company that is built on authentic values and relationships,” Larsen says. BapronBaby bapronbaby.com

MAR. 2021

IN BUSINESS MAGAZINE

‘Healthcare amid COVID-19’ Guide to Workplace Health & Safety

HEALTHCARE

Health & Your People Has the pandem workplace healthic changed and wellness

forever?

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“It had to be natural, plant based, low in sugar, and my kids had to want to drink it.” This was Lauren Robson’s quest that resulted last year in her launch of Sparkling Cactus Water, the first in what she plans to be a line of plant-based beverages from her company, Lauro. The drink contains prickly pear purée, lime juice and a touch of agave nectar. “Pricky pear is fast becoming the latest ‘super food,’” Robson says, explaining it is packed with plant-based electrolytes, antioxidants and amino acids, and has 30% less sugar and calories than coconut water. Touting benefits that include electrolyte replenishment, healthy skin, support of Type 2 diabetes, muscle recovery, immunity boosting, hangover recovery and more, Robson notes there are no additives, colorants, artificial ingredients or “natural flavors.” “We like to keep it simple and natural,” she says. Robson had spent more than 15 years in the health and nutrition industry, 10 of them working for one of the largest global bio-nutraceutical companies. “I was well aware of all of the options on the market,” she says. “What I struggled with were the additional vitamins and ingredients that I knew were not essential. So in June 2018, I set off on a mission and what I found was prickly pear.” Her greatest challenge proved to be timing. She founded Lauro in 2019, then, Robson says, “Everything I had planned for and set in place in 2020 came to a screeching halt as the world around me began to shut down. We launched right as

bars and restaurants were having to close their doors and the stay-at-home order went into effect.” Putting into play what she characterizes as the greatest advice she’s been given — to stay focused and be tenacious — she pivoted to a new strategy. “Our community is what kept us going, our local influencers who were more than happy to test and talk about Lauro, our friends and family, word of mouth. This is what we relied on in those early months.” By the end of July, Lauro’s Sparkling Cactus Water was in Whole Foods; in August, in AJ’s. “And we continued to grow our retail presence from there.” Lauro drinkcactus.com

According to StartupAZ Foundation, Arizona consistently outpaces most of the nation in key performance growth indicators with Phoenix currently ranked (http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/04000.html) 5th as the most populous city in the US. Why? Because Arizona remains one of the best places to live, work and play — making it an ideal place to start and grow a company. startupaz.org

Photos courtesy of BapronBaby, Lauro (from top)

Lauro: Refreshingly Cactus

PROPERTY, GROWTH AND LOCATION

Pandemic Sparks Adaptations in Healthcare Design and Construction The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way healthcare is delivered, and has had a major impact on the overall operations of healthcare facilities. As a result, architects and general contractors working on expansion, renovation and new construction of healthcare facilities have been tasked with creating spaces that improve infection prevention, create contactless environments and allow for flexibility in design. As one of the largest healthcare builders in the country, McCarthy Building Companies formed a task force last year and engaged a national network of healthcare facility owners, trade and design partners to better understand both immediate and long-term design and construction needs as a result of the pandemic.

by Mike Hunter

New Golf Course Graces Toll Brothers’ West Valley Development Newly opened in Surprise, Sterling Grove Golf and Country Club is the first new golf course in the West Valley in nearly a decade. The Nicklaus-designed championship golf course is the centerpiece of active recreational options that include a putting course, driving range, and tennis and pickleball courts at Toll Brothers’ Sterling Grove community, which will encompass 2,200 homes in eight luxury collections.

INFECTION CONTROL

The community will also feature a tree-lined town square,

Infection control has always been top of mind, so it’s no surprise teams are taking a critical look at HVAC systems within hospitals and modifying existing systems to augment air filtration. Others are installing new systems that allow for temporary isolation of supply and return air or systems that utilize UV, bipolar ionization or thermal sterilization techniques as additional levels of filtration. Additionally, floor-to-ceiling air circulation designs can reduce the potential for contamination when compared to more traditional overhead systems. The need for a more granular ability to isolate areas of the building from an airflow standpoint to control infection has been a key focus. Many local healthcare facility owners have incorporated additional negative air pressure rooms in their hospitals. While not as costly as “airborne infection isolation” (AII) rooms, negative air pressure ventilation systems are designed to help prevent the spread of infections like coronavirus between patients and healthcare workers, and have been proven to be an economical and effective solution for treating critical COVID-19 patients.

irrigation streams, one-acre cornerstone parks and manicured

CONTACTLESS TECHNOLOGY

Jefferson streets, the iconic mid-century bank building is a crossroad

COVID-19 has made people more aware of how germs are spread and has led to permanent changes in healthcare design moving forward. This is leading to more touchless technology being installed and implemented. Touch points are being eliminated and voice recognition or automatic activation is becoming more common. Other new technology that is being seen in the healthcare industry includes touchless check-ins for emergency rooms and clinics, as well as touchless kiosks and informational displays. App usage in healthcare has also increased significantly. While many health systems have pushed for patients to check-in using an app from a smart phone, the pandemic is causing people to finally embrace it.

gardens and groves. sterlinggrove.com/foothills

Phoenix Mid-Century Marvel Offered for Adaptive Reuse Wrapped on by three arterial streets, a trio of bus routes and two light rail stations, the mid-century First National Bank building is being offered for sale by the City of Phoenix for adaptive reuse and redevelopment. Located on the corner of 1 S. 24th Street, between Washington and entrance to the Gateway neighborhood. This rapidly redeveloping corridor is fueled by Valley Metro Light Rail, the recent expansion of the Honeywell manufacturing facility, growth at GateWay Community College, a burgeoning industrial center and new multifamily residential development. phoenix.gov/econdev/1-South-24thStreet

New Multifamily Project in Phoenix’s Expanding Deer Valley Area The Related Group, an international

SPACE FLEXIBILITY Photos courtesy Toll Brothers, City of Phoenix and The Related Group (from top)

GET REAL

As healthcare owners look to plan their next facilities, the primary focus is on flexible design that allows for rapid reconfiguration to better accommodate such emergency responses. Even during typical years, a bad flu season can greatly increase the need for more capacity in healthcare settings. Some flexible design solutions being implemented include: • Multi-use consideration of spaces to allow for expedient conversion of operating room (OR) suites and waiting rooms to ICU bed facilities, • Increased separation of outpatient services from main hospital facilities to medical office buildings, and • More developed designs for temporary triage spaces, including prefabricated solutions. As we move into 2021 and beyond, lessons learned from the pandemic will have longlasting effects on healthcare design and construction. —Chris Nickle, executive vice president of the Southwest region for McCarthy Building Companies (www.mccarthy.com)

developer known for its sophisticated metropolitan “forsale” condominiums, rental and mixed-use projects, has broken ground on a 388-unit multifamily luxury residential apartment project: Town Deer Valley, at the crossroads of 19th Avenue and Alameda Road in Phoenix. The Town Deer Valley signature property was designed by Gary Todd Architects and the builder is GCON. Upon completion, it will include open spaces and top-notch amenities, upscale architectural detailing and finishes, and multiple floor plans. The first residential units will be available in the second quarter of 2022 with the grand opening slated for fall of 2022. relatedgroup.com

Among the lasting effects expected from the COVID-19 pandemic is in the design of healthcare facilities. A primary focus will be flexible design that allows for rapid reconfiguration to better accommodates future emergency responses.

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PROPERTY, GROWTH AND LOCATION

Developer Enters Arizona Market with Large Opportunity Zone Project in Tempe Milhaus, a national award-winning developer, owner and operator of Class-A multifamily properties, is expanding into Arizona with one of the company’s largest developments to date: Milhaus North Tempe. As this April edition goes to press, groundbreaking is imminent on the $91-million first phase of this planned two-phase development project by Milhaus in partnership with Los Angeles-based development firm Banyan Residential. Milhaus’ first Arizona development will showcase a collection of 310 studio, one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units in its first phase and will total 621 units when the project is complete. The complex will offer residents luxury amenities such as a pool deck, grill stations, outdoor spa, commercial grade fitness center, clubhouse with work and entertainment areas, an on-site library, dog park overlooking Downtown Tempe and much more. Centrally located less than a quarter mile to Tempe Town Lake, a mile to Arizona State University, and one and a half miles to downtown Tempe, Milhaus North Tempe will sit in the heart of the best Tempe has to offer. Students and young professionals are flocking to the city for its clean, safe college town atmosphere, diverse

restaurants, great music scene, sunshine, events and nightlife. All these factors and more contributed to Tempe’s #12 ranking among cities that attract young workers according to USA Today. “I can’t think of a better place for Milhaus to join the Arizona market than Tempe,” said Milhaus Vice President of Development Brad Vogelsmeier. Milhaus North Tempe is located in a Qualified Opportunity Zone, which was established by the

Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 to spur economic development and job creation by incentivizing investment in underserved communities. Milhaus is widely recognized as a leader in multifamily Opportunity Zone investments. —Mike Hunter Banyan Residential banyanresidential.com Milhaus milhaus.com

The Future of the Post-Pandemic Office

The workplace has consistently changed over the last 30 years – mostly driven by technological advances by Quentin Abramo

APR. 2021

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productivity for many is not lost. Eventually, this will benefit companies by allowing them to offer their employees a better work/life experience. Additionally, this will benefit the bottom line due to smaller real estate requirements and the lower operating cost of a smaller footprint. Today, it is believed that most business leaders have accepted this new model and are now working on a solution that mixes a 40-hour/5-day work week and a work-from-home environment. The new reality will fall somewhere in the middle. Companies will not be successful in building a strong culture if their employees do not have the opportunity to get together and share ideas. People need to be social in order to enjoy a strong and healthy relationship with their peers, as well as develop their personal growth.

The new workplace model for businesses is likely to be a mix of a 40-hour/5-day workweek and a work-from-home environment.

These requirements for growth and happiness typically happen in an office or place of work. I believe the concept of the “office” is still very relevant and will continue to evolve at the pace of new technological advances. We will always have an office to go to; however, we are not sure, at this time, what that will look like in the near future. Good news is, these behavioral changes will also benefit our environment, as we will be using less energy and need less time to commute to an office. The office has a bright future, but it will indeed be different. —Quentin Abramo, founder and president of Faciliteq (www.faciliteq.com) — headquartered in Las Vegas and operating a showroom in Phoenix — which is dedicated to building and creating full-service workplace interiors and thoughtfully built environments

Photo courtesy of Milhaus

In the ’80s, ’90s and early 2000s, office work was done with large desktop units that needed power and data to the desktop (the 8-by-8foot cubicle). By the mid-2000s, powerful new technology and information became available with handheld devices, and the idea of working remotely was introduced. While this technology could do almost everything a desktop could do, most of the C Suites in corporations believed they needed to “control” the productivity of their employees by requiring them to work in an office. It was not until the global pandemic of 2020 that Corporate America began allowing their employees to work remotely (and not by choice). What we’ve seen and been able to prove to the C Suite over the past 12 months is the power of ever-changing technology and how

Huge teams. Hidden costs. Everything on the meter. Sorry, that’s just not us. Our clients hire us to understand who they are and what they want, whether that’s leaner teams, transparent budgets or alternative fee arrangements. We continually monitor and evaluate their needs, anticipating the value they demand – delivered the way they want it. Find out more at swlaw.com.

MINDING THEIR BUSINESS

Bret Larsen & Miles Romney: Creating a Shared, Disruptive Vision

Miles Romney, CTO and cofounder (left); Bret Larsen, CEO and co-founder (right)

eVisit’s telehealth technology disrupts the disruptors by Mardi Larson

HITTING THEIR STRIDE At first, Miles Romney and Bret Larsen said they “worked around each other.” Now, they collaborate and share company, brand, industry, technology and marketplace perspectives, regularly connecting via Slack, video chat, phone or in-person. “In each of our roles, we have different-yet-aligned points of view and we inspire each other every day,” says Romney. They collectively agree that the first major success flashpoint with eVisit was securing the firm’s first true enterprise-level healthcare customer, where they deployed eVisit across a range of clinical workflows from urgent care to oncology. A virtual company with an expanding remote staff, eVisit has grown from its first few collaborators in 2016 to 20 colleagues in January 2020 and 80-plus today, with more expansion in 2021.

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Bret Larsen and Miles Romney are the co-founders of eVisit, a six-year-old, Mesa-based telehealth SaaS leader that is helping the largest hospitals and health systems in the U.S. innovate through remote, virtual patient care — a crucial offering, especially in today’s fast-paced pandemic world. The company was founded on a shared initial vision to “disrupt the disruption in healthcare,” which Larsen first saw taking hold in the industry in 2014 when working at another telehealth firm. That company was acquired by a larger telehealth firm whose business model was to deliver telehealth through centralized call centers staffed with providers to deliver remote patient care via telephone and video visits. At the time, this new disruptive telehealth model was novel and innovative. Typically, disruption is seen as good, especially among pioneering thinkers like Larsen, but he saw this model of telemedicine as potentially dangerous, especially for patient care. “I believe patient-provider connections should remain intact as much as possible, and that the best care is delivered by locally relevant providers who know their patients and have deep insights about local healthcare infrastructure, available support and referral services,” Larsen said. “If a patient needs followup care, such as testing, imaging or an in-person visit, that knowledge gap can cause disruptions in the care continuum.” Early on, Larsen was working solo around his day job, nights and weekends, researching and analyzing healthcare workflows, interviewing healthcare leaders, shadowing clinical teams and wireframing the new SaaS product, working hard to create the MVP version. MVP stands for Minimal Viable Product and it’s the first and simplest iteration used to test the product with potential customers and to assess product-market fit. Having challenges on the software side (Larsen is a marketer and entrepreneur, not a software developer), he knew he’d need a technical co-founder who shared the same vision for healthcare, could architect the MVP, and could establish and lead the product and engineering teams. Romney and Larsen were first introduced by Larsen’s brother-in-law, who worked for Romney at another SaaS company Romney co-founded, and after just one phone discussion, there was instant vision alignment. They both rallied around this countermovement. As a team of two, they created a simplified version of today’s eVisit Enterprise solution — a purpose-built, end-to-end platform designed to power virtual care for localized hospitals, health systems and provider

networks. The two fully aligned on their new firm’s mission and vision to simplify healthcare delivery to everyone, everywhere, and set out to disrupt the disruption in healthcare. Thus, eVisit was officially born and on its way. This founding story is a powerful selling point as eVisit engages C-level leadership at large-scale healthcare enterprises, enabling these organizations to deliver virtual care offerings to enhance patient care and outcomes, protect and boost their revenue and reduce cost. The business started out serving the SMB healthcare space with smaller customers and clinical practices. Today, eVisit’s customer list includes the who’s who in healthcare with U.S. leaders such as Concentra, the leader in occupational health and telehealth; Envision Healthcare, a leading multispecialty medical group; and Phoenix-based Banner Health, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit health systems serving patient needs across six states in the Southwest and Great Plains. There are many rich threads to eVisit’s story, but this intense focus on disrupting the disruption in healthcare and helping already-established hospitals, health systems, clinics and practices innovate is focal to eVisit and its success.

GIVING AWAY THE VISION

Romney and Larsen agree that a key factor in eVisit’s success is this shared cause-driven vision and “giving away the vision” to the internal team of eVisitors. The vision is also shared in each and every prospect engagement, customer onboarding and ongoing collaboration and with the industry at large — such as in briefings with influential analyst firms like Gartner and Forrester. For Larsen and Romney, first creating eVisit’s official mission and vision statements were important leadership steps in the successful making of the freshly minted telehealth firm. These statements are regularly reviewed and have been slightly adjusted across the years. “As we bring new people in, we share our vision and core values and talk about these statements regularly at All-Hands meetings, asking our colleagues to share stories that help bring these core elements of our culture to life,” says Larsen, also noting that eVisit’s values list tops out at five with number one focused on a devotion to customers’ success. According to Romney, who now serves as on-staff futurist and CTO, also important is a bottoms-up leadership style. “It’s important to give our team the vision and resources, then let them be their creative best.” eVisit app.evisit.com

A silver lining in the pandemic is, it ignited telehealth. According to a telehealth survey by Press Ganey (Harvard Business Review, Dec. 8, 2020) involving 1.3 million American patients, 37% of patient care was delivered via virtual visits January–May 2020, compared to 1% pre-pandemic. According to many experts, telehealth is here to stay.

Meet Uncertain Times with Confidence. Quarles & Brady understands your COVID -19 business issues and provides advice and solutions to your challenges.

VISIT OUR COVID-19 MICROSITE AT WWW.QUARLES.COM for current information on how legislation and announcements resulting from the pandemic impact your employees and business operations. FOR INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Leonardo Loo, Phoenix Office Managing Partner, at 602.229.5638 or leonardo.loo@quarles.com.

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YOUR BENEFIT IN BUSINESS

WELL WELL WELL by Mike Hunter

Bioscience and Healthcare Contribute to a Healthy Economy As an economic sector locally, bioscience and healthcare is strong and growing. In the City of Phoenix (not the metropolitan area; just the city), there is more than $3 billion in bioscience healthcare facilities under construction or in the final design pipeline. This will bring to market over the next two years more than 4.4 million square feet of new facilities and 7,000 jobs, just within the City of Phoenix. In the last three years, the City of Phoenix, alone, has placed nine accelerating biotech companies on the stage at the BIO International Startup Stadium. Only 40 companies from around the world are invited to present each year. We’ve had three each year for the past three years. Additionally, by next fall the Valley will have six medical schools (four in Phoenix), plus eight health sciences schools, the community college programs and more. City of Phoenix spokesman Eric J. Toll puts this in perspective: “In the State of Texas in 2019, they delivered $4.1 billion in bioscience facilities — including retail facilities: medical office buildings, doctor’s office, clinics, wellness centers, urgent care and in-store. In Phoenix, we’re delivering over $3 billion in primary facilities open: hospitals, surgical centers, research facilities, manufacturing and laboratories.”

