In a recent press release, Collective Medical one of the nation’s largest and most effective delivery networks for care collaboration, announced the appointment of Jim Lacy as president and chief operating officer.
Lacy joins Collective from Waystar, where he most recently served as chief strategy officer, and prior, Lacy was chief financial officer and general counsel for ZirMed for 14 years. ZirMed was merged with Navicure to form Waystar in 2017. When Lacy joined ZirMed, the company had only 30 employees and approximately $3 million in revenue. During his tenure, Lacy took a collaborative approach to ZirMed’s product, policy, and strategy functions. The result was transformative. In the same leading role, Lacy led the company from a small startup to a health IT powerhouse growing by over 100-fold. ZirMed was continuously recognized as an industry leader in the revenue cycle category. It was awarded Best in KLAS® every year since 2010 and received seven consecutive number one rankings and BlackBookTM Awards.
“Ultimately, my decision to join Collective came down to people. At Collective, I saw a unified, purpose-driven team that shares the mission of delivering value to providers and patients alike,” says Jim Lacy, president & COO of Collective Medical. “I’m from Appalachia—Eastern Kentucky. I’ve seen for myself what the opioid epidemic has done to an entire region. I wanted to be involved in a company that’s solving a serious problem—one developing tangible solutions that provide real benefits that help people.”
Lacy adds, “Everyone is touched by the intrinsic flaws in our healthcare system. I’m proud to be a part of the solution.”
Jim Lacy – why Collective?
1. What motivated you to join Collective Medical? I've spent nearly 20 years in healthcare and considered the opportunity to work more broadly in software companies serving other industries. When I stepped away from Waystar, I decided to take my time and to devote myself to an organization that provided real and measurable social benefit. When I was introduced to the Collective team and saw the impact the company's mission had on healthcare providers and patients, it became clear that Collective was doing something special. Collective is doing something difficult but meaningful: positively impacting patient care across all care settings—including hospitals, physician practices, post-acute facilities and behavioral health providers. I wanted to be part of Collective's success.
2. What is the most exciting project, idea or initiative you and Collective Medical will embark on in 2019? When you find a company that has exponential benefit to society as it continues to expand, growth becomes a mission rather than a goal. The most important initiative for Collective in 2019 and beyond is reaching our potential to impact providers and patients. Our most important initiative is growth across all points of care—but not just for the sake of growth, for the purpose of impacting patients.
3. How have your roles evolved throughout your career? I was not a founder at ZirMed but I joined early enough in the company's journey to have my fingerprints on nearly every decision impacting the business, product and strategy. As the organization grew, I had to carve off roles and responsibilities and entrust team members to build upon our work and expand. Near the end of my tenure, my role had been narrowed and was more collaborative in nature. I learned that I thrive on the energy of a growth stage company and love the ability to work across departmental lines. Collective is a great size and scale to be able to focus on growth but explore opportunities to collaborate across functions.