An Interview with A. Hadi Chaudhry, CEO & President of CareCloud

 Medigy warmly congratulates A. Hadi Chaudhry, CEO, President, and Director at CareCloud, for being honored as one of the most outstanding business leaders of 2023 by MIRROR REVIEW and EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2023 showcasing his dynamic leadership skills.

1. As the CEO of CareCloud, can you elaborate on CareCloud’s mission, vision, and overall business strategy in the context of the healthcare industry? 

Primarily, I would like to express my gratitude to Medigy for recognizing CareCloud’s dedication to driving impactful outcomes in the health industry. We appreciate the opportunity to share our vision, current efforts, and achievements with our solutions.

At CareCloud, our mission is to work in collaboration with healthcare practices to overcome operational challenges and optimize healthcare delivery. We see ourselves as healthcare innovation visionaries, providing cost-effective solutions that prioritize value-based healthcare.

Our cloud-based revenue cycle and practice management solutions, along with our other health tech offerings, are designed to cater to the unique needs of any specialty practice. These solutions streamline operational functions, allowing healthcare providers to focus on delivering top-notch care to their patients.

2. What motivated you to become the CEO of CareCloud, and what do you find most fulfilling about leading the company? 

In 2002, I joined CareCloud as an Information Technology Manager. Working closely with our founder, Mr. Mahmud Haq, I became energized by our shared goal of simplifying and optimizing the financial operations of healthcare delivery.

Over the years, the drive to improve financial workflows for healthcare providers has kept me motivated and inspired. Seeing the positive impact of our solutions on our customers and the healthcare industry has been immensely fulfilling.

As a leader at CareCloud, I am proud of our 92% customer retention rates and diversity of our workforce, which is united in our mission to make a difference in healthcare. Hearing positive feedback from our customers is the ultimate validation of our efforts, and it fuels us to continue innovating and pushing boundaries.

3. How does CareCloud differentiate itself from competitors in the digital health and medical practice management industry, and how do you view its current position in the market? 

As the health tech industry diversifies to improve healthcare delivery, clinical facilities have countless options to choose from for their operational needs.

However, with CareCloud, we not only offer high quality technological solutions for organizing practice workflows and streamlining financial processes, but also maintain perfect transparency with our clients.

Our robust technology is coupled with a comprehensive customer support, and client education and training platform to allow a seamless transition to our software and easy integration with other technologies.

Currently, CareCloud is at a steep climb towards converting our previous year’s achievements into 2023’s predicted 12% organic growth and enlarged revenue. Furthermore, CareCloud is currently striving to dive into the international market, which I believe may be the pinnacle of this year’s success.

4. What are the main challenges and opportunities that CareCloud faces in today’s healthcare landscape, and how do you plan to address them as a leader in the industry? 

Cybersecurity has become a significant challenge for healthcare technology worldwide. At CareCloud, our team of skilled revenue cycle management (RCM) experts are specifically trained to handle security breaches more efficiently than regular healthcare IT workers. Our solutions are also fully Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant and adhere to all regulations meticulously to ensure secure data entry and prevent cybersecurity issues.

Looking ahead to 2023, we are excited about a new opportunity to penetrate the health tech market in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). With the government requiring electronic health records (EHR) for health practices, CareCloud is uniquely positioned to offer exceptional solutions to healthcare providers in the region. Our team is actively working towards this goal, and we will keep you updated on our progress.

5. Can you share CareCloud’s evolution over the years and provide insight into its future direction and growth prospects? 

CareCloud has come a long way since its inception in 1999 as Medical Transcription Billing Company (MTBC), providing manual billing and medical transcription services in Somerset, New Jersey. Today, while our headquarters is still in New Jersey, we offer a comprehensive suite of services, including RCM, Practice Management, and EHR solutions to over 260 medical practices in more than 80 medical specialties.