Expansion Underway for Banner Gateway Medical Center in Gilbert McCarthy Building Companies recently broke ground on the $243-million, 351,000-squarefoot Banner Gateway Medical Center Tower and Emergency Department expansion and renovation project, located at 1900 N. Higley Road in Gilbert, Ariz. The expansion essentially doubles the size of the medical center campus, addressing growing needs for women and infant care and cancer care by bringing an additional patient tower, an expanded diagnostics and treatment area and more parking. Some of the innovative cost- and time-saving measures on the Banner Gateway project include prefabrication of the exterior skin; project delivery completed in five separate design packages, allowing construction to start prior to designphase completing; and construction of all three building expansions occurring simultaneously.

Integrative Healthcare – The Ideal Benefit for 2021 Keeping healthy was the goal of 2020. Employers took a closer look at their healthcare benefits and made additions and adjustments to help employees stay healthy. This goal continues in 2021. However, one of the most difficult aspects of providing employees with health benefits that are both easy to navigate and cost-effective is dealing with an overly complicated health system. People are dealing with multiple providers and fragmented care. The result is, employees are not able to see the health results that could be realized if there were a more comprehensive method to treatment. One system, integrative healthcare, is easy-touse, more complete and saves employers money. For that reason, integrative care will be one of the most valuable benefits in 2021. Integrative healthcare is a system that takes a comprehensive approach to health and wellness by looking at the entire range of factors that contribute to the condition. It uses a blend of conventional and complementary care. Treatment is provided to address short-term symptoms, while long-term solutions are deployed when each patient is ready for them.

BENEFITS OF INTEGRATIVE HEALTH FOR EMPLOYEES

Personalized: Because integrative care is a blend of multiple treatment options, it is tailored to the specific needs of the individual. Modalities of care can include physical therapy, nutrition guidance, medicines, exercise, meditation, etc. These new treatments can be incorporated into already-existing care. The flexibility that comes with multiple approaches improves long-term adherence to treatment programs, leading to better health outcomes. Better outcomes: Integrative care is a stronger method of creating optimal health. Backed by multiple medical studies, integrative care provides better health outcomes. This comprehensive approach works across multiple conditions. For example, four out of five people reported less back pain using this method, and three out of four were sleeping better, according to studies reported by the Journal of Medical Internet Research and the National Institutes of Health, respectively. Available anywhere: Integrative solutions are also digital/physical hybrids. A digital delivery system can incorporate a virtual team of doctors, pharmacists, nutritionists and specialists. The

team can create a healthcare plan that is delivered on one platform. Additionally, a virtual health coach can help employees follow the plan. This method expands access to employees that would be limited using brick-and-mortar locations only.

REDUCED HEALTHCARE COSTS FOR EMPLOYERS Better ROI: From a return-on-investment perspective, integrative care pays back much more than one times its value. For example, using an integrative approach for back pain, an integrative approach could save upwards of $6,000 in healthcare costs per employee per year. That saving is directly tied to lowered medical costs, most often from surgeries avoided, doctor visits not needed, and lower pharmaceutical spending. Considering that our research predicts musculoskeletal treatment costs, the largest portion of employer healthcare spending, will increase 38% in 2021, employers should move quickly to adopt integrative care. Value for the business: Beyond the purely financial, integrative care helps in VOI (the value of investment). Taking a view that expands beyond cost calculations, integrative care can help the business enterprise in areas such as talent attraction and retention. A recent survey by Luntz Global for America’s Health Insurance Plans found that quality benefits play a significant role in retention, with 56% of employees saying benefits are an important factor in staying with their employers. Dividends: Finally, integrative care pays dividends. By giving employees what they ask for with strong health and wellness offerings like integrative care, a company can create measurable external value beyond health results. A recent Deloitte report showed that companies with high health and wellness scores had a 75% greater stock appreciation over six years than the overall S&P. Looking across healthcare needs, integrative healthcare stands out, making it one of the benefits that employers should offer in 2021. This system provides clear benefits to all stakeholders with its ability to give employees better health results while offering employers a direct returnon-investment. —Bill Gianoukos, founder and CEO of Goodpath (www.goodpath.com), which provides healthcare for back and joint pain, insomnia and digestive health, providing an integrative approach that creates better outcomes for employees and lower costs for employers

bannerhealth.com/gateway • mccarthy.com

APR. 2021

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Bioscience and healthcare is a strong and growing sector in our local economy. In the City of Phoenix alone, there is more than $3 billion in bioscience healthcare facilities currently under construction or in the final design pipeline.

INNOVATIONS FOR BUSINESS

Innovative Solution Matches Quality Businesses and Job Seekers

TECH NOTES

UNMET Jobs partners with State of Arizona for April event

Cox Business Leans In with a Powerful Workat-Home Solution According to Forbes, the percentage of workers permanently working from home is expected to double this year, and Big Tech is leading the way with companies like Twitter and Facebook having recognized the benefits of employees working from home indefinitely, even as offices reopen. In fact, according to SHRM, 94% of 800 employers surveyed by Mercer, an HR and workplace benefits firm, said that productivity was the same or higher than it was before the pandemic. Listening to our business customers across industries as more are embracing remote work for ever more roles as the pandemic took hold in Arizona last spring, Cox quickly leveraged our deep fiber and cloud-based network to scale our remote-work solution for many of the 3,000-plus Cox employees across the state. Now we are taking many of the learnings we have come to appreciate in our own business (the largest private telecom company in America, serving 6 million homes and businesses across 18 states), evolving our technology even further, and have produced a Work-at Home solution for other Arizona companies. This solution provides remote staff with enterprise-grade, separate internet connections from the office directly to their homes, including Wi-Fi, endpoint security and a malicious domain blocker to help ensure staff members have the same highly reliable, quick connectivity they would have when working in the office. Cox Business knows that remote work is not a fleeting trend. It’s here to stay, allowing Arizona companies to leverage diverse talent across the state, nationally and internationally, enhancing sustainability while allowing employees to shine in more flexible and relatable ways. —Ed Aaronson, vice president for Cox Business, Arizona, which provides voice, data, internet and managed cloud services for small and regional businesses across sectors nationwide Cox Business cox.com

APR. 2021

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According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, while national unemployment rates have risen approximately 3% — from roughly 3.4% to 6.5% — amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Arizona’s rates are already more than 7.3%. This number is likely to grow even more in the coming months as the state’s thousands of soon-to-be college and trade school graduates enter the job market in earnest. Enter UNMET Jobs. UNMET Jobs, in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority, is hosting a virtual, month-long hiring event for both employers and jobseekers across the state. And it will be an ongoing yearly event that is positioned to help Arizona job seekers across the state by providing them access to localized employment opportunities and helping Arizona employers find talent locally. After April 15th, when the current event ends, UNMET Jobs’ platform Largely will remain open for job seekers to connect with employers. “Job hunting has never been easy, and COVID-19 has made it even more difficult to find employment,” says Emily Ahrens, chief marketing officer of UNMET Jobs. “During UNMET Jobs Arizona 2021, jobseekers will have access to hundreds of employers and thousands of local job postings. Companies will have the opportunity to review resumes from candidates that have recently graduated as well as more seasoned professionals. UNMET Jobs is powered by Largely©, which is a job matchmaking platform focused on improving the job search experience. Largely humanizes the hiring process by combining the traditional resume with personal videos, highlighting human traits that a resume can never provide: a job seeker’s personality, energy and uniqueness. For employers, Largely makes it easy to engage with the candidate by showcasing their most valuable asset: their team. Employers can invite their team to post authentic and simple videos to tell stories about their company culture, values and more. The first step in the process is the job seeker’s. Job seekers will upload video introductions and answer a questionnaire that explores their personal and professional attributes, together acting as a virtual resume. (This allows for compatibility to be at the forefront of the hiring

UNMET JOBS ARIZONA 2021 The event, which is free for both employers and job seekers, is taking place through April 15, 2021. unmetjobs.com

process, as well as humanizing the experience for both parties. Recruiters will see each applicant as a unique individual, rather than another resume or boring cover letter.) Employers are able to filter from the pool of applicants by selecting various criteria while also being able to browse through recommended lists of applicants. Employers may then use the platform to contact job seekers directly and set up virtual interviews and invite them to webinars or info sessions. The platform also offers advice, tools and insight on developing an online resume, virtual interview hacks and answers to frequently asked questions for both employers and job seekers.

UNMET JOBS ARIZONA 2021

The event, which is free for both employers and job seekers, is taking place through April 15, 2021. The goal of this first-time event is to maximize the hiring experience for all attendees by providing a personalized, yet virtual, networking experience for jobseekers and recruiters amid COVID-19. “Arizona’s educational institutions are producing the workforce of the future, and we’re proud to partner with UNMET Jobs to highlight our state’s impressive talent pool through this virtual event,” says Sandra Watson, ACA president and CEO. “By leveraging technology, we’re able to facilitate a greater number of meaningful connections between Arizona job seekers and job creators.” According to Ahrens, the platform is inclusive to all levels of experience and features internships as well as entry-, mid- and seniorlevel positions. Just some of the 40-plus businesses signed on and taking part include Amazon, HonorHealth, Liberty Mutual, Rank for Local, Agero, Arizona Masonry Council, Arizona Children’s Association, Nesco Resource, Allbound, RDS Electric Inc., Mind Quest, One Step Beyond, AdviNow, eVisit, Carvana, No Traffic, Windom Security Strategies Today, Dovely, My Little Mascara Club, VincentBenjamin, Quicken Loans, Stout Street Capital, Father and Son Masonry, Inc. and Hacienda Healthcare. —Alison Bailin UNMET Jobs unmetjobs.com

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Health & Your People

Has the pandemic changed workplace health and wellness forever? by RaeAnne Marsh

“The COVID pandemic has turned the healthcare industry upside down,"

says Brian Riveland, M.D., Arizona medical director at Devoted Health. That’s true of every aspect of life as we’ve experienced it, of course. In healthcare, delivery has had to rapidly adapt and change to meet the needs of patients with disparate income levels, social circumstances, and a wide range of chronic and acute medical conditions. “In many ways, it is remarkable what has been done. However, the healthcare system has also stumbled and not delivered,” he says. “It is hard to imagine had this happened 30 years ago how much more difficult it would have been,” Dr. Riveland continues. “In 1990 the world wide web was invented by Tim Berners-Lee, we did not have video conferencing, expansive e-commerce, email, smartphones, and many other abilities that we take for granted today.” While many people enjoy the flexibility of working at home, and even say they’re more productive working at home than in the office, Cigna’s Arizona market president Kim Shepard notes that, at the same time, after a year at home people are feeling disconnected from their colleagues, and many suffer from “Zoom fatigue” — the exhaustion from videoconference overload. In fact, it is widely reported that the pandemic has led to higher levels of anxiety, depression, insomnia, feelings of isolation and other emotional issues. Shepard notes that parents have been working at home, educating their kids at home and maybe taking on more responsibility for aging parents while worrying about their own health. “People have had a lot on their plate over the past year. We help employers understand this, so they can help their employees cope and find balance. We encourage our employer clients to promote their employee assistance program and other resources available to their employees. We do that with our own employees,” Shepard says. As an employer herself, she says, “We encourage our employees to use their vacation time, take breaks, get exercise, go outside for fresh air and a change of scene, stay safely connected to friends and family. Our mental and physical health depend on our being kind to ourselves, and this is a message we reinforce with our own employees and our employer clients.” Dr. Riveland shares that Devoted Health went from nearly 100% of its employees in the office to 100% working virtually at home. In the general workforce, 71% of employed adults are currently working from home, and Dr. Riveland observes that many companies are now finding this has not affected productivity and, in many circumstances, has enhanced employee satisfaction. “While this is a positive, the social isolation, demands of childcare with closing of schools and simply the worry of COVID-19 has created significant emotional stress for many employees. Studies have revealed in the general population, anxiety prevalence is three times that of 2019 and depressive disorders are four times that of 2019. This is magnified if the person is a caregiver in the household where anxiety and depression rates exceed 50%.”

Health & Your People Catching Up “There is no question the onset of the pandemic caused disruption in the public’s health and wellness,” says Emun Abdu, M.D., F.A.A.N.S., medical director of Cerebrovascular and Endovascular Neurosurgery for Abrazo Health. She points out that hospitals quickly shifted focus to enhancing safety protocols to ensure COVID-19 and non-COVID patients could be safely and effectively treated. She believes the ability to collaborate with physicians, hospital staff, public health authorities and others helped foster creativity that to this day is helping contain the virus. But she raises a red flag. “What has been concerning to all of us on the medical field is the number of people who have delayed routine screenings and preventive care, as well as hesitation to seek care in an emergency. In fact, a recent Harvard study found that one in five adults in the U.S. had delayed or were unable to get needed care during the pandemic. Some reports have placed the number even higher. The American College of Cardiology noted that patients experiencing a heart attack or stroke are delaying care, leading to a new public health crisis.” COVID is not the direct culprit; rather, it’s fear of being exposed to COVID. So, Dr. Riveland explains, patients are not getting their needed blood work or imaging studies that keep their chronic illnesses under control. In addition, many are dismissing symptoms for which they would ordinarily seek out medical advice. Patients may not get their cancer therapy putting them at significant risk. There are studies that reveal in certain age groups there is a 15-20% increase in non-covid death rates compared to the previous year. “While there is much more to be learned,” he says, “it is believed that avoidance of needed care due to the pandemic is a significant factor.” This affects employers of all sizes, Dr. Abdu points out. “The impact of more people working from home may lead to a more sedentary lifestyle, causing its own set of physical problems. In concert with delays in care, that impacts employee wellness and productivity, key contributors to a healthy bottom line.” She emphasizes that hospitals, ERs and doctors’ offices are safe places to receive care, and notes that Abrazo Health hospitals are

open and caring for patients, including inpatient and outpatient elective procedures, as the number of COVID-19 diagnoses continue trending downward. “It is important to understand that elective procedures are medically necessary to help provide relief from things like knee or hip pain, cancer, cardiovascular, neurological or other conditions,” says Dr. Abdu, noting that “elective” is still essential care that can be lifesaving and life-altering treatment. “Waiting to see a doctor or go to the ER can result in a greater risk of complications, disability and lengthier recovery times. Don’t let ‘COVID fatigue’ cause complacency. Continue to wash your hands, wear a face mask, maintain social distancing and get the COVID vaccine when it’s your turn. A healthy work force helps our economy and supports a healthier Arizona.” Healthcare insurers are addressing this. Paige Rothermel, chief operating officer of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona says BCBSAZ is working with provider partners to increase awareness of this risk, partnering with community organizations, like the American Heart Association, to do outreach and is also leveraging its customer service teams in addition to its care management nurses to make proactive outreach. And Shepard notes that Cigna advises employers to emphasize the importance of preventive care and encourage their employees to get their annual wellness exams, as well as mammograms, cancer screenings, dental care, eye exams, and other screenings and care they need based on their age and health status. Shepard also notes that Cigna customers are now scheduling the appointments they put off in 2020 and are addressing their neglected health issues. She says the company anticipates some decline in overall health as a result of customers deferring care, which could increase healthcare costs for Cigna’s employer clients. “Now is the time for people to set up wellness exams and address the care they deferred last year,” she says. “It’s more important than ever to take a proactive approach, protect your health, and detect issues early so they can be treated and monitored.”

lt in a greater risk of “Waiting to see a doctor or go to the ER can resu times. Don’t let ‘COVID fatigue’ complications, disability and lengthier recovery ds, wear a face mask, maintain cause complacency. Continue to wash your han n it’s your turn. A healthy social distancing and get the COVID vaccine whe healthier Arizona.” work force helps our economy and supports a —Emun Abdu, M.D., F.A.A.N.S.

APR. 2021

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Moving Forward “Maintaining a vibrant and resilient workforce can be difficult. Offering dynamic tools to help employees manage their health is an increasing value in today’s job market,” Rothermel says. One way BCBSAZ is helping is offering services to its members through its Wellness Platform, Sharecare, which includes meditation and mindfulness, offers practical tips for healthy habits for those working from home and also tips on how to manage COVID-related risk and exposure. “Additionally,” she says, “we are partnering with testing organizations to provide practical and cost-effective testing solutions that can be deployed in the worksite or at home.” “Phoenix has seen some of the highest COVID-19 rates in the U.S., and many of our local businesses employ large numbers of people who need to sit and work in close proximity to others,” says Tyler Southwell, M.D., a nationally recognized COVID expert, citing warehouses, hotels, restaurants, sales centers and other service occupations. At his concierge medical practice, Dr. Southwell says, “We became the “go-to” resource in Phoenix and were even called upon by physicians and companies in other states to share our knowledge and protocols. “A year ago, I saw a need for a new type of medicine. Not only were my patients looking to get tested for COVID-19, but they were asking lots of questions about how to prevent it and how to deal with the symptoms when they had it.” That was the impetus for him to found Southwellness ‌COVID‌ ‌Solutions‌,‌which opened in early February in Paradise Valley, the first-ever all-inclusive COVID-only prevention, testing and therapy practice in the area. Beyond testing, the focus is also on prevention and therapy — so, unlike “swab and go” locations, if a patient tests positive, the practice can consult on therapies. And SCS has special offers for populations that are underserved by other practitioners, such as teachers and frontline workers.

