We hired a vendor we had no direct relationship with

“At the Summit we had the opportunity to have a direct relationship with a vendor that was
working with our third third-party provider. We have now brought them onboard for a different
strategy, and using their team consistently,” said Kim Shutze, VP & Chief Nursing Officer, Texas Health Resources, a speaker and delegate at the Marcus Evans Healthcare CNO Summit.

What new opportunities did the Summit introduce you to?

It was a great networking event. I connected with people in the industry, my peers in other
healthcare organizations. The interpersonal connections were invaluable. The quality of the
presentations was fantastic. I enjoyed being a speaker and sharing my expertise. I met
vendors I would have never encountered on my own. One of the vendors offers a technology
that really impressed me. We would not have discovered it on our own.

We also connected with a vendor from our portfolio that operated through our managed
staffing provider. We had not previously engaged directly, but after the Summit, we brought
them to our in in-house staffing component to provide per diem staffing to our team. We are
using their services on a regular basis.

Would you have approached them directly?

No, I would not have. I did not know them. I had not worked with them. I only became aware
of and met them at the Summit. They discussed their model and there was an alignment.
Having that face face-toto-face meeting at the Summit made the difference.

If they had called or emailed you, would you have ended up hiring them?

Absolutely not. It would have been almost just another vendor call for me. That in
in-person connection helped make it happen. Due to the volume of solicitation emails received, I cannot
always respond to all vendor emails received.

Did you find the speaker presentations helpful?

Yes. Even when they do not apply to me, I take that information back to my peers who may be
working on that type of project. I try to make those connections for my peers.

How would you compare the Summit with other industry events?

Due to my busy schedule, I am selective as to which meetings that I attend. I work on many
projects therefore, it is difficult for me to travel. I liked the small small-scale approach of the
Summit. I had time to really get to know people. I gained exposure to new vendors.

Find out more about the next Healthcare CNO Summit