Our solutions are now used by over 40,000 healthcare providers, and we continue to expand our offerings and reach. Looking ahead, our goal is to achieve a 12% organic growth rate in the upcoming year and convert our excellent recurrent booking results from the previous year into upgraded revenue. With a dedicated team and a focus on innovation and customer satisfaction, we are confident in our ability to continue to deliver high-quality solutions to healthcare providers across the globe.

6. How do CareCloud’s technology solutions contribute to improving healthcare outcomes and enhancing the efficiency of medical practices in the areas of EHR, Practice Management, RCM, Patient Engagement, and Telehealth? 

At CareCloud, we understand the importance of efficient practice workflows and secure management of patient records. Our cloud-based EHR software offer safe and spacious cloud storage for the maintenance and secure transfer of patient records. Our practice management system highlights practice key performance indicators (KPIs) and suggests efficient solutions to redundant workflows.

We also offer solutions to address patient appointment scheduling challenges. Our systems allow patients to schedule appointments from home, auto fill physician schedules for cancelled appointments, and provide a secure virtual health delivery platform for chronic and elderly patients. With these solutions, we strive to optimize healthcare delivery and improve patient outcomes.

7. Could you highlight any recent achievements or milestones of CareCloud that you take pride in? 

We are thrilled to share that CareCloud’s innovative EHR and Practice Management solutions have recently received several prestigious recognitions. In the Small Ambulatory EMR/PM category, our solutions were recognized by KLAS Research in both 2022 and 2023, which is a testament to our commitment to providing high-quality solutions to our clients.

CareCloud’s Central and Charts solutions were also recognized as the Best Medical Software of 2022 by Business News Daily, thanks to their superior workflow and user-friendly features.

In addition, FeaturedCustomers recently recognized our Concierge RCM as the best RCM software of 2022, which further reinforces our position as a leader in healthcare technology. We are proud of these achievements and will continue to work hard to provide the best solutions for our clients.

8. How do you prioritize innovation and stay ahead in the rapidly changing healthcare technology landscape? 

Innovation is an ever-evolving process that requires constant learning and staying up to date with industry trends. One of the best ways to achieve this is by engaging in invigorating conversations with imaginative thinkers that can spark fresh ideas and ideologies.

To continuously expand my knowledge base and boost my problem-solving skills, I enjoy having both argumentative and collaborative conversations with industry experts – both fresh and seasoned. These discussions help me think freely and challenge my assumptions, which leads to more creative solutions for the challenges we face in healthcare technology.

9. Medigy recognizes that CareCloud has received accolades from review-based award sites such as KLAS Research, Toyota Financial Services, Business News Daily, etc. How significant do you believe peer reviews and social proof are in driving product sales and influencing decision-making among healthcare delivery organization (HDO) C-suites? 

Customer reviews are crucial for the success of any service providing company. Peer reviews can impact a potential customer’s decision to choose a particular product or service. Positive reviews can increase customer trust and confidence, while negative reviews can hinder sales and damage a company’s reputation.

Therefore, it is important for companies to encourage customers to leave reviews and to actively address and resolve any negative feedback. Companies can also use customer reviews to gather insights into areas of improvement and to continually enhance their products or services to better meet customer needs.

10. With the substantial growth of the telehealth market due to the impact of COVID-19, how do you envision the future of this industry, and what role is CareCloud playing in shaping its trajectory? 

We are working on enhancing our telehealth and telemedicine solutions to cater to the changing needs of healthcare delivery. We are constantly improving our virtual healthcare delivery platform to ensure seamless communication and care coordination between patients and healthcare providers.

Moreover, we are committed to making our solutions more accessible to the elderly and chronically ill patients who need them the most. We aim to create user-friendly interfaces and incorporate features such as remote monitoring to improve patient outcomes and reduce hospital readmissions.

Overall, I believe the pandemic has been a catalyst for the health tech industry and has accelerated the adoption of digital healthcare solutions. CareCloud is determined to remain at the forefront of this change and provide innovative solutions to our clients.