“Although the vaccines have given many people a sense of relief, only a small percent of our population has been vaccinated so far and others have refused to take this important step,” says Dr. Southwell, noting the continued need to remain vigilant, especially as schools re-open and people return to places of business. “Masks and hand sanitizer are essential, even for those who have been vaccinated, as is regular testing. Keeping workers’ immune systems healthy has also become a priority. Regular testing is essential. We know that even one asymptotic carrier can infect an entire family, office, or other workplaces.” And he notes an important point that is sometimes overlooked: “People who have had COVID-19 are now reporting after-effects.” “Having a dedicated ‘safe haven’ ensures that businesses have a go-to source to keep their employees healthy and their businesses thriving,” says Dr. Southwell. In working with its clients, Cigna takes a “very consultative approach,” Shepard says, that starts with listening to its clients, learning their business needs and analyzing the health profile of their employee population, then developing a health engagement program that’s tailored to them. “We have been consulting with our employer clients throughout the pandemic, making sure they had the latest clinical information about COVID-19 testing, treatment and vaccination.” Noting that top of mind for employers is knowing when it will be right to return to the worksite, and how a return can be accomplished safely, Shepard says, “We are working closely with clients to address this and to help them understand workplace readiness issues, such as physical distancing, personal protective equipment for employees, and ongoing health monitoring. We offer a number of resources to help employers get started in our “Returning to the Worksite” section on Cigna.com.”

Safety As Shepard points up, the worksite must be part of employee health and wellness considerations. Which is where another industry provides additional expertise in addressing health and wellness. As familiar scenes begin to emerge across the Valley business community, with vaccination rates steadily climbing and office building beginning to fill with people, employers are facing new challenges: “Employees are concerned about their safety, and they need assurances that new protocols are in place to protect their health at work,” says Liz Caracciolo, chief operating officer of OpenWorks, a national commercial cleaning and facility services provider, headquartered in Phoenix that helps all kinds of facilities manage their cleaning and disinfecting efforts and reduce the spread of germs.

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“The importance of a clean, well-disinfected workplace is universal,” she says, observing that a robust cleaning program provides physical protection. while giving employees reassurance that their concerns are being heard. A recent survey conducted by OpenWorks, however, found employees’ confidence in workplace safety and cleanliness is lagging — and this despite the majority of businesses expanding their cleaning programs over the past year and vaccines offering greater peace of mind. The study compared employees’ sentiments about workplace cleaning early in the pandemic to their views nearly a year after COVID made its appearance. Employers should take note that, while an expectation for cleanliness hasn’t changed, thoughts on what constitutes “clean” have evolved.

APR. 2021

Health & Your People The study found that employees are increasingly emphatic that buildings need an extra layer of defense through daily cleaning and disinfecting (62% in December vs. 56% in May) — but at least one-third of employees lack confidence that their employer is having their workplace properly disinfected on a regular basis. “Employees expressed that they want to know more about the work being done to protect their health and safety, underscoring the extreme importance of transparent communication in this COVID age,” Caracciolo says. To address the essential role clear and direct communication plays in boosting employee confidence, Caracciolo says her company is working closely with employers to develop plans that explain the preventive measures taking place in the building, often after-hours when employees are less likely to witness them first-hand. “Effective communication plans are highly transparent about both the what and how behind your organization’s health and safety measures,” Caracciolo states. Employees are more informed than ever regarding the options that exist, she explains, and they therefore want to know what the frequency is and the type of cleaning and disinfecting; how the work is being done, such as with EPA approved products and electrostatic spraying; whether those performing the work are certified professionals in disinfection; and what expectations are being set around the protocols that each and every team member is expected to follow when in the office environment. And, as the latest study demonstrates, employees expect to see evidence that reinforces their employer’s workplace safety strategy. Says Caracciolo, “Companies can amplify the message through visual methods such as signage regarding social distance guidelines and displaying certifications. For example, companies

that utilize any of OpenWorks’ TotalWorks services receive a Certified Disinfection certificate for display that affirms the facility has been deep cleaned, sanitized, and disinfected.” She adds that seeing a professional cleaner disinfect high-touch surfaces frequently is a strong visual indicator that meets the needs of 50% of employees, who want to see the work being performed in front of them, according to a recent report by YouGov, Barclays Research. “As a society, we’re more aware of the importance of cleanliness than ever before, so it’s natural that employees want assurances that the environment where they spend a large part of every day is safe. Signage and communication about safety measures are just part of the equation, however.” Employers must also engage the employees in the effort complementing their rigorous cleaning protocols with policies that convey expectations for employees doing their own part to protect their safety, from wearing masks and washing hands to practicing social distancing. “A collaborative approach is necessary for the workforce to collectively benefit from efforts to protect employee safety,” Caracciolo says.

“Effective communication plans are highly transparent about both the what and how behind your organization’s health and safety measures.” —Liz Caracciolo

Ongoing Wellness Keeping Physically Fit

At the onset of COVID-19, chiropractic care was deemed an essential healthcare service. In that disrupted environment, The Joint Chiropractic remained resilient, relates Peter Holt, president and CEO of the Scottsdale-headquartered franchisor. “We even continued to grow.” In fact, noting that chiropractic is very hands-on healthcare, Holt says, “This past year has been an opportunity for all chiropractors to stand tall during the pandemic to serve their patients seeking pain relief and wellness.” Holt points out that working from home, which has become the norm for many industries, has forced more Americans into a sedentary lifestyle. Only about 20% of Americans reach the 150-minute-per-week minimum of movement or exercise recommended by experts. “Lack of physical activity throughout

APR. 2021

the day is a risk factor for many different chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension, to name a few,” Holt points out. To address this, Holt suggests employers consider additional incentives or benefits to employees to allow for more healthy activity during the day, such as offering virtual fitness memberships, a stipend for healthcare services like chiropractic care or massage services, or providing compatible workspaces in the home like stand-up desks. “We know many people delayed healthcare needs throughout the pandemic. However, as an essential healthcare provider, The Joint has continued to offer accessible chiropractic care for patients to maintain their healthcare routines,” Holt says. “We have taken every precaution necessary to ensure the health and safety of our patients and staff, and the results have been tremendously positive.”

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Keeping Mentally Fit

“Prior to COVID-19, the negative impacts of chronic stress on employee mental and physical health and productivity were already known to employers,” says Kathleen Gramzay, CEO of locally based Kinessage L.L.C., who is a body/mind resilience expert providing resilience leadership training to organizations. Observing that Meditation and Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) programs had become more valued in workplaces for their documented benefits on reducing anxiety and depression, and pain scores, she says, “With the added pandemic stresses of working from home, isolation or concerns over returning to a safe work environment, it’s more important than ever business leaders provide effective, self-directed stress reduction programs.” Mindfulness meditation is the conscious focusing of one’s attention on an object such as the breath, a sound, or a word. Purposely focusing the mind removes its attention from reaction to a perceived threat and the correlated flow of stress hormones. Mindfulness meditation and MBSR programs work, Gramzay explains, because they shift the nervous system’s flow of stress hormones to neurotransmitters that support immune system function, cellular repair, better cognitive function and mood. “The relationship between how we think and feel and the physiological effects has been widely studied,” Gramzay says. She describes some of the benefits meditation/mindfulness practices have demonstrated that are particularly relevant to life and business during a pandemic: • Reduced stress and anxiety disorders. Meditation reduces stress neurotransmitters such as cortisol and norepinephrine that contribute to high blood pressure, heart attack, neurological and anxiety disorders. • Rejuvenation. Meditation produces increased flow of neurotransmitters that support immune function, cellular repair and better sleep, all critical aspects to ward off infection. • Improved decision-making and problem-solving. Studies of longtime meditators show higher function in the pre-frontal cortex where decision making and problem-solving happen as well as higher levels of concentration and alertness. This function goes off-line when perceived threat directs the body to survival mode. Having a way to reset the brain back to creative problem solving is critical in business today. • Increased sense of well-being. Perceived threat neurologically produces a sense of distrust of others. Meditation and mindfulness practices demonstrated the production of higher levels of serotonin and dopamine, chemicals that increase our sense of well-being and social engagement. The greater we can work together to address today’s challenges the better we’ll come through the pandemic.

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Gramzay suggests businesses consider offering meditation or MBSR programs as a cost-effective solution to support the current and long-term health of their employees and business. Beyond stress, behavioral health conditions (mental health problems and substance use disorders) are highly prevalent in our community and, points out licensed psychologist Tasneem Doctor, Ed.D., vice president of Behavioral Health at Equality Health, these negatively impact the ability to manage chronic medical conditions in a cost-effective manner. “Individuals with behavioral health conditions often have healthcare costs that are two to three times higher than patients without these conditions due to increased emergency department utilization, hospital readmission rates and occupational disability,” he says. There is a gaping disparity between need and providers to serve the need. According to Dr. Doctor, one in five individuals have a behavioral health condition, yet psychiatrists and licensed therapists are scarce and it is not uncommon for a patient to wait 90 to 180 days to obtain an appointment. Additionally, such care is expensive, and many therapists and psychiatrists do not accept insurance, leaving many individuals without the inability to obtain necessary treatment. Noting that lack of treatment only increases the healthcare system’s inability to manage costs associated with unmanaged behavioral health conditions, Dr. Doctor says Equality Health is changing the game by making behavioral healthcare more accessible and affordable through a partnership with Concert Health. “Concert Health offers a turn-key behavioral health solution to Equality Health’s network of 1,500-plus primary care physicians (PCPs) in the Phoenix area, allowing practices to offer behavioral health treatment as part of their regular services. Concert Health utilizes the Collaborative Care Model, which arms the primary care office with additional behavioral health resources that include a care manager who is also a licensed therapist and a consulting psychiatrist who provides the PCP with medication support. This team-based approach can be virtual, allowing more patients to conveniently access same- or next-day behavioral healthcare. The PCP prescribes medication based on recommendations by the psychiatrist, and the therapist interacts with patients regularly using evidenced-based approaches such as motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, problem-solving therapy and behavior activation to move patients toward better health outcomes.” Dr. Doctor believes this model is ideal for primary care given that PCPs are the de-facto behavioral health system in this country, with PCPs prescribing 80% of all antidepressants. “Adding a team of behavioral health professionals to the PCP practice allows patients to improve more quickly, with most seeing a 50% drop in behavioral health symptoms within 90 days.” Citing randomized controlled studies on Collaborative Care that indicate every $1 spent on collaborative care produces a $6 return, he holds this out as “an attractive ROI for our expensive healthcare system.”

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Health & Your People Staying on Top of Oral Healthcare

Oral health is a significant part of a person’s overall health in any case, but Heather Schneider, D.M.D., dental director at Delta Dental of Arizona, emphasizes that now especially is not a time for individuals to neglect that aspect of their healthcare. “Poor oral health — particularly gum disease — has been associated with unfavorable COVID-19 outcomes,” she says. “This means it’s particularly important to not only offer dental insurance benefits to your employees but to encourage them to use their benefits and engage in good oral health practices at home. Dr. Schneider notes that, since the pandemic started, dentists have noticed more stress-related tooth damage. “Over time, clenching your jaw, grinding your teeth or chewing on ice and pen caps can do significant harm to the enamel,” she explains. “Dentists can spot these signs and help mitigate the damage to your mouth, either by giving you stress-relief techniques, a mouthguard or, in severe cases, by coordinating a plan for care with an oral facial pain specialist who addresses TMJ dysfunction and stress specifically.” The pandemic also has us spending so much time at home, where it’s easy to grab a bag of chips or cookies when we’re hungry, bored or stressed. Combine that tendency with the forced isolation, and Dr. Schneider notes these habits are happening in the presence of less brushing, rinsing and flossing. “People joke about the COVID 15 — the weight gained from unhealthy eating and habits during the pandemic — but those changes in lifestyle habits can also have a real impact on your employees’ oral health and increase their risk for cavities,” she says. “Employers can help by encouraging their employees to be more mindful of their snacking habits and recommending a diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products, maybe even sharing healthy recipes monthly to everyone in the company.” Even more worrisome, she says, is that people are delaying routine dental care, like cleanings and exams. Pointing out that dental health directly impacts heart health, the immune system and whole body health — and that much of dental health is about preventive care — she emphasizes that gum disease, cavities and even issues like crowns or root canals can be avoided by proper brushing and flossing and regular visits to the dentist for exams and cleanings. “I cannot stress this enough: Dental offices are open and are taking extra measures to keep your employees and their families safe,” she says. This may include pre-appointment screenings to gauge potential exposure to COVID-19, temperature checks, changes to check-in and waiting room procedures, extra cleaning and sanitation measures and additional PPE for patients and staff, including face shields, face masks and gowns. Offering resources and information on Delta Dental’s website, she urges employers to educate their employees about these safety measures and encourage them to visit the dentist.

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Healthcare Delivered Virtually

“In the first few weeks of the pandemic, healthcare became almost entirely virtual, fueling a massive increase in telehealth across nearly every aspect of medicine, from emergency and urgent care to primary and specialty visits,” says Bill Goodwin, CEO of MeMD, a national telehealth provider based in Scottsdale that offers ondemand, online care for common illnesses, injuries, primary care and behavioral health issues. “By the end of 2020, nearly everyone had used telehealth in some form — many of them for the first time.” In fact, Cigna’s data shows that the use of virtual care surged in 2020 at the same time many people were deferring preventive and other care, according to Kim Shepard, president of Cigna’s Arizona market. “People saw it as a safe and convenient way to access care during the pandemic.” Now that people are getting used to virtual care, and see its benefits, we believe this trend will continue and grow, for both medical and behavioral healthcare.” Cigna expects this trend to continue as people are getting used to virtual care, and its Evernorth division recently announced it will purchase MDLIVE, a national telehealth company that Cigna has partnered with for a number of years, because of the growing importance of telehealth. Observing that the surge was fueled by the immediate goal to avoid exposure to a novel virus, Goodwin notes it quickly became clear that telehealth is more than a stop-gap solution. “It has now become an indispensable part of the U.S. healthcare system. This creates many new considerations for employers and how they structure benefits packages,” he says. Dr. Riveland characterizes the increased use of telehealth as an explosion, observing that prior to the pandemic, telehealth was typically used in rural areas with limited access to medical offices and that, while certain specialties had higher users of telehealth, most primary care services continued to be delivered in person. “Since the pandemic, this has dramatically increased facilitated by the loosening of regulatory requirements during this state of emergency,” he says. “While telehealth was on the rise, the pandemic has accelerated the adoption likely by five years.” Putting it in the context of the workplace, Goodwin observes that employees want more virtual options. “With remote work the new norm, they have considerably more control and flexibility over when and how they do their jobs. They want the same thing from their healthcare,” he says. “To put a finer point on it, 75% of patients surveyed by Kyruus said they expect virtual care to be a standard part of their care moving forward. A full 50% of respondents said they would switch providers to have regular access to virtual care. “This probably isn’t a surprise to benefits managers,” Goodwin continues. “Even before COVID-19, companies were seeking new ways to meet employees’ needs and expectations by increasing convenience, choice, personalization and simplicity in their

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healthcare plans, but the pandemic has expedited this shift in health benefit plan design. In fact, exponential growth in virtual care across the healthcare continuum is one of the major trends that surfaced in the Business Group on Health’s 2021 Large Employers’ Healthcare Strategy and Plan Design Survey.” Rothermel sees it similarly. “The rise of telemedicine during COVID has made healthcare more accessible and more convenient,” she says. “We can leverage this momentum to build solutions that help our providers engage digitally and allow our members to maintain relationships with their own providers. As our Blue Care Anywhere platform continues to develop we can accommodate greater capacity and expand our breadth of services, including behavioral health.” Behavioral health, indeed, is one of two areas in which Goodwin believes telehealth is particularly promising. He notes the pandemic has spotlighted and amplified America’s mental health crisis, yet a chronic shortage of providers, extremely narrow provider networks, long wait times and high out-of-pocket costs create major barriers to care. “Telebehavioral health has emerged as a solution. Not only does the virtual model overcome these barriers, but the medical literature has proven its efficacy in treating common issues like depression and anxiety — issues that pummel employee productivity and often lead to physical health problems.”

The other area in which Goodwin believes virtual will lead is primary care. “Like behavioral health, the U.S. is facing a looming shortage of primary care doctors that makes it difficult to access routine healthcare in a timely fashion,” he says, noting that primary care is directly tied to health status and spending — particularly in the management of costly chronic conditions — but even the most robust insurance plans do not guarantee easy and convenient access to primary care. “The good news is that adding more virtual options benefits employers and workers alike. It’s well-reported that telehealth is considerably less expensive than in-person care, so businesses may finally get relief from ever-increasing health insurance costs. For employees, it means access to the care they want and need — when and how they need it.” In a nutshell, he believes, “All signs indicate the future of healthcare is virtual.”

