Why We Do What We Do at KLAS

There are rare people in your life who are so important, so influential, and so close and personal that it is impossible to adequately express what they mean to you. For me, one of these people was Halvor Bailey. He was my best friend. He was closer than a brother.

You can imagine my shock when I was informed of his sudden, unexpected, and untimely death at only 45 years old. He was the father of five children, the beloved son of his parents, and a friend to countless others. It was an inconceivable loss to all of us.

 After recovering from the initial impact of Halvor’s passing, I found out what had happened. He had died of a massive heart attack. Autopsy results showed that a complete occlusion in one of his arteries caused total coronary failure.

I also discovered that this ultimately fatal condition was completely preventable. A common medical procedure would have solved the problem and restored his health. I was devastated to think that he would be alive today if he had just gone to see the doctor.

 In speaking with Halvor’s mother, I asked why he hadn’t seen a doctor. She explained that although he was feeling symptoms, he felt he couldn’t afford to get help. Fear of the inevitable expenses associated with receiving treatment was the cause of his decision to tough things out on his own and avoid the doctor’s office. I felt sick when she told me that money concerns led to his demise.

 I had the opportunity to participate in Halvor’s funeral service. As I interacted with the many people in attendance, I was struck with this thought: I wonder how many of these people are in the same situation Halvor was?

Who here is avoiding the doctor because of concerns about healthcare costs? I began to have the desire to do something about it. When Halvor’s younger brother stood up and forcefully pleaded with everyone to see their doctor, I realized that I had to do something. But what could I do? How could I make a difference?

 A few months later, a friend told me about KLAS and the research they were doing to improve healthcare. I began to inquire about the company and quickly recognized that working at KLAS would give me an opportunity to make a difference for all the Halvors out there that are faced with the choice of paying rent or getting the healthcare they need. I sold my business interests and joined KLAS in January of this year.

 Just two weeks ago I had the opportunity to interview and help the owner of a men’s health clinic identify options for a new EMR solution. He was not getting the results he needed from his current software. Having access to KLAS reports and data enabled him to review peer feedback and narrow his search to include his best available options based on actual vendor performance ratings.

He was so enthusiastic and grateful for the information. It reminded me of how powerful our work can be.

I have a deep passion for KLAS’ mission to improve the world’s healthcare by providing greater transparency to providers and payers as they make critical software and services decisions. It has become a personal cause.

It is also the shared cause of my colleagues at KLAS. We are unflinching in our conviction that providing accurate and unbiased truth to providers everywhere will enable them to improve healthcare for all of us. It is why we do what we do.