11. What is on CareCloud’s roadmap for the future, including any opportunities for investors and partnerships? 

As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, CareCloud’s focus on providing intelligent solutions to ease provider workload remains steadfast. Our team is dedicated to tackling complex healthcare problems with innovative problem-solving approaches and innovative technology to streamline practice functions. Our goal is to become a leader in the field of innovative healthcare, and we welcome investors who share our vision to help us achieve it.

12. In what ways have CareCloud’s innovations in EHR, Practice Management, RCM, Patient Engagement, and Telehealth positively impacted patient care? Do you believe that having a disciplined innovation framework is crucial for driving innovations that benefit patient care and ultimately the return on investment (ROI) for healthcare delivery organizations (HDOs)?

CareCloud’s innovative technologies are designed with user-friendliness and comprehensive charting in mind, featuring configurable template features for an organized display of essential information. Our innovative RCM solutions can quickly identify errors in medical claims, ensuring faster reimbursements and reducing the possibility of human error.

Our technologies are also easily accessible to patients through iOS, Android, and desktop systems, providing a diverse array of patients with seamless access to healthcare. At CareCloud, we believe that innovation is the key to achieving countless advances in the field of healthcare technology. It allows for the efficient delivery of value-based care, maximizes reimbursements, reduces healthcare costs, and promotes overall population wellness. 

Rapid Fire – Quick and Sappy One-liners

1.What do you find the best and worst parts of being a CEO? 

The best part of leading a company is watching it evolve and grow over time. It is always exciting to see innovative ideas take shape, and to witness the positive impact that the company can have on its customers and the broader community.

However, the role of a leader also comes with many challenges. Making tough decisions is an inevitable part of running a successful business, and some of these decisions can be risky. It takes a lot of courage and resilience to navigate tricky situations and make decisions that may not always be popular.

2. What was the most tough decision you had to make and its outcome (e.g., budget cuts, organizational restructuring, market withdrawal, etc.). 

Allowing remote operations during the pandemic was a decision that I believe has encouraged our employees to remain efficient and work at their own pace, while also keeping company operations running smoothly to this day. It was a challenging decision to make, as we had to balance the safety of our employees with the need to continue providing services to our clients. However, we are proud of how our team has adapted and continued to deliver high-quality solutions despite the challenges. We continue to prioritize the health and safety of our employees, while keeping our focus on providing innovative solutions to our clients.

3. What is the most valuable business lesson you have learned while growing CareCloud? 

A lesson I learned while working under CareCloud founder, Mr. Mahmud Haq, is to challenge my own normative judgments. By formulating innovative ideas and solutions to present issues, I can work out complexities and untangle problems. This approach has helped me become more creative and innovative in my problem-solving and has allowed me to think freely to find effective solutions.

4. Name 3 main proactive strategy that you have implemented to effectively manage workforce attrition, and do you believe that awards and recognitions is one among them in contributing towards employee retention? 

I would say there are four key factors in maintaining a motivated and unified workforce: hiring like-minded individuals, allowing sufficient downtime to avoid burnout, providing comprehensive training, and showing appreciation. By incorporating all four, we can create an environment where employees are not only efficient, but also happy and fulfilled. Rewards and appreciation play a vital role in keeping employees motivated and committed to their work.

5. If you could provide one career advice for aspiring digital health entrepreneurs, startup founders, and/or CEOs, what would it be?

The pursuit of knowledge is a never-ending journey, and the ability to learn from any source is crucial for success. Humility is essential in recognizing that there is always room for improvement and that there is always something new to be learned. A thirst for knowledge is the driving force behind continuous learning and growth. Passion for perfection is the fuel that drives us to achieve excellence in our endeavors. By embodying these traits, we can constantly push ourselves to be better and achieve our goals.

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We appreciate your time and the invaluable insights you have shared during this interview. Medigy is confident that young digital health entrepreneurs will benefit from the wisdom gained from this conversation.