The rise of telemedicine during COVID has made healthcare more accessible and more convenient.” —Paige Rothermel

HR and Benefits The voluntary benefits market has been growing steadily over the years and Casey Strunk, president of Phoenix-based Strunk Insurance Group, expects it will continue to do so in 2021. “More employers are understanding their employees’ desire for benefits options beyond healthcare,” he says. He’s seen voluntary benefits that may have once been disregarded being used now by employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Employees want personalized benefit options so they can pick and choose what is best for them,” he says. “Traditional voluntary offerings like dental, life and disability have always been there, but the next generation of employees are asking for things like pet insurance, identity theft, and student loan services. Perks like elder care and critical illness insurance could also be of particular importance amid the pandemic.” Strunk points to voluntary benefits as a great value-add for employees during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, noting also that, since employees cover a significant portion of the costs, they can also help free up employer budgets. As benefits go, though healthcare has the highest profile and is, arguable, the highest priority. Looking at healthcare as an employee benefit, Kishlay Anand, M.D., M.S., F.H.R.S., founder and CEO of Akos, points out median healthcare cost increases are a major concern of U.S. employers.

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“Cost management strategies to reduce projected health plan cost increases in order to attract top talent and keep all employees healthy and safe are a top priority,” he says, pointing to employee medical benefits and workers’ compensation as two of the primary healthcare spends for employers. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, around 49% of the country’s total population receives employer-sponsored health insurance and workers’ compensation — and the premiums for employer-sponsored benefits are witnessing a steep growth due to various government policies and significant lifestyle changes. “To address these issues, Akos is changing the healthcare delivery model by providing affordable access to telemedicine and onsite technology-enabled medical clinics 24/7,” says Dr. Anand. By integrating employee medical benefits and workers’ compensation for all 50 states into one AI-powered, connected HIPAA-compliant platform, Akos is offering a low-cost telemedicine solution that eliminates the need for commutes and waiting rooms, and help prevent employees from neglecting routine and vital healthcare. Akos has also established Akos Med Clinics inside select Safeway stores across Arizona. These future-forward walk-in medical centers bring the nurse triage process closer to the employees. “Affordable healthcare plagues most employees, and when their physical and mental health declines, so does their productivity

APR. 2021

Health & Your People “Recruitment of employees during this time has its challenges, particularly if they start employment from home. I have hired many employees that I have not met in person yet! We certainly do look forward to the time that this is not the case, but it can work for many.” —Brian Riveland, M.D.

and morale. Companies can address these stressors and work to better retain employees by broadening their healthcare options,” Dr. Anand says. This is Rothermel’s point as well, as she notes that employers continue to struggle with attracting and keeping top talent in a competitive workforce landscape. “Healthcare benefits are a high value to many employees and can help employers retain that top talent,” she says. As an HR issue, workers stress has long been an obstacle to a healthy workplace, especially when it builds up to the point of burnout — increased mental detachment from the job and reduced effectiveness. Travis Laird, senior regional vice president at professional staffing company Robert Half, reports that a recent survey by Robert Half found 40% of Phoenix workers surveyed said they are more burned out on the job today than a year ago (6 points above the national average of 34%). “The top reasons for worker burnout in Phoenix were heavy workloads and being unable to separate work and personal life since working remotely,” Laird says. “Employers need to consider how remote work affects an employee’s overall health and wellness,” says Strunk. He contrasts employees who consider it a dream to avoid a long commute and save on gas expense with others for whom the office may have been their “refuge” from the challenges of home life. Consider also the stress on working parents to juggle home-schooling, meetings, loud pets, et cetera, which may occur at home. “Employers should check in with their employees to see what they need,” he says. One suggestion he offers is an “Employee Assistance Program” to provide counseling support for employees. And he points out that virtual meetings are taking a toll on some employees. “Has your company gone overboard with the Zoom?,” he asks, sharing that some companies are promoting “No Meeting Days” when employees are not to schedule any meetings on Friday (internal or client facing), and instead use

APR. 2021

that day to complete the tasks they need to accomplish to feel good moving into the weekend (and be fresh for Monday). This goes directly to a key point in Robert Half’s survey, which found 88% of senior managers are worried about staff retention. “Of those respondents, 47% said the reason for their concern is that employees are managing heavy workloads and on the brink of burnout,” Laird explains. Laird offers these suggestions to help managers get more involved with health and wellness among their teams: Empathy goes a long way. In the new COVID-19 era, managers who promote healthy discussions around employee well-being and set time aside to truly listen to their staff can help employees avoid the burnout that is often a result. By being empathetic, managers can persuade employees to come forward and share their stories about what they are going through on the job. Many managers have recently shown a willingness to share their own stories and are recognizing the payoff is high. Communicate twice as much. Whenever feasible, managers should use video calls when talking with their team. By listening carefully, they may get an authentic sense of how the employees are feeling and coping with such new pandemic stressors as a limit on socializing with others, fewer outlets for rest and relaxation and virtual schooling. Give them workload relief. People having too much work to get through the day is partly the result of staff cuts companies have had to make because of the pandemic’s economic effects. Even if the company is not in a position to hire additional workers, it may be able to take some of the pressures off employees by bringing in skilled consultants to help out in the most bottlenecked areas. “You can also give your team more flexibility by suggesting windowed working: allowing them to break down their workday into smaller units of time, or ‘windows,’ separated by personal breaks. Encouraging staff to take the time off they’ve earned is also key. Even at a time when vacation travel is limited, time off to re-energize can allow them to simply take it easy for a while to avoid burnout,” says Laird. Hiring and recruiting also face new challenges in the current environment. Strunk observes, “Employers need ways to promote the culture of their company without a physical location to visit. Do you provide short videos on your career page about who you are and what you do? Give employees a virtual tour of the facility they might eventually return to?” He finds more virtual Zoom interviews are occurring as the employee’s initial contact with the company. Zoom fatigue notwithstanding, Strunk says some hiring managers have praised this “new process” in their hiring as it easier to schedule applicants without worrying about their travel needs to the building. “Recruitment of employees during this time has its challenges, particularly if they start employment from home,” says Riveland, who shares, “I have hired many employees that I have not met in person yet! “We certainly do look forward to the time that this is not the case,” Riveland says, “but it can work for many.”

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The Ongoing Role of COVID-19 Testing What to expect when the pandemic subsides

An unexpected, unwelcome and unpredictable guest arrived in 2020 threatening our personal lives and business livelihood — SARS-CoV-2, or what is commonly known as COVID-19. Information regarding this virus shifts daily as world health and government leaders tackle issues related to its transmission, diagnosis, treatment, eradication, et cetera. Top infectious disease experts note despite the increase in the population being vaccinated — and even when the pandemic subsides into an endemic virus — we’ll likely enter into a future world that we share with COVID-19. Business leaders and school officials, therefore, must develop, communicate and implement new workplace practices that address updated COVID-19 policies along with ongoing testing. Having a comprehensive, communicative procedural plan promotes a safe and healthy workplace return of employees, teachers, students, customers and vendors. It also aids in maintaining continuity of business, culture and productivity, and in mitigating corporate risk. We all strive for the day to return when someone around us sneezes and we don’t think twice about it.

Create a Return-to-Work Plan

It’s important to assemble a team of internal and external professionals in human resources, healthcare, legal, operations, et cetera to develop a return plan that effectively focuses on employee/ student safety, care and wellness as a top priority. New policies and updated employee handbooks covering COVID-19 are necessary for all employees, whether it’s for them returning to the workplace,

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by Ruth Seigel

working remotely or what is likely to be hugely popular — a hybrid work-from-home/at-work solution. Planning should address PPE (masks) requirements, temperature screening, cleaning schedules, how an employee voices concern about others adhering to guidelines, employee education, exposure reporting, managing employees with symptoms, testing protocols while at work/prior to return-to-work, positive tests, contact tracing and much more. Prior to dissemination and implementation, the plan should be legally reviewed for compliance with Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, American Disabilities Act, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, et cetera.

Partner with a Diagnostic Testing Laboratory

If there’s an outbreak, is there a clear plan of action? What happens if an employee is at home and calls in sick? What’s the protocol for an employee to self-report an exposure? “Medical experts and diagnostic testing laboratories are valuable resources to assist in workplace COVID-19 protocols and procedures,” says Ethan Sasz, founder and CEO of Paradigm Laboratories. Paradigm is a partner to state and county health departments, having collected and processed more than 720,000 COVID-19 tests since last summer. The company is now working closely with businesses, government and schools on return-to-work and return-to-school solutions. Sasz adds, “When establishing workplace testing protocols that adhere to HIPAA privacy regulations, we also suggest making tools available like a daily symptom tracker app or questionnaire to determine if an employee should stay out of the office and if testing is required. When symptomatic and asymptomatic employee testing is required, testing

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Health & Your People collection can be conducted on-site, or at mobile sites located around the Valley and be returned in 24-hours or less.” Vaccination coupled with ongoing testing strategies for early detection and early quarantine is an essential line of defense for halting transmission, reducing risk of an outbreak and instilling employee confidence.

Testing Methods with Rapid Results

Symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 testing using these modalities plays a key role in workplace health and safety planning: • Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR): EUA/FDA validated COVID-19 RT-qPCR test using Nasopharyngeal swab collection method is considered the CDC gold standard. It’s extremely effective in identifying active virus. A saliva PCR test is also available for people more sensitive to the nasal PCR test. Twenty-four-hour results turnaround is crucial for monitoring the workplace. • Quantitative Antibody: This test measures the actual neutralizing antibodies that the body develops naturally following an infection or through the vaccine, based on the World Health Organization standards. IgG antibody testing that gives a quantitative result (measuring antibody amounts) provides important insights to people as they recover from COVID-19 and helps evaluate a person’s immune response to a vaccine. • Antigen: Antigen tests are relatively inexpensive and results typically come back in 15 minutes. Antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2 are generally less sensitive than real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), but can be very useful as part of a testing protocol.

Communicate and Monitor Plan

Once the plan is reviewed for compliance and ready to share with employees, it’s important to formulate multiple communications outlets to reach employees and to ensure they’re aware of new procedures being enacted for safety and the continued growth and success of the company. Staff should be made available to answer questions and to guide employees through the process. It’s also important to outline social media strategies; companies know all too well the good and the disastrous that can occur in today’s social media. Organizations will also need to tailor a communication and COVID-19 monitoring program that includes HIPAA-approved tracking information like summary of positive and negative results. Resecō Advisors helps businesses identify opportunities and risks in areas like safety, human resources, employee onboarding and claims. According to President Steve Hanrahan, “COVID-19 has led us to take our own reflective look, as should all businesses, on ways to pivot our environment and practices to lessen exposure and to make a safe, comfortable environment for everyone.” He adds, “It’s critical for employers to effectively implement infectious disease, preparedness and response plans because, generally, OSHA requires it.”

Looking Ahead

As long as COVID-19 is around with unanswered questions on the vaccine efficacy over time, virus transmission from vaccinated to the non-vaccinated people and emerging virus variants, new workplace guidelines with ongoing testing remains. Community resources and medical experts are available to assist. It’s about employers doing what they can to show they care about their employees and striving to deliver a safe environment for everyone.

Reduce Healthcare Disparities among Employees Tackle top cost drivers

Over the past year, especially during the pandemic, we’ve seen an increased number of employers interested in having conversations about health equity and disparities in care. And everyone needs to have those conversations … even if they’re uncomfortable. A recent white paper by the Health Action Council and UnitedHealthcare, “Finding the Uncommon,” finds companies that implement deliberate strategies around their employees’ most common chronic health conditions may improve overall employee health and achieve cost-savings over the long-term. The findings are based on a study of five chronic health conditions — hypertension, diabetes, back disorders, mental health and substance use, and asthma — across more than 280,000 HAC members insured with UnitedHealthcare. Many of us will suffer at

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by Patty Starr and Craig Kurtzweil

least one of these conditions during our lifetime, with a real impact on healthcare costs. The study also revealed a number of important disparities in care, which can be improved through a combination of lifestyle modifications and targeted wellness programs.

Care Disparities Revealed

• Among HAC members, African Americans are 63% more likely to have hypertension than other races or ethnicities. Also, the study found women are sub-optimally treated across all age groups versus men, who were typically administered more prescription drug treatments. • Men over 50 in lower income groups have the highest prevalence of diabetes, while those of Asian ethnicity have a 43% higher than average prevalence of the condition, largely driven by genetics and diet.

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• Typically, employees with back disorders skew older and are in lower income brackets, with factory work identified as one of the top jobs linked to back pain. Despite a strong case that physical therapy or chiropractic care helps reduce reliance on muscle relaxants and other drugs, our study found 6 out of 10 obese employees with a back disorder are foregoing or not being offered physical therapy or chiropractic care. • Those with mental health and substance use challenges tend to be female, younger and in lower-income Caucasian groups. Rural areas are often unable to meet mental healthcare needs due to inadequate services, leading to a higher than average number of emergency room visits and hospitalizations. • African Americans have a 20% higher prevalence of asthma than other races and are more likely to experience a flare-up that requires treatment, yet they are less likely to have been prescribed asthma steroids.

Tips for Tackling Healthcare Disparities in a Company’s Workforce

To address care disparities and ensure all employees have access to proper care, we recommend employers consider their population’s demographic and geographic profile and then create simple, targeted wellness programs to address the most prevalent common conditions. The following are some of the suggestions in the white paper: • Evaluate the company’s current benefit plan design for opportunities to implement a care program that evolves with

the patient over time — for example, making chiropractic care or physical therapy mandatory for back disorders before moving to more aggressive treatments. • Cover medications as preventive care for specific chronic conditions or promote the use of patient assistance programs for specific types of medications. The latter may require exclusion of some medicines from the company’s benefit plan design. • Institute an exercise, stretch or meditation program at the beginning of work shifts to improve safety and decrease injuries. These types of practices are preventive and may decrease the severity of an injury if one occurs. • Create targeted communications for specific regions and demographics. Consider sharing success stories or appointing a program champion from the target audience. Understand and reflect on cultural differences when developing each communication. • Promote virtual care to improve access to treatment for specific conditions — for example, mental health support in rural areas. • Work with the company’s third-party administrator or medical expert(s) to identify opportunities for provider outreach and education on best-in-class approaches. Employers can reach and help those who may be at greatest risk of these common conditions and yet least likely to take action on their own. The full white paper is available on the Health Action Council website, healthactioncouncil.org. —Patty Starr, president and CEO of Health Action Council, a not-for-profit organization representing large employers to enhance human and economic health through thought-leadership, innovative services and collaboration; and Craig Kurtzweil, vice president of UnitedHealthcare Center for Advanced Analytics; UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the healthcare experience

Abrazo Health abrazohealth.com Akos akosmd.com/ Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona azblue.com Cigna cigna.com Delta Dental of Arizona deltadentalaz.com Devoted Health devoted.com Equality Health equalityhealth.com Health Action Council healthactioncouncil.org The Joint Chiropractic thejoint.com Kinessage kathleengramzay.com MeMD memd.net OpenWorks openworksweb.com Paradigm Laboratories paradigmlaboratories.com Resecō Advisors resecoadvisors.com Robert Half roberthalf.com Southwellness COVID Solutions southwellness.com Strunk Insurance Group strunkgroup.com

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APR. 2021

OUR SUBJECT IN-DEPTH

Arizona’s Surge Line – A Case Study of Success The case study was written by those who worked on or in the project:

Public-private collaboration has ensured COVID-19 patients and healthcare resources are balanced across the state even during times when Arizona was the No. 1 hotspot in the world

Lisa Villarroel, MD, MPH Cara M. Christ, MD, MS Luke Smith, DNP, RN, NE-BC, CCM Charles Larsen, RN, MSN, MBA, NE-BC R. Nicholas Staab, MD, MSPH Michael D. White, MD, MBA Keith A Frey, MD, MBA Jason Brown, MD, FACP Dena Wilson, MD, FACC Alyssa Chapital, MD, PhD Ashleigh Gerhardt, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC Heather Gammon, BSN, RN, CCRN-K, CPHQ, CSPDT Marcee L. Feddersen, MSN, RN Diane King, MSN/ED, MBA/HCM, RN, CNRN, CCRN Kerri B. Wilhoite, DNP, MBA/HCM, BSN, RN, NEA-BC

APR. 2021

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A year ago this month, Central Logic, the industry innovator in enterprise visibility and tools to accelerate access to care, announced a first-in-the-nation statewide agreement with the Arizona Department of Health Services to power a new Regional Access Center, leveraging Central Logic’s technology. The Access Center has been successful in ensuring all the state’s patients known to have, or suspected of having, COVID-19) receive the care they need by locating available hospital beds, providers, equipment and other resources — all through a centralized, integrated technology platform updated in real time. As directed by the state, the Regional Access Center included essentially every public and private hospital and health system in Arizona, including the Indian Health Service hospitals.

Preparation and Rapid Action

The origins of the Surge Line date back to March 2020 as state officials were observing the surge of patients with COVID-19 in New York City and how hospitals were struggling with overcrowded facilities and finding appropriate care for critically ill patients. AZDHS met with the major health systems in the state to discuss a unified, statewide transfer service for patients with COVID-19 to expedite placements and admissions while load-balancing patients and healthcare resources such as medical/ surgical beds, intensive care unit beds, ventilators and specialist care.

The health systems met and agreed to proceed with the public-private collaboration, marking an understanding that previous competitors would now be acting as collaborators in order to put patients first. With implementation support and technology solutions from Central Logic, the Surge Line was up and running in less than two weeks. It was not until months later in late June and early July when the state experienced its first major surge of patients with COVID-19, which required the Surge Line to transfer nearly 70 patients per day at its peak. “The Arizona Department of Health Services and hospitals in Arizona worked together to create this integrated, efficient statewide system to protect patients and hospitals against unbalanced hospital surges,” says Lisa Villarroel, M.D., M.P.H., medical director of Public Health Preparedness at AZDHS and the Surge Line.

Delivering Statewide Visibility

Efficiently orchestrating care across the state required a new structural capability for many hospitals and health systems: real-time bed visibility. Historically, referring physicians would need to call other hospitals to determine the availability of beds, specialty physicians and equipment, such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machines. The Surge Line agents who coordinated the care had visibility over all those crucial elements through the Central Logic platform powering the system.

Arizona Department of Health Services initiated the Surge Line, meeting with the major health systems in Arizona to discuss a unified service for placing patients with COVID-19.

“Real-time bed visibility was a new feature that Central Logic was preparing to launch for our clients when the Surge Line began, which meant we had an opportunity to test the capability on its largest scale yet,” says one of the article’s authors, Luke Smith, D.N.P., R.N., N.E.-B.C., C.C.M., director of the Arizona Surge Line and client operations analyst at Central Logic. “Bed Visibility proved to be well up to the task by delivering a clear and reliable overview of capacity for the more than 130 hospitals across the state that are part of the Surge Line. We have since launched Bed Visibility for use by health systems and hospitals everywhere.” After four months in operation, Surge Line participants were surveyed and asked to rate the system on a 10-point scale. Hospital staff who responded to the survey awarded the Surge Line nearly the highest ratings (between 8.2 and 9.0) on each question, with the highest rating (9.0) for its ability to transfer patients with COVID-19 to higher levels of care.

Continuous Improvement

The Surge Line is maintaining those high levels of satisfaction by continuously improving the service to referring hospitals, including improvements in protocols and data collection and development of analytics to examine out-of-region transfer trends and to refine calculations of time to bed placement. Eventually, a time will come when the Surge Line will not be necessary to orchestrate the care for patients with COVID-19. The statewide system, however, has numerous applications beyond the pandemic, such as any future hospital surges due to wildfires, terrorism or other public health threats, and is piloting its use for transferring patients with influenza.

“It is our intention to maintain the Surge Line as a public health tool,” Dr. Villarroel says. “The Arizona Surge Line has been a highly successful initiative within the state, delivering a valuable public health resource to reduce avoidable care delays, prevent hospital overcrowding and contribute to improved patient outcomes.”

SHARING THE STORY

The full case study on the origin and successful outcomes of the Arizona Surge Line, “Collaboration on the Arizona Surge Line: How Covid-19 Became the Impetus for Public, Private, and Federal Hospitals to Function as One System,” was recently published in renowned healthcare journal NEJM Catalyst. It was authored by physician leaders from AZDHS as well as Arizona hospital and health system leaders from across the state and Central Logic clinicians assigned to the Surge Line, who tell the story of how the Surge Line, which features a 24/7 referral line, has facilitated the rapid placement and equal distribution of thousands of patients with COVID-19 across the state since April 2020. “It is an honor to have played an active role in a project that has helped so many people in the state of Arizona get the care they need by working with public health leaders to orchestrate the transfer of more than 6,000 patients with COVID-19,” says Darin Vercillo, M.D., chief medical officer and co-founder of Central Logic. “This kind of collaboration was our vision when we founded Central Logic over a decade ago, and it is tremendously humbling and gratifying to see it come to fruition during the pandemic we have been experiencing since early last year.” Arizona Department of Health Services azdhs.gov Central Logic centrallogic.com

Arizona’s Surge Line is powered by Central Logic’s technology platform, expediting patient transfers and equitably distributing patients with COVID-19 across the state’s hospitals. Says Darin Vercillo, M.D., chief medical officer and co-founder of Central Logic, “This kind of collaboration was our vision when we founded Central Logic over a decade ago, and it is tremendously humbling and gratifying to see it come to fruition during the pandemic we have been experiencing since early last year.”

APR. 2021

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PEOPLE ARE KEY

Stop Meeting and Start Co-Creating Hold meetings that generate enthusiasm and engagement by Carlos Valdes-Dapena

Carlos Valdes-Dapena is a renowned speaker, bestselling author, and corporate leader with 30 years of experience in collaboration innovation at organizations that include Mars, Inc. and IBM. As founder and managing principal of Corporate Collaboration Resources, Valdes-Dapena has a reputation for challenging the conventional wisdom of corporate team building. His groundbreaking strategies empower teams to become more connected and productive. corporatecollaboration.com

APR. 2021

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It’s been almost a year since the pandemic triggered broad restrictions and shutdowns throughout North America. It’s time to take stock, to gauge what we’ve been through and learned. The constraints forced upon us ranged from draconian at times to occasionally inconvenient. Yet despite the hardships — or because of them — COVID’s impact has also been enlightening. It has accentuated problems that have lingered unaddressed for too long. Some of these are profound, like the stark social inequalities that have affected everything from testing for the virus to treatment to the way that vaccines are being rolled out. Other issues are of less consequence but still worth addressing because they affect so many of us and are within our power to do something about. I’m thinking of the ways that remote working has revealed what’s right and wrong with how we get our jobs done. The technology enabling working from home has been awesome, a godsend. The flexibility many have been able to exercise in how and when they get their work done has been a boon. On the other hand, the pandemic has laid bare the folly and wastefulness of many — if not most — meetings. It’s hard enough to stay engaged in a face-to-face meeting where the purpose is not clear, where attendees are subjected to an endless stream of projected slides while all they can think about is the real work they’re not getting done. Virtual meetings make matters worse. The sterility of flat faces on flat screens, the lack of genuine human contact only heightens frustration and the gnawing feeling that you could be making better use of your time. It has to stop. It’s likely we’ll be on some form of lockdown through the summer of 2021. If ever there was a time to make a radical shift in how we work together, it’s now. Fortunately, there’s a simple, research-based tool we developed at Mars, Inc. that helps create and run meetings that generate enthusiasm and engagement. It begins with questioning what we mean by “meeting.”

IT’S NOT ABOUT MEETING. IT’S ABOUT CO-CREATION

The word “meeting” is part of the problem. “Meeting” suggests a coming together without specific intent or outcome. We meet over coffee for an idle chat. We might meet and catch up while changing trains at a junction. The social aspect of meeting is deeply human and worthy in itself. But for shared work to feel meaningful and productive, we need more. Think about the best workplace meeting you ever attended. You left with a sense of accomplishment, energized and wondering why all meetings couldn’t be like that. Odds are that gathering had that something more that workplace groups need: a focus on co-creation. It was 2015 and the supply chain team I was coaching had been through a rough few months. They had fallen far behind schedule on a critical project. This was before the pandemic but, because it was a global team, they were meeting remotely to figure out what had gone wrong. Their meeting could have easily veered off into a blame game, exacerbated by the limitations of not being physically together. But it didn’t. The meeting had a vitality to it. It was highly interactive. There was conflict but they never lost focus on what they were trying to do together. Time flew by as the team generated the ideas and insights needed to make changes. By the end of the meeting, all seven of them were pumped. For a remote meeting it was impressively productive and I wasn’t sure why. A week later, I followed up with the team leader who had designed the session with minimal input from me. I asked her how she had gotten it to work so well. I was stunned when she told me she wasn’t sure why, either. Together, we reviewed her largely intuitive planning process. What she and I eventually landed on was strikingly simple. That meeting had two things going for it that most meetings do not. Based on her preparation, she and the team knew precisely: • What the meeting needed to deliver, and • Why it mattered; the impact the deliverable would have on them and the business.

Because they’re focused on co-creation, great meetings are both productive and engaging. They are 1) built around clear, tangible deliverables that 2) everyone present has a stake in addressing.

STRATEGIES FOR WORKING REMOTELY It seemed too easy. So, I tested this two-question approach with other teams. While not every meeting I helped plan was as successful as the one I just described, the results were similar. Problems were solved, decisions were made and teams left energized and gratified. These teams went from holding typical meetings to engaging in outcome-focused co-creation using what we at Mars came to call O2 Deliverables.

Create Amazing

O2 DELIVERABLES

the talk, Create Amazing puts ESOPs feet on the ground. For

Because they’re focused on co-creation, great meetings are both productive and engaging. They are 1) built around clear, tangible deliverables that 2) everyone present has a stake in addressing. These two elements form the basis of O2 deliverables that I use with teams today. Each O2 deliverable includes an Objective and an Opportunity. The Objective describes generally what is being created or achieved. For example, the team might be: • Co-creating a plan, • Making a decision, or • Identifying root causes of a problem. The second O, Opportunity, refers to the specific benefit being sought from the deliverable. This should be set up as a “from–to” statement. For example, maybe the need is to decide (the Objective) how to move from having three packaging vendors to having a single vendor (the Opportunity). In the case of the supply chain team, they had to identify root causes (the Objective) of the delay so that they could go from missing a critical commitment to on-time, flawless delivery of the project (the Opportunity). O2 deliverables create maximum clarity about what a team intends to accomplish and what meeting success looks like. They also have other benefits. For instance: • O2 deliverables suggest who needs to be involved in the meeting and who doesn’t. In the packaging vendors example, not everyone needs to be present for the decision. A small, functionally appropriate group can make the decision efficiently while freeing up time for others with less of a stake to get on with their work. • During meetings, O2 deliverables act as a beacon that helps straying teams get back on course. • Finally, when creating the O2 deliverable, the team leader might realize that the work requires only one person to do it. No meeting needed. O2 deliverables work whether used to tackle high-stakes issues or less crucial matters. Meetings may be built around one O2 deliverable — as with the supply chain team — or several. For instance, a team may need 1) to do some problem solving, then 2) create a plan to implement solutions, and then 3) make a decision about who will take the lead. Each of the three deliverables needs its own O2 statement. The key is to take a few minutes while planning the meeting to clarify precisely what the team must deliver and the impact it will have when they get it right. With variants of the COVID virus appearing around the globe, there’s no telling how much longer work-from-home orders are likely to be with us. We can seize this moment to make long-overdue changes in how we convene to work together. None of us wants or needs to wade through day after day of tedious remote meetings. For any meeting of 15 minutes or longer, use the O2 framework. This one easy tool focuses collaborative efforts precisely where needed while ensuring only the right people are involved. Pandemic or not, leaders can use it to create meetings that deliver results and leave people feeling buoyant and excited about themselves, their work and their team. There’s no transformation more needed and no tool better suited to the task.

The key is to take a few minutes while planning the meeting to clarify precisely what the team must deliver and the impact it will have when they get it right.

Create Amazing demonstrates how ownership can provide the ultimate competitive advantage to a growing company — and the nation. The vast majority of what’s been published about employee ownership comes from academe — compelling research from Rutgers, the feds and several national ESOP associations. Written by Greg Graves, a CEO who has walked business owners considering an ESOP startup or transition to employee ownership, current employee-owners who believe their firm can do more, or those who simply believe our nation needs a shot of steroids to be both more productive and more just, this is the book that speaks from a real-world, executive-to-executive perspective about the process, the problems (and how to avoid them), and the deliverables. Create Amazing: Turning Your Employees into Owners for Explosive Growth Greg Graves

240 pages

Matt Holt Books

Available 4/27/2021

$25

The Magnetic Leader Global crises produced by countless causes have cried out for our attention. Nations and politicians continually blame or attack each other. Corruption is rampant in public and private sectors. Disengagement levels remain unacceptably high in the workplace. People are weary and skeptical. It’s challenging to find a place where people value one another. Leaders are burning out. Leaders who initiate and prioritize actions to address this help their families, teams, organizations, communities, nations and world to become better! They become living examples worth following. They attract others to their mission who are highly committed to quality in their work, loyalty in their relationships, and engagement in their unique contributions. In a word, they become magnetic! The Magnetic Leader presents character-reflecting Essential Actions to implement immediately and pursue indefinitely. The Magnetic Leader: 18 Essential Actions of Leaders People Love to Follow Chris McClure

204 pages

Author Academy Elite

Available 4/30/2021 $24.99

Wellbeing at Work One-third of Americans have shown signs of clinical anxiety or depression, and the current state of suffering globally has risen significantly. The mental health pandemic manifests everywhere, not least in the workplace. As organizations around the world face health and social crises, as well as economic uncertainty, acknowledging and improving wellbeing in the workplace is more critical than ever. Coauthored by Gallup’s CEO and its Chief Workplace Scientist, Wellbeing at Work explores the five key elements of wellbeing — career, social, financial, physical and community — and how organizations can help employees and teams thrive in those elements. The book also gives leaders ideas and action items to help employees use their innate talents and strengths to thrive in each of the wellbeing elements. And Wellbeing at Work introduces a metric to report a person’s best possible life: Gallup Net Thriving, which will become the “other stock price” for organizations. Wellbeing at Work: How to Build Resilient and Thriving Teams Jim Clifton and Jim Harter Gallup Press

336 pages Available 5/4/2021

$27.95

APR. 2021

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

En Negocios

Edgar R. Olivo es un educador empresarial bilingüe, asesor económico y colaborador de varios medios de comunicación. Es apasionado por la educación y comunidad. Está certificado en finanzas y análisis de datos y posee un título en negocios de la Universidad Estatal de Arizona.

Edgar R. Olivo is a bilingual business educator, economic advisor and contributor for several media outlets. He’s a nonprofit executive who is passionate about education. He is certified in finance and data analytics and holds a business degree from Arizona State University.

APR. 2021

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

PARA EDGAR R. OLIVO

LIDERAZGO / LEADERSHIP

¿Está iniciando una pequeña empresa? Aquí hay 5 recursos que necesita conocer antes de comenzar Iniciar un nuevo negocio es una decisión emocionante y arriesgada. Como muchas pequeñas empresas experimentaron el camino difícil, la pandemia creó un final muy abrupto y doloroso para muchas empresas de ensueño que no estaban preparadas financieramente para afrontar los cierres. La devastación del COVID-19 fue brutal y se estima que alrededor de 30% de todas las empresas en los Estados Unidos cerraron en 2020. Este número llegó al 44%en abril de 2020; aproximadamente al mismo tiempo que se realizaban los primeros pagos de estímulo. ¿Por qué es importante saber esto? Comprender las condiciones económicas del mercado es una de las primeras cosas que debe hacer antes de abrir una pequeña empresa. Uno nunca debe lanzarse de corazonada; primero obtenga sus datos. Nadie podría haber predicho el tren de carga económico que estaba sobre nosotros cuando COVID-19 sacudió nuestras vidas, pero había muchas lecciones que aplicar en caso de que esté comenzando su pequeña empresa este año. Vamos a depender en gran medida de nuestros líderes federales, estatales y locales para proporcionar una base sólida sobre la cual el espíritu empresarial pueda prosperar realmente. Los recursos financieros necesarios, la asistencia técnica, las regulaciones flexibles y una nueva visión de la economía serán necesarios una vez que las vacunas se apliquen ampliamente y la pandemia haya quedado atrás. Mientras tanto, aquí hay cinco recursos que necesita conocer para que pueda comenzar su negocio con el pie derecho. 1. Sepa qué y dónde necesita registrar su negocio. Su nueva empresa deberá adquirir varios documentos legales para asegurarse de que esté configurada correctamente. La

mayoría de las empresas comienzan registrando una LLC en las Comisiones de Corporaciones, luego adquieren un número de identificación fiscal con el IRS y luego los permisos de impuestos locales o del condado para vender. Es relativamente asequible hacer estos registros por su propia cuenta. Asegúrese de contratar a un abogado o contador fiscal para que le ayude a estructurar su negocio de acuerdo con su situación. En Arizona, existe una excelente herramienta de lista de verificación para ayudarlo a decidir qué presentaciones comerciales legales necesitará. Consulte la Autoridad de Comercio de Arizona para revisar el libro de ventaja empresarial en Arizona o en línea con la lista de verificación. 2. Conozca cuáles son las nuevas normas de seguridad COVID-19. La seguridad de sus trabajadores y clientes es la máxima prioridad. Hay muchas organizaciones comunitarias que brindan capacitación gratuita de los CDC para ayudarlo a comprender lo que debe hacer para crear un lugar de trabajo seguro. Revise el Programa para reabrir con seguridad, un curso virtual gratuito para propietarios, gerentes y empleados que deseen aprender a limpiar y desinfectar espacios públicos, lugares de trabajo, negocios, escuelas y hogares. La Cámara de Comercio de EE. UU. también ofrece una amplia lista de herramientas para navegar durante una pandemia. 3. Sepa dónde encontrar fondos para ayudarlo a crecer. Existen muchas fuentes de financiación para ayudarlo a iniciar o hacer crecer su pequeña empresa. La ley de estímulo del coronavirus recientemente promulgado está diseñado para ayudar, proporcionando $900 mil millones en asistencia a empresas e individuos. El programa incluye ayudas en forma de créditos fiscales, préstamos y subsidios.

Phoenix es el centro vibrante de uno de los mercados laborales y economías de más rápido crecimiento en los Estados Unidos. Phoenix, la quinta ciudad más grande del país, está emergiendo en la nueva economía con fuerza en alta tecnología, fabricación, investigación de biociencias y servicios empresariales avanzados. phoenix.gov

BY EDGAR R. OLIVO

ENGLISH TRANSLATION Hable con su banco y pregunte sobre los requisitos de préstamos iniciales y estudie su lista de verificación. Querrá estar listo con un plan de negocios, informe de crédito y estado financiero para obtener una inversión de un banco. Hay muchos prestamistas aprobados por la SBA dispuestos a ayudar. 4. Planee hacer que su negocio sea ecológico desde el principio. Los principios de sostenibilidad en los negocios llegaron para quedarse. Hoy en día, la mayoría de los consumidores prefieren hacer negocios con aquellos que se comprometen con algún tipo de principios ecológicos. Considere aprender más sobre cómo su triple resultado o tres P (personas, ganancias, planeta) pueden aplicar los principios ecológicos. Esto posicionará a su pequeña empresa con una ventaja competitiva en su industria. El Programa de líderes empresariales ecológicos de la ciudad de Phoenix reconoce y promueve las empresas que se ofrecen voluntariamente para operar de una manera más responsable con el medio ambiente a través de acciones sostenibles. Las empresas reciben muchos beneficios por ser parte del programa. Este programa comenzó a través de la iniciativa Reimagine Phoenix, que es el objetivo público de la ciudad de aumentar su tasa de desviación de desechos al 40% para 2020. El programa también ayuda a la ciudad a alcanzar sus ocho objetivos generales de sostenibilidad ambiental para 2050. 5. Sepa dónde obtener asistencia técnica. Como empresa nueva, obtener consultoría o coaching puede parecer costoso al principio, pero si puede ayudarlo a evitar miles de dólares en errores, ¿vale la pena? Si no ha presupuestado un asesor empresarial, no se preocupe; hay muchos recursos gratuitos para obtener ayuda. Explore los centros de negocios respaldados por la SBA como el nuevo CPLC Women’s Business Center o la Maricopa SBDC. Cada uno de ellos cuenta con expertos en negocios para ayudarlo con entrenamiento individualizado, préstamos, administración financiera, marketing digital y más. Además, explore las organizaciones de miembros como ASBA, ellos han facilitado mucho la creación de redes con otras empresas durante COVID-19, así como un extenso catálogo de seminarios web virtuales para ayudar a los propietarios de empresas. Piense en estos recursos como sus barandillas que lo ayudarán a mantenerse en el camino correcto para lanzar y crecer. Como propietario de un negocio, tener acceso a recursos como este podría ser la diferencia entre el éxito o el fracaso.

Launching a Small Business? Here are 5 resources you need to know about before starting Starting a new business is an exciting and risky decision. As many small businesses experienced the hard way, the pandemic created a very abrupt and painful end to many dream ventures that were not financially prepared to ride the shutdowns. The devastation from COVID-19 was brutal and it is estimated that around 30% of all businesses in the United States closed in 2020. This number reached as high as 44% in April 2020 — around the same time the first stimulus payments were being made. Why is this important to know? Understanding the economic conditions of the market is one of the first things you must do before opening a small business. You never want to go on a hunch; get your data first. No one could have predicted the economic freight train that was upon us when COVID-19 shook our lives, but there were many lessons to apply in case you are starting your small business this year. We are going to rely heavily on our federal, state and local leaders to provide a sound foundation upon which entrepreneurship can truly thrive. Necessary financial resources, technical assistance, flexible regulations and a new vision for the economy will be required once vaccines are widely applied and the pandemic is truly behind us. In the meantime, here are five resources you need to know about so you can start your business on the right foot. 1. Know what and where you need to register your business. Your new business will need to acquire several legal filings to ensure it is properly set up. Most businesses start by registering an LLC at the Corporations Commissions, then acquire a tax identification number with the IRS, and then county or local tax permits to sell. It is relatively affordable to make your business filings on your own. Make sure to hire an attorney or tax accountant to help you structure your business for your situation. In Arizona, there is a great checklist tool to help you decide which legal business filings you will need. Check out the Arizona Commerce Authority for its Arizona Entrepreneurs’ Edge book or online checklist. 2. Know what the new COVID-19 safety regulations are. The safety of your workers and customers is top priority. There are many community organizations that provide free CDC training to help you understand what you will need to do to create a safe workplace. Check out the Reopen with Confidence Program, a free virtual course for owners, managers and employees who wish to learn about cleaning and disinfecting public spaces, workplaces, businesses, schools and homes.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce also provides a comprehensive toolkit to navigate during a pandemic. 3. Know where to find funding to help you grow. There are many funding sources to help you start or grow your small business. The recently enacted coronavirus stimulus bill is designed to help, providing $900 billion in assistance to businesses and individuals. The bill includes aid in the form of tax credits, loans and grants. Talk to your bank and ask about startup loan requirements and study its checklist. You will want to be ready with a business plan, credit report and financial statement to get an investment from a bank. There are many SBA-approved lenders ready to help. 4. Plan to make your business green from the start. Sustainability principles in business are here to stay. Nowadays, most consumers prefer to do business with those that make a commitment to some form of green principles. Consider learning more how your triple bottom line or three P’s (people, profit, planet) can apply going green principles. This will position your small business with a competitive advantage in your industry. The City of Phoenix Green Business Leader Program recognizes and promotes businesses that volunteer to operate in a more environmentally responsible manner through sustainable actions. Businesses receive many benefits to be a part of the program. This program started through the Reimagine Phoenix initiative, which is the city’s public goal to increase its waste diversion rate to 40% by 2020. The program also assists the city in reaching its eight overarching 2050 Environmental Sustainability goals. 5. Know where to get technical assistance. As a new business, getting consulting or coaching may seem expensive at first, but if it can help you prevent thousands of dollars in mistakes, is it still worth it? If you have not budgeted for a business coach, do not worry; there are many free resources to get help. Explore SBA-backed business centers like the new CPLC Women’s Business Center or the Maricopa SBDC. Each has business experts to help you with individualized coaching, lending, financial management, digital marketing and more. Also, explore membership organizations like ASBA, they have made networking with other businesses much easier during COVID-19 as well as offering a long catalog of virtual webinars to help business owners. Think of these as your guardrails to help you stay on the right track to launch and grow. As a business owner, having access to resources like this could be the difference between success and failure.

Phoenix is the vibrant center of one of the fastest-growing job markets and economies in the United States. The 5th largest city in the country, Phoenix is emerging in the new economy with strength in high technology, manufacturing, bioscience research and advanced business services. phoenix.gov

APR. 2021

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Economy

DEVELOPING & GROWING BUSINESS DYNAMICS

Financial Wellness Packages: The New ‘Must-Have’ for Competitive Employers Your employees are stressed about money, and it’s impacting your business by Rob Schwister

In an October 2020 survey released by the National Endowment for Financial Education, 84% of Americans said COVID-19 is causing stress on their personal finances. More than half of those surveyed said not having money enough saved for emergencies, retirement, college and other uses ranks among their top financial concerns.

WORKPLACE IMPACTS

Rob Schwister, Phoenix Metro market president at Alerus, oversees financial teams in Scottsdale and Mesa and leads business development activities throughout the metro. Schwister has more than 20 years of experience in financial services and a deep understanding of business trends in the Phoenix market. He currently serves as treasurer for the Arizona Bankers Association board of directors. alerus.com

APR. 2021

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When employees are stressed and losing sleep over an issue, it affects their work, most notably through decreased productivity and absenteeism. This includes financial-related stresses. A poll conducted by Workplace Options found 40% of working Americans spend more than three hours of their workweek dealing with personal financial matters, and more than one-third of them admit to having missed at least part of a workday due to a personal financial situation. Employees who are not financially secure are also often not able to retire on time. And, because older employees typically have more expensive insurance and higher salaries than their younger counterparts, delayed retirements lead to higher costs for the employer. The ongoing financial health of employees is an issue facing every business, even those that were not adversely impacted by COVID-19. While the pandemic has certainly accelerated financial concerns for many Americans, this is not a new problem. In fact, a study conducted in 2017 — long before any of us knew the term “social distancing” — found that more than half of Americans couldn’t come up with $500 in an emergency, and 40% of them had credit-card debt they couldn’t pay off. Americans are vastly underprepared for financial emergencies, and they have been for some time. The pandemic brought this into clearer focus and has spurred many people to take a more proactive approach to managing their finances and planning for the unexpected.

WHAT IS A FINANCIAL WELLNESS PLAN?

As more Americans are evaluating their financial situations and ways to improve their outlook, a growing number of employees have begun looking to their employers for help in establishing and maintaining financial wellness plans. This “next generation” of benefits packages address overall financial wellness by teaching employees how to manage debt, save for emergencies and prepare for the future, and providing comprehensive products that range from retirement accounts to insurance plans and health savings accounts. The most effective financial wellness benefits packages combine personalized, professional advice with technology. This mix of education, support and online tools enables employees to take control over their financial outlook without requiring employer resources and allows them to interact

directly with financial experts for help in areas where they need it most, from retirement to debt management or credit questions. Employees are able to set personal goals, use automatic transfers to save money and manage debt, and build new financial habits with guidance and encouragement from financial experts. As employees’ needs evolve throughout their tenure, they can initiate check-ins with an advisor through their plan, or the employer can set up regular companywide check-ins to keep everyone on track. This individualized approach to financial wellness can help keep employees engaged and incentivized to improve their financial outlook without requiring additional employer time or resources. Employers who provide comprehensive financial wellness plans may also enjoy a competitive advantage, boosting their employee recruitment and retention rates.

GETTING STARTED

Many employers would like to help their employees become more financially secure but aren’t sure where to start or how to enhance their company’s existing retirement plan. Here are a few popular options: • Retirement accounts. Common types include traditional 401(k) accounts, SEP IRAs and simple IRAs. Eligibility for these accounts may vary based on the company’s employee headcount and individual employee earnings. Other differences include withdrawal penalties, deferral limitations and federal filing requirements for the employer. • Health savings accounts. These are long-term savings accounts specifically for healthcare costs that are paired with low-premium, high-deductible insurance plans. Contributions are not taxed and earn interest. • Personal financial fitness tools. Technology offerings give employees a holistic view of their finances and provide guidance to help them build their financial confidence. Employees can access their retirement accounts, track their emergency savings, create a personalized budget and manage debt using one tool, empowering them to take control of their financial future. Retirement and benefits plans are numerous and confusing. Employers should try to learn the basics going in, ask a lot of questions and work with a provider who recognizes employees as individuals instead of plan participants.

Nearly one in three workers would like their employer to provide more assistance to improve their financial health than they currently offer, according to the National Business Group on Health.

LAW MATTERS TO BUSINESS

eSignatures – Social Distancing at the Closing Table The use of e-signatures in closing commercial loan transactions by Quinn C. Wheeler and Khaled Tarazi

Among the many challenges facing the business world caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is the increased complexity of closing commercial transactions. Of course, the days of all parties gathering around a conference table to execute documents passed long before the advent of COVID-19, but the pandemic further complicated transactions by scattering necessary signatories — who otherwise may have at least been under one roof — to remote work locations with limited access to printed documents. Parties can certainly still close deals with “wet” signatures using overnight courier services, but this renders the closings of complex transactions with numerous signatories (some of whom may not be active in the deal) far less efficient. Consequently, parties to such transactions have increasingly sought guidance regarding the effectiveness of electronic signatures under Arizona law. In fact, in Arizona, electronic signatures have long been legally effective for executing many types of commercial documents. In 2000, Arizona adopted the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, an act published by the Uniform Law Commission giving electronic signatures the same effect as traditional wet signatures. Today, all but three states have adopted the UETA, and those that have not (New York, Illinois and Washington) each have similar laws making electronic signatures legally enforceable. With some exceptions (e.g., estate planning documents and certain transactions under the Uniform Commercial Code, which contains its own electronic signature rules), the Arizona Electronic Transactions Act applies generally to any electronic record and electronic signature relating to a transaction. “Electronic signature” is broadly defined under the AETA as “an electronic sound, symbol or process that is attached to or logically associated with a record and that is executed or adopted by an individual with the intent to sign the record.” Such signature, however, should (i) be secure pursuant to “the application of security procedures” under the AETA, and (ii) satisfy certain other statutory requirements and presumptions under the AETA. Importantly, for an electronic signature to be effective, the parties must have agreed to conduct the transaction by electronic means. Some parties expressly do so by including a provision in the agreement making clear that a signature

page signed and/or transmitted electronically is to be treated in all respects as an original signature page. However, express agreement is not required under the AETA, which provides that “[w]hether the parties agree to conduct a transaction by electronic means is determined from the context and surrounding circumstances, including the parties’ conduct.” Assuming the parties have agreed to conduct their transaction by electronic means and met the other requirements of the AETA, among other things: (i) a contract formed using an electronic signature cannot be denied legal effect and enforceability solely because it was formed electronically, and (ii) evidence of a record or signature may not be excluded solely because it is in electronic form. Thus, the broad language and applicability of the AETA permits the use of electronic signatures for a wide array of commercial transactions. But despite such broad applicability, commercial lenders generally have policies requiring wet signatures for closing such transactions because, historically, wet signatures have been required on documents such as (i) promissory notes (to comply with UCC negotiable instrument obligations), and (ii) real estate transfer documents (to comply with the requirements of county recorders’ offices). One can also reason that commercial lenders do not want to assume the potential risk and burden of satisfying the AETA’s evidence requirements. Certain exceptions to these historical requirements (that are outside the scope of this article) have developed over time, and during the pandemic commercial lenders have made efforts to be more accommodating and accept electronically signed documents if circumstances do not permit wet signatures. For the foreseeable future, however, borrower parties should not expect their commercial lenders to accept electronic signatures absent exigent circumstances. As the world generally moves further into the digital realm, and (in particular) if the COVID-19 pandemic creates a “new normal” for remote work in the future, parties will likely rely more on electronic means to close transactions as efficiently as possible. Additionally, over time, commercial lenders will gain more experience and confidence in the systems and controls that are in place to evidence compliance with applicable AETA requirements and therefore accept electronic signatures on a more consistent basis.

In 2000, Arizona adopted the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, an act published by the Uniform Law Commission giving electronic signatures the same effect as traditional wet signatures.

Quinn C. Wheeler is a shareholder in Buchalter’s Scottsdale office and member of the Commercial Finance practice group. He has extensive experience representing clients in secured and unsecured commercial loan and credit transactions, as well as forbearances and other workout transactions.

Khaled Tarazi is an attorney in Buchalter’s Scottsdale office and a member of the Insolvency & Financial Law practice group. Tarazi focuses his practice on distressed business situations, including non-bankruptcy workouts and chapter 11 restructurings. buchalter.com

APR. 2021

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Social Impact

BUSINESS GIVES BACK

Pioneer Title Is Committed to Forging a Better Tomorrow Community involvement is a key focus throughout the company THE PIONEER PROMISE Pioneer Title Agency promises to leave things better; do the right thing; foster a warm, family relationship; protect the customer; protect the team; love Arizona; and be different. It promises to do this both in business and in giving back to the beautiful Arizona communities. Community organizations can apply for the Pioneer Title Grant Program through the Arizona Community Foundation at www.azfoundation.org.

Tyler Butler (“Tyler Butler | Giving in Style”), founder and CEO of 11Eleven Consulting, is a corporate social responsibility practitioner and expert leader in the corporate citizenship space. She has served on numerous national and local boards and is often cited as a subject matter expert by Forbes, Entrepreneur, U.S. News & World Report and more. 11elevenconsulting.com givinginstyle.net

APR. 2021

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Pioneer Title Agency has been a dedicated member of the Arizona community since its inception in 1985. Formed by a family with the goal to support families, the company has been driven by people with the goal to help people. The Newlon family — Bob and his wife, Betty; son Keith and his wife, Cindy — founded Pioneer Title in Sierra Vista and, through their strong local ties, have made a positive impact to many in need. “Our success is directly linked to our people — some of whom have been with us since day one,” shares Keith Newlon. “Beyond our real estate prowess, which is sizeable, our people and ‘local first’ company culture are what we are most proud of. Operating under the philosophy of ‘Commitment to Service’ since our inception, our community involvement commitment allows our team the freedom to sponsor local sports teams, organize fundraising walks for local organizations, to simply donate to causes important to individual employees and their families.” And, while still very much focused on Arizona’s smaller municipalities and towns where the company started and thanks to strong leadership from the family, Pioneer has grown from a handful of employees into a nearly 400-member team with offices in every county across Arizona, including Maricopa County. Although the pandemic has changed the ways in which the company gives, it has not detoured Pioneer’s philanthropic spirit. For many years, Pioneer was dedicated to the community through its hands-on efforts, operating via grass roots efforts whereby its teams were out volunteering in person. Its Old School and Take a Hike initiatives were cornerstone programs that drove its corporate citizenship efforts for many years. The Old School philanthropy initiative encouraged Pioneer Title Agency team members to get involved in their community schools, and the team’s creativity served as further inspiration as they planned projects to support local students and educators. The projects were varied to fit the individual needs of communities across the state. One project helped clubs reach a fundraising goal to travel to a tournament, another provided classroom teachers with much-needed supplies while a third delivered snacks for children from food-insecure households. Over the year-and-a-half period of this initiative, Pioneer teams volunteered more than 700 hours and donated more than $43,000 plus countless amounts of supplies to their community schools. During Take A Hike, Pioneer Title Agency teams hiked all 800 miles of the Arizona Trail, raising mor than $30,000 for the Arizona Trail Association. Together, the Pioneer team hiked, biked, ran or rode all 43 passages for the Arizona Trail. The trail is a continuous pathway from the Mexican border to the Utah border. About this initiative, Keith shares, “The initiative was two-fold. While raising money for the Arizona

Trail was important, we also wanted to raise awareness of all the trail offers. It’s a unique giant playground for us all to enjoy, and we wanted to spread the word.” “As it relates to our Commitment to Community initiative, due to the massive spread of COVID-19 and our social distancing efforts, our team was not getting out into the community as much as normal,” says Cathy M. Laganosky, MBA, CPA, chief financial officer of Pioneer Title Agency. “Volunteering hasn’t been a safe option for many, but donating is another way we can offer our assistance and support to our neighbors. This program allows us to continue to do our community work while keeping everyone safe.” Pioneer Title Agency’s latest philanthropic campaign is focused on its Commitment to Community (C2C) initiative. With this initiative, the team gifts a $10,000 grant every month to an Arizona organization. These monthly grants are possible through the relationship that Pioneer Title Agency established with the Arizona Community Foundation, whose mission is to lead, serve and collaborate to mobilize enduring philanthropy for a better Arizona. Through this work, ACF catalyzes the generosity of its donors and partners around Arizona’s pressing needs and opportunities. Pioneer’s partnership with ACF has served to manage and simplify the granting process on the company’s behalf. Submissions for support from the public and from Pioneer team members inform a list of potential grantees, many of which team members have already volunteered with. From there, Pioneer teams vote monthly to decide where that month’s grant will go. Thus far they have provided a donation to the ACF Covid Relief Fund, the ACF Black Philanthropy Initiative, Flagstaff Family Food Center, Child Crisis Arizona, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Home for Our Troops and Southern Arizona Community Food Bank. Pioneer Title Agency pioneertitleagency.com

Pioneer Title Agency’s latest philanthropic campaign is focused on its Commitment to Community (C2C) initiative. With this initiative, the team gifts a $10,000 grant every month to an Arizona organization.

Photo courtesy of Pioneer Title Agency

by Tyler Butler

SAFETY PROTOCOLS FOR BUSINES

Workplace

Make the Workplace Safe for Open and Honest Dialogue about Mental Health Can we stop a crisis before it starts? by Doc Elliott

When a crisis strikes in the workplace, the first question that’s typically asked is whether or not there were signs of mental health issues at work. The answer is almost always yes, and, even more concerning, not much is typically done to address it. Now more than ever employers are taking mental health seriously and providing resources that help employees who may be struggling. The steps employers take to address mental health in the workplace could be a lifesaving measure. That’s why the workplace is the most important environment to discuss mental health and illness, yet it is the last place we expect to hear about it. There is plenty of motivation for employers to step up. Mental health conditions cost employers more than $100 billion and 217 million lost workdays each year. By addressing mental health issues in the workplace and investing in mental health care for workers, employers can increase productivity and employee retention. But there are more reasons why investing in mental health treatment and discussing mental health in the workplace will benefit all of us (and in all parts of our lives).

HELPING PEOPLE BECOME HAPPIER, CONFIDENT AND MORE PRODUCTIVE

Let’s say there is an employee who has been diagnosed with panic disorder and suffers from panic attacks during work. He sometimes runs out of a meeting dripping with sweat. In an environment where he doesn’t feel comfortable talking about his panic disorder, the situation could become much worse. In a workplace where he felt he could talk with his boss about the issue, the situation could turn around. They could work together to create a plan that might allow the employee to improve his performance and become more valuable to the company.

BREAKING THE STIGMA OF MENTAL ILLNESS

Imagine a woman who deals with depression. In the late evening, she video chats with a therapist who tells her the depression is nothing to be ashamed of. She is lucky enough to have family members and friends or a romantic partner who helps her fight that stigma. Then she goes to work in the morning. On the rare occasions she hears about it, the conversations are not positive. Her co-workers don’t have enough education to be sensitive. They accuse people of using mental illness as an excuse to be lazy or receive special treatment. When people want to view their mental health issues in a positive way, they need encouragement and acceptance in all parts of their life. Inconsistencies or an absence of positive rhetoric in one environment can make it harder to fight the stigma of mental illness.

CREATING A CULTURE OF ACCEPTANCE

Now envision the ideal scenario: Employers disclose their mental health issues to employees, give presentations on mental health and encourage people to discuss mental health issues whenever they feel like it. Such practices create a culture of acceptance that benefits everyone. It’s not an easy thing to be open about your personal life, and it often goes against everything we’re taught about managing people, but in the world we’re living in today, it humanizes a serious issue and gives people the support they need to ask for help.

GREAT COMPANY CULTURE ATTRACTS MORE EMPLOYEES AND RETAINS CURRENT ONES

Some of the most talented and potentially valuable employees in the world have a mental illness. If employers want to hire them before other companies do, a reputation for accepting mental health conditions can be invaluable. There are many people who would forego a salary increase to work for a company guaranteed to accept their mental illness. This can be an advantage when competing for talent against companies with larger budgets.

Philanthropist and CEO Adam Shaw creates a compassionate environment in his workplace by being open about his obsessivecompulsive disorder and discussing it with staff. He also co-wrote a book, Pulling the Trigger: OCD, Anxiety, Panic Attacks and Related Depression — The Definitive Survival and Recovery Approach. Shaw encourages employees to be open about their mental health issues or at least share “quirks” that make them unique.

LESS STRESS AND MORE BENEFITS TO BRING HOME

By creating an environment where people can openly discuss their mental health issues and treatment, we can reduce their stress. This will improve our lives outside of work and make friends and family grateful we are not unloading extra work stress on them.

DECREASING SOCIAL ISOLATION AND MAKING PEOPLE FEEL MORE INCLUDED

Mental illness can make people feel isolated. The loneliness can exacerbate illnesses such as depression. Employers can prevent this isolation by encouraging employees with mental health issues to connect with other people who deal with similar issues. Creating an environment where people can discuss mental illness openly will negate this feeling of isolation, and social inclusion at the workplace makes people happier.

IT’S THE DIRECTION OUR SOCIETY NEEDS TO MOVE IN

Only a few decades ago, it was rare for LGBT people to disclose their sexual orientation in the workplace. Now it is somewhat common for LGBT people to be “out” in the workplace. Mental illness may be different from sexual orientation, but the idea of having the freedom to be open about all aspects of who we are — and to do so in all parts of our life — is the same. It’s time for everyone to have that freedom, and the path to it starts in the workplace.

Mental health conditions cost employers more than $100 billion and 217 million lost workdays each year. By addressing mental health issues in the workplace and investing in mental health care for workers, employers can increase productivity and employee retention.

A nationally renowned Federal Crisis Negotiation Specialist, Doc Elliot is founder and president of Phoenix Training Group. Since 1976, Phoenix Training Group has been the nation’s leader in workplace violence prevention training, customizing effective anti-violence training programs for corporations across all industries. phoenixtraininggroup.com

45 APR. 2021 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

INVESTING IN COMMUNITY

USDA-FUNDED WATER, WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS TRANSFORM COMMUNITIES In addition to its partnership with the Arizona Community Foundation through the Rural Development Investment Fund, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development has committed to investing more than $5.4 million to modernize wastewater infrastructures across the state. These projects do more than just service, upgrade and replace water and wastewater systems; they also include hands-on training, workshops and technical assistance to members of the community to improve management, operation and maintenance.

Lisa Urias is the chief program and community engagement officer at the Arizona Community Foundation, a statewide family of charitable funds supported by thousands of Arizonans. Its six affiliate offices serve rural communities across the state; ACF and its affiliates seek to address local challenges by listening to the expertise of each community. azfoundation.org azfoundation.org/ GiveWhereYouLive

APR. 2021

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

New PublicPrivate Partnership Supports Rural Communities Loans address predevelopment costs that are difficult for small communities to finance by Lisa Urias

How can rural communities get the support they need for infrastructure and development projects? Small communities have long struggled with the prohibitive costs of upgrading and maintaining their water systems and expanding or building the new schools, housing, firehouses and parks that are critical to the well-being of residents. Take the community of Bouse, located in La Paz County in Western Arizona and home to just under 1,000 people. The Bouse Domestic Water Improvement District’s board and committee members have been working for years to bring upgrades to the area’s water system to meet Arizona Department of Environmental Quality standards. Substantial projects like this are costly and not always easily funded in rural areas. Available funding may have restrictions or requirements for predevelopment expenses that may not be within the borrower’s ability to execute. A new public-private partnership between the Arizona Community Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development plans to change that. The Rural Development Investment Fund was formed in January this year to address pressing needs in rural communities. Its approach is creative: ACF provides $5 million in a revolving line of below-market rate financing to help rural communities access approximately $40 million annually in USDA funding for needed infrastructure and development projects. Thanks to a loan from ACF and the larger investment by USDA, the Bouse Domestic Water Improvement District can begin to replace the water system’s undersized lines and install drive-by meters. In addition, new construction will include a treatment system for arsenic removal, operations building, a new well and a 70,000-gallon water storage tank. Similar in design to ACF’s highly recognized Affordable Housing Loan Fund, the Rural Development Investment Fund will provide low-interest, short-term financing to infrastructure and development projects that the USDA has made a firm commitment to fund. These loans are offered between 12 and 18 months to address predevelopment

costs that are difficult for small communities to finance. The funding covers expenses related to planning, site testing, architectural renderings, engineering, legal preparation and other work required for projects to get off the ground. Once planning is completed, projects then qualify for full funding from the USDA, with some receiving several million dollars to improve community infrastructure. Loans for predevelopment expenses are repaid when the USDA releases funds for the development effort. Bouse is a great example of how the public-private partnership creates value. With the first $400,000 loan executed for the Bouse Domestic Water Improvement District project, an additional $2.9 million in funding through the USDA will be leveraged: $800,000 in an USDA agency grant, $2.1 million in an Agency Colonia Grant and $30,000 in an Agency SEARCH Grant. This first project opens the doors for many more to come. In general, towns and cities with fewer than 20,000 residents are unable to finance predevelopment requirements from other commercial financing sources. There are median household income factors that will be considered to qualify for any grant dollars. USDA has a model it uses for determining project affordability and other system cost comparisons. Initially, ACF and USDA have identified more than six projects that would benefit from this partnership, including some that address the statewide crisis surrounding housing insecurity. By combining their investments to address many of the projects that need the support of multiple funding sources, ACF and USDA can serve as a case study for other states across the country. This partnership is a great example of what can be done when public and philanthropic entities work together to support communities that are often overlooked by other institutional funders. Neither ACF nor USDA could get these projects off the ground on their own. By collaborating and leveraging each of the organizations’ individual skills, this partnership will help address issues in rural Arizona that have needed attention for many years.

The Rural Development Investment Fund was formed in January this year to address pressing needs in rural communities. Its approach is creative: ACF provides $5 million in a revolving line of below-market rate financing to help rural communities access approximately $40 million annually in USDA funding for needed infrastructure and development projects.

WE VALUE WHAT WE OWN

2021 Land Rover Defender The new model represents 70 years of innovation and improvement, honoring the vehicle’s history for rugged solidity while thoroughly remaining a Defender for the 21st century. Developed in partnership with LEGO@ Technic™, the Land Rover Defender is a building kit — with multiple options and interchangeable parts. From doors, roof styles, wheels and explorers packages, this is a true adventurer’s car. There are three models to choose from. The Defender V8’s throttle connection is tuned to maximize off-road control and on-road character. The V8 engine, with 518 horsepower and 461 lb-ft of torque, can go 0–60 mph in as little as 4.9 seconds in the Defender 90 with a top speed of 149 mph. The Defender V8 Carpathian Edition features the same off-road control and on-road character as the Defender V8. The differences lie in the exterior design cues, including the exclusive combination of Carpathian Grey paint and Satin Protective film, along with a black contrast tail door and contrast hood. The Defender XS Edition is available in Gondwana Stone, Hakuba Silver, Santorini Black or Silicon Silver. This distinctive model features body-colored lower cladding and wheel arches with 20-inch

Style 5095, five splitspoke, Gloss Dark Grey with contrast Diamond Turned-finish wheels. And the Defender offers an interior with purpose, as the cabin can be customized to suit an owner’s demands. The options are too many to mention here; there are unlimited possibilities to make more of the owner’s world. The four packs to choose from are Explorer, Adventure, Country and Urban. Featuring Land Rover’s toughest materials yet and tested to its very limits, the Defender has been designed for optimum durability. The Defender can handle many extreme terrains and confidently takes its driver from the urban jungle to shifting sands and icy environments. From its purposeful stance to its reductive, sophisticated surfaces, everything about the Defender exudes quiet confidence. This is design with integrity. Equipped for 21st century adventures, Land Rover’s most intuitive technologies to date help ensure convenience, connectivity and visibility. —Mike Hunter

2021 LAND ROVER DEFENDER MSRP: $47,700 City: 18 mpg Hwy.: 21 mpg Trans.: 8-speed automatic 0-60: 6 sec.

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MAR. 2021

IN BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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THIS ISSUE

Council Arizona Technology

DON’T MISS OUT!

Get a year of In Business Magazine. Subscribe now at inbusinessphx.com

47 APR. 2021 INBUSINESSPHX.COM

MEALS THAT MATTER

VOLCANO PORK Bone-in shank braised in hatch green chile jus served with jalapeno slaw, cilantro lime queso and warm tortillas $34

The Craftsman Cocktails and Kitchen: Built on (of course) Craftsmanship The pandemic couldn’t squelch the spirit(s)

JOURNEYMAN FLATBREAD House-lamb belly sausage, local goat cheese, roasted red peppers, pickled onions and harissa tomato sauce $14

LOLLIPOP WINGS Large red bird drumsticks, barrel-aged hot sauce and blue cheese slaw $10 for 3; $18 for 6

Steven Morin is managing partner of The Craftsman.

APR. 2021

INBUSINESSPHX.COM

Roughly one year ago, The Craftsman Cocktails and Kitchen was in the works. With the COVID-19 crisis not yet in sight, business ventures were going as planned, and smoothly at that. When the pandemic took the world by storm, however, the owners and investors decided it was best to slow things down and push plans back. The Craftsman finally set an opening date for several months down the line, and unlocked its doors during mid-October 2020. Despite not being able to host the grand opening events like they had imagined, The Craftsman was still able to see major success amid the COVID-19 crisis. Opening during the pandemic was a major challenge for companies of all sorts, but especially for those in the restaurant industry. To comply with COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, The Craftsman has had to pivot, but believes these adjustments have, ultimately, improved overall business. For social distancing purposes, the restaurant props its large garage-style doors open for more space and better air circulation. Additionally, it has had to implement more takeout dining options than had been anticipated, which, at first, took some getting used to; now, The Craftsman is a well-oiled machine and has even partnered with the “TakeIn” app to make ordering online easier. On top of that, it is now offering to-go cocktail kits that recreate the same Craftsman-style drinks at home, complete with a bottle of its house-made spirits. Another obstacle for The Craftsman was getting the word out about it, and COVID-19 didn’t make that an easy feat. The restaurant has had to be strategic and creative with social media and marketing efforts to gain an online presence, which, in turn, has led to loyal customers. The owners and executive chef Chris Nicosia believe the best dishes are simple at heart, and the setting and company are what truly matter most when it comes to any dining

The Craftsman infuses certain dishes and desserts with craft beers and spirits made from its own onsite distillery, among which are vodka, rum, barrel-aged amaro and coffee liqueur.

experience. With that in mind, The Craftsman aims to serve as the Valley’s go-to neighborhood joint, a place welcome to friends and family in a comfortable atmosphere. The ambiance is best embodied by simply “coming as you are” and leaving worries at the door. Chef Nicosia, an Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame inductee, created an innovative yet classic menu. Customers can select from a variety of conventional American dishes that aim to taste familiar but are never predictable. A few menu highlights include the wood-oven-roasted desert branzino, beet caprese salad with farro, volcano pork, and more. The Craftsman also infuses certain dishes and desserts with its house-made distilled spirits and craft beers. Small-batch liquors made in our onsite distillery include classic tastes like vodka, gin, rum, barrel-aged amaro, bourbon and coffee liqueur. (These spirits are the same ones featured in The Craftsman’s to-go cocktail kits!) With every menu item from starters to entrées prepared from scratch daily, The Craftsman includes as many locally sourced ingredients as possible, which has allowed the menu to pair quality with creativity. Customers can enjoy craftsman-style dining for brunch, lunch and dinner. There are also a variety of dishes that can be customized to fit dietary restrictions, like vegan or vegetarian. The Craftsman Cocktails and Kitchen was inspired by a simple, hardworking farmer and grandfather who loved his family, the land, woodworking and working with his hands. His tombstone reads, “A Craftsman.” Today, his traditions and the spirit of American craftsmanship live on. The Craftsman Cocktails and Kitchen 20469 N. Hayden Rd., Scottsdale (480) 401-1102 thecraftsmanaz.com

Photos courtesy of The Craftsman Cocktails and Kitchen

by Steven Morin

Spring 2O21 • aztechcouncil.org

IN THIS ISSUE 2 Change Agents

Arizona Technology Report

Arizona Technology Council: The Voice of the Technology Industry

President’s Message

We’re fortunate when it comes to our members at the Arizona Technology Council. Beyond being our supporters through dues and sponsorships, many have become our partners in a number 4 Two Corporate Leaders Added of initiatives that ultimately benefit the entire technology community here. to Council Board But there is one member in particular that often is the first to respond when Healthy Start we have an idea or just need a hand. And 6 Reaching Out now that it has reached the milestone Steven G. Zylstra, President + CEO of marking 10 years of service to us and Arizona Technology Council the rest of the state of Arizona, I just have one thing to say: Congratulations to the Arizona Commerce Authority! The Arizona Technology Council is Arizona’s premier trade association for Its story began in early 2011 when then-Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law the Arizona science and technology companies. Competitiveness Package, a collection of business incentives and tax reforms designed to spur the state’s economy. Considered the centerpiece was the birth of the Arizona Phoenix Office Commerce Authority (ACA) and the retirement of predecessor Arizona Commerce 2800 N. Central Ave., Suite 1530 Department as the new agency was charged with the retention and recruitment of quality Phoenix, AZ 85004 Phone: 602-343-8324 • Fax: 602-343-8330 jobs for the state. info@aztechcouncil.org As ACA evolved, it began focusing on specific sectors, including aerospace and defense, technology and innovation, manufacturing, bioscience and health care, and Tucson Office financial services. Sound familiar? Our membership is comprised of players — both large 1215 E. Pennsylvania St. and small — from these fields. Tucson, AZ 85714 Phone: 520-388-5760 And for ACA, nothing is too small. It has become a supporter in a number of ways tucson@aztechcouncil.org for startups. A prime example is the annual Arizona Innovation Challenge, a biannual competition for grants and enrollment into the ACA’s Venture Ready accelerator. It is one of the many tools that it offers those who want to see their idea become MANAGEMENT AND STAFF more than just that. Steven G. Zylstra President + CEO ACA is often called upon by Gov. Doug Ducey to help carry out his agenda for Leigh Goldstein COO + Vice President, Programs + Events Deborah Zack Vice President, Membership Services economic development. And as the state’s economy begins its recovery, look for Karla Morales Vice President, Southern Arizona Regional Office ACA to play a major role. Jill Brownley Director, Marketing + Communications We at the Council see ACA’s enthusiasm for innovation — and our state — up Laura DeGeorge Executive Assistant to President + CEO Jamie Neilson Director, Operations, Southern Arizona close in such events as our partnering on the annual Governor’s Celebration Regional Office of Innovation. It continues with our collaborative initiative called the SciTech Laura Anne Di Meo Accounting Manager Angelica Espinoza Bookkeeper Institute. We are co-publishers of the quarterly e-magazine TechConnect. I could go Don Rodriguez Editor on and on. Ron Schott Executive Emeritus, Phoenix I would be remiss if I neglected to point out there is one person who has been a SCITECH INSTITUTE big part of the Council’s success long before she became ACA’s leader. I’m referring Steven G. Zylstra, President + CEO Jeremy Babendure, Ph.D., Executive Director to President and CEO Sandra Watson. She has been active in the Council since its Kelly Greene, Chief Operations Officer start and has always been there for us over the years. I’m also proud to call her one Kaci Fankhauser, STEM Ecosystem Coordinator Claire Conway, STEM Ecosystem Programs Manager of my dearest friends. Jake Lounsbury, Director of Global Partnerships So, here’s to you, Arizona Commerce Authority. After 10 years of working for Hope Parker, Curriculum & Training Specialist Michele Roy, Grants Manager Arizona, I know even better days lie ahead for all of us.

3 10 Years — And Counting New Vice President for Southern Arizona

WHO WE ARE

Dee Quintero, Business & Office Manager Tammy Doerksen, CSO Advisor Training Destiny Madaje, Resource & Event Manager Fritz Smith, Arizona CSO - Rural Support Caillou Pena, Government Relations Specialist Amanda Rincon, Ecosystem Team Member Lisa Ristuccia, Festival Team Member

aztechcouncil.org

ARIZONA TECHNOLOGY REPORT

DECEMBER 2020

REPORT

Change Agents Shaping public policy is concerted effort of Council, committee

Giving of yourself for something bigger than yourself. That mindset is alive and well among a group of individuals working quietly behind the scenes with a single mission in mind: to ensure Arizona’s competitiveness to accelerate technology-related policy and legislation, thus affecting positively the growth and development of a vibrant technology state. These are members of the Arizona Technology Council’s Public Policy Committee, who, outside of their regular careers, have taken on the challenge to take the state to a higher level by keeping Arizona tech-friendly, business-friendly and regulation-friendly. The committee currently is chaired by Jason Bagley, senior director of state government relations at Intel, with Council staff support from Executive Emeritus Ron Schott. They are charged with leading the efforts of volunteer committee members whose duties range from testifying before the Legislature on a regular basis to selecting 10 Arizona legislators with track records of technology industry support for honors at the Council’s annual Governor’s Celebration of Innovation. In between, committee members work with legislators, elected officials and policymakers at all levels of government to educate them on the value and promise of the technology industry. Through it all, they focus on four areas: technology commercialization and development, workforce development, supply-chain development, and capital formation. They are quite open about their intent, especially when making their rounds in the halls of the state Capitol. Before the start of each legislative session, the committee helps prepare key ideas, goals and legislative initiatives that are published in the Council’s annual Public Policy Guide. For 2021, they include: • Improve the business climate for technology-based companies; • Provide sources of risk capital that encourage entrepreneurship, with a focus on minority entrepreneurship; • Create an environment that supports science- and technologyrelated job retention and creation; • Attract, train, retrain and retain the diverse talent required to compete in a global innovation economy; and • Help ensure technology businesses can recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, then thrive. The last point is especially critical. It’s also at the heart of a unique but related public policy initiative of the Council. The group, in partnership with The Western Way, recently released a report detailing how to incorporate energy innovation into Arizona’s plan for recovering from the economic downturn caused by the pandemic.

ARIZONA TECHNOLOGY REPORT

INNOVATION AND CLEAN ENERGY INDUSTRY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ECONOMIC RECOVERY Policy Options from Arizona’s Business Com

munity

Titled “Innovation and Clean Energy Industry Recommendations for Economic Recovery: Policy Options from Arizona’s Business Community,” the report outlines the economic benefit of energy innovation and specific recommendations for policymakers to integrate clean energy and clean technology initiatives into the recovery plan roadmap. The Western Way is an organization working to drive freemarket conservation policies in western states. The report is available for download at www.aztechcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/ TWW_AZTC_Clean-Energy-Report_FINAL12-16-20.pdf. The Council and the committee’s ability to help shape public policy comes from years of developing relationships with elected officials, no matter which side of the aisle they call home. These connections often stem from work involved in preparing the biennial Vote TechSmart guide, which includes soliciting information from political candidates, conducting a comprehensive interview process and reviewing incumbents’ voting records — all to help determine which candidates receive the Council’s endorsement. Beyond those endorsements, the Council’s Political Action Committee (PAC) supports pro-technology candidates for state and local offices, regardless of political affiliation. Because government leaders at state, county and local levels make decisions impacting the technology industry, the PAC offers an opportunity to support candidates and elected officials who understand the impact of their decisions on the tech ecosystem. More information on giving of yourself through a contribution is available at www.aztechcouncil.org/aztc-pac.

10 Years – and Counting

SciTech Festival leaves lasting impact as it reaches milestone Anyone with a 10-year-old daughter or son probably has heard this reaction when the child walks into the room: “(He/she) has grown so big — and so fast!” Jeremy Babendure can relate. When he set out to pull together an entire state for a celebration of science and technology with the inaugural SciTech Festival in February 2012, Babendure was just hoping some people would show up to participate let alone stage the roster of events. It turns out the festival director and the collaborators who also supported this new project needn’t have worried. More than 200 events statewide drew more than 230,000 people in that first year. Fast forward to 2020 when the ninth SciTech Festival exploded to 6,000 events attended by 600,000. Since its launch, the festival’s more than 900 partners have engaged hundreds of thousands of attendees to participate in events in more than 80 Arizona cities and towns. As a result, countless children have been inspired to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math — or STEM, the term that has become better known since the first festival. More than that, the events and activities have provided individuals of all ages the opportunity to experience STEM firsthand and see how it impacts their lives. The festival also has grown into a convening place for the state’s STEM ecosystem. “It’s an opportunity for teachers, professionals and industry leaders to meet and strategize how to build support for STEM and attract young people into the field,” says Babendure, now executive director of the SciTech Institute. SciTech Institute is a nonprofit organization working to enhance and promote STEM awareness and engagement in Arizona and beyond. While the festival has come to be known as a signature event and the third-largest STEM festival in the nation, the SciTech Institute

also has given birth to other well-known programs, such as the Chief Science Officers. Helping provide support along the way have been foundation partners including the Arizona Technology Council, Arizona Commerce Authority, Arizona Science Center, Arizona State University, The University of Arizona and Arizona Board of Regents. Such support enabled festival No. 10 to occur in February as it continued to inspire interest and build knowledge of STEM in Arizona. “The 2021 festival season offered an incredible opportunity to both celebrate the past and embrace the future,” says Kelly Greene, chief operations officer of the SciTech Institute. Even the effects of COVID-19 didn’t stand in the way of the state coming together, although at a distance. “Organizers took advantage of the ‘virtual’ reality that arose in response to the pandemic and worked to support the festival’s collaborators and events as a fusion of online and in-person approaches,” Greene says. This year’s lineup included: • More than 200 free virtual events in February, • STEM professional career panels, • Virtual tours, • How-to videos featuring Q&A with experts, and • Interactive activities In addition, presentations were conducted in English, Spanish and American Sign Language. The festival also leaves a legacy marked by a recorded content library that now counts more than 5,000 resources. While others might have put the festival on hold this year, that didn’t happen in Arizona. “We saw the silver lining in how current challenges will push us to grow as a community and work creatively together,” Babendure says.

New Vice President for Southern Arizona Karla Morales has been named the Arizona Technology Council’s new vice president to oversee all operations for the Southern Arizona regional office. In this role, Morales will lead an expansion plan in the region, including recruiting members, securing sponsorships and supporting events through underwriting from member organizations. She also will serve as the liaison to the Tucson Ambassadors and volunteer sub-committees, as well as develop and foster relationships with state, local, national and international government officials to advocate for and facilitate public policies that serve Council members. Most recently, Morales served as interim director of the Office of Multicultural Advancement at The University of Arizona, where she was

aztechcouncil.org

responsible for implementing and leading a range of sustained programs, initiatives and events to facilitate intercultural/ Karla Morales intergroup dialogue, promote equity and inclusion, and advance social justice. In addition, she serves as board chairwoman of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, where she became a board member in September 2019. Morales also was named United Way’s Campaign Coordinator of the Year in 2018. While a student at the university, she earned an MBA at the Eller College of Management and a Bachelor of Science in Education.

ARIZONA TECHNOLOGY REPORT

Two Corporate Leaders Added to Council Board Mike Stewart, vice president of Advanced Technology Engineering, Honeywell Aerospace, and Amit Bhandari, vice president of Strategic Relationships, Solugenix, are the newest members of the Arizona Technology Council’s board of directors after being elected to three-year terms at the Council’s quarterly board meeting in January. At Honeywell Aerospace, Stewart uses his experience to drive new technologies into products and services that best meet customer needs. He leads a team of scientists and technologists who define the future technologies and products to be implemented in markets ranging from avionics to space and defense. Stewart also is a member of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry Defense, Aerospace and Aviation Committee, and West Valley Defense Alliance. He obtained a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Utah State University in Logan, Utah. Bhandari is a business leader with experience in sales, digital transformation, client advisory, marketing, service delivery and operations. He is deeply passionate about next-gen tech and adoption across industries, and his specific focus is on the Arizona market and Solugenix’s growth in the state. In his current role, Bhandari helps clients navigate the shift in the technology landscape with wider adoption of digital and social paradigms, and building strategies and capabilities based on business insights and artificial intelligence. He obtained a Master of Science in computer science from SCSIT, DAVV and an MBA from the Institute of Management Studies in India. The Council’s board of directors serves an advisory and fiduciary role by representing the interests of the state’s technology industries in the Council’s strategic planning and ongoing operations. The current board consists of 32 members representing a diverse set of organizations.

Mike Stewart

Amit Bhandari

Healthy Start

Association health plan catches on among members in its debut year As the rebuilding of the Arizona economy begins, small businesses and startups likely are looking for ways to provide more generous overall compensation packages to their employees, a critical factor in helping technology companies attract and retain top talent. The Arizona Technology Council’s association health plan (AHP) formed in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield can help. Consider what has happened since the AHP’s launched in January 2020: • Growth of 200% in employers and 130% in employees by February 2021. • The health plan’s current gross annualized premium is nearly $3 million. • The average group size of an employer participant is 10 employees. Technology industry employers with as few as two employees have access to a benefits package that includes medical, dental and vision coverage; life insurance and AD&D; employee assistance; and health savings account (HSA)/flexible spending account (FSA) administration. The AHP also provides members with relief from COBRA administration, bill paying, compliance filings and managing participant eligibility and benefits enrollment.

ARIZONA TECHNOLOGY REPORT

Features for participating companies include: • Access to a statewide network, including the Mayo Clinic, with exclusive network options in Maricopa and Pima counties; • Choice of a wide selection of primary care providers and specialists; • Local customer service for care and claims support; • Telehealth visits with doctors, counselors and psychiatrists anytime and anywhere from a smartphone, computer or tablet; and • Tools and resources to help members make educated decisions about health care choices. Members can shop and compare costs for more than 1,600 procedures, find a doctor or speak to nurse on call 24/7, access health plan information via mobile app, and much more. These are among the reasons the AHP has helped more than two dozen technology industry employers with 232 employees across the state find lower-cost and richer benefits for their companies. All have expressed their intent to renew for another year. For more information about the Council’s association health plan, visit aztechcouncil.org/AHP.

2021

MEDTECH

CONFERENCE .............................................

Leveraging Tech in a Post-pandemic Environment

THURSday, APRIL 15 8am - 12PM

Use promo code MEDTECH2021 for $10 off registration. www.aztechcouncil.org/event/2021-medtech-conf aztechcouncil.org

AZTC Members $25 Non-Members $45 5 ARIZONA TECHNOLOGY REPORT

Reaching Out

Multimedia approach keeps Council connected to vast membership Staying in touch with members whose operations stretch across the state has been critical to the Arizona Technology Council since its start. Through a series of communication methods, including April’s release of the annual report, members and others have been informed about developments not only of the Council but issues affecting the state’s technology industry as a whole. The Council’s multimedia suite includes:

Annual Report The Council releases its annual report to detail the previous year’s activities, successes, initiatives and industry and member accomplishments. From public policy successes and SciTech Institute goals to events and communications stats, the report features the programs and services Council staff works delivers, as well as opportunities for member involvement, such as committees and peer groups.

AZTechBase The platform AZTechBase was launched in conjunction with the Arizona Commerce Authority and IT services firm AccountabilIT. The goal of AZTechBase is to further elevate Arizona’s technology ecosystem by providing accurate, current datasets that are easily accessible. But even more important is the platform helps support communication and interaction limited in the midst of the pandemic.

AZTechCast Co-hosted by Phoenix Business RadioX and Council President and CEO Steven G. Zylstra, the monthly AZTechCast’s guests share success stories, news and analysis about the region’s leading startups, companies and emerging technologies, as well as industry trends and critical issues propelling Arizona’s growing technology ecosystem.

TechFocus Member Spotlight In partnership with Tucson-based firm Michael Beach Consulting, the monthly TechFocus Member Spotlight podcast highlights Arizona’s growing prominence as a world-class technology hub. Each episode features innovative entrepreneurs, transformative leaders and technology titans who are reshaping the state’s evolving technology ecosystem in existing and emerging sectors.

TechConnect TechConnect is the only magazine that has covered Arizona’s science and technology community for almost two decades. Launched by the Council in 2005 and produced in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority, the digital e-magazine is produced quarterly and provides news about the state’s industry trends and critical issues that drive Arizona’s technology ecosystem.

TechTalk The Council’s monthly TechTalk e-newsletter provides featured segments on member news, content from the Council’s blog, member discounts and services by the Council’s Preferred Business Partners, sustainability and renewable energy, R&D, innovation, technological advancements, emerging technology sectors, industry news and more.

ARIZONA TECHNOLOGY REPORT

Yes, Some Good News

STEM job postings up, technology firms increase in Q4 2020 At the end of a year seemingly filled with bad news from various sectors, there was some good news to report in the fourth quarter of 2020 by Arizona’s technology ecosystem. Data in the latest quarterly Arizona Technology Industry Impact Report from the Arizona Technology Council revealed a 29% jump in STEM job postings in December 2020 vs. December 2019 and a 4.3% growth in technology companies here year-over-year. “Despite a challenging year caused by the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Arizona’s technology sector was able to rebound quickly and even outpace Q4 2019 in several significant growth metrics,” says Steven G. Zylstra, the Council’s president and CEO. Positive data points in the latest report include a 6.2% employment growth in technology — higher than other states in the region — and a 1.02% increase in technology wages. Additional findings of the fourth quarter report included: • Total technology industry wages – $22,665,834,342 • Total technology firms – 10,093 • Technology jobs multiplier – 3.76, meaning that for every 100 technology jobs added, 376 new jobs were created in other industries. • Arizona’s African American technology workforce – 3.61% year-over-year increase The Council also supplemented the data with published works highlighting Arizona leaders and organizations across a range of sectors. Featured leaders include: • Lea Márquez Peterson, chairwoman, Arizona Corporation Commission • Eric Miller, co-founder and principal, PADT • Calline Sanchez, vice president of IBM Systems Lab Services and IBM Systems Technical University, and Arizona and New Mexico state leader for IBM • Dr. Sunil Sharma, physician-in-chief, TGen On the Council’s behalf, the quarterly report is compiled by eImpact, an organization that creates web-based, datareporting solutions designed to help cities, industries and planners drive effective policy, create new growth and engage stakeholders. The report is based on eImpact’s analysis of data from Emsi, Brookings Institution, CompTIA, AngelList, National Science Board and others. Molly Castelazo, CEO and chief content strategist of Castelazo Content, also partnered with the Council to organize and develop the supplemental content and update the report design. The complete report is available on the Council website at aztc.eimpactv2.report/reports/ view/5f08e79ae2cca70033382657.

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