A few weeks ago, CNSI made the announcement that our headquarter office in Rockville has joined a host of great companies in the Montgomery County area by becoming Green Business Certified. The seal is a badge of accomplishment we wear proudly, aligning perfectly with the motto of iCare, our Corporate Social Responsibility Program — “Think Globally, Act Locally”.

However, this accomplishment is much more than just checking off a few boxes. We understand that in order to have a lasting impact, you must take on the lasting responsibility of being a good corporate steward. That is why we kicked off the year by quickly establishing our 2018 Green Initiative goals, which include:
* Completing each phase of our Continuous Improvement Plan, which involves meter monitoring
* Expanding awareness tactics for all employees including e-newsletter articles, in-house digital advertising, and in-person education events
* Instituting a Fair Trade Certified and Low-Impact purchasing policies at all project sites
* Identifying requirements and beginning work on Green Certification for our three project office locations

At the end of the day, we want our clients, employees and communities to know we care about creating a greener, healthier world and feel proud knowing they are a part of it.

Last week, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma sat down with American Hospital Association (AHA) President and CEO Rick Pollack for a discussion about CMS’ 2018 priorities. What followed was an enlightening conversation centering on innovation and responsiveness to patients – without overburdening providers with bureaucratic responsibilities, especially small, rural offices.

Luckily, the whole thing is available here, on the AHA website. But since you may not have the time to watch the webcast–though we suggest you do–here are our takeaways and some key quotes from Verma:

* “CMS is conscious of working with providers to reduce regulatory burden. “CMS puts out 11,000 pages of regulations every year. I’m not sure how the healthcare system has been dealing with this over the years, but we are dedicated to trying to address that issue.”

* “We need to prepare for a new generation of beneficiaries. Especially in our Medicare program where we know this is a more tech savvy population that’s coming into the program.”

* “It’s up to IT to provide the innovative solutions the next generation will expect. How can we prepare and how can we give them the tools that they’re going to expect – they’re going to expect more of an Amazon experience. Our focus is going to be on both modernizing the Medicare and the Medicaid program.”

* The specific needs of rural providers will not be ignored. I understand they might just need more time or more technical assistance around implementations, or some things just may not make sense in a rural area. We’re trying to have as much flexibility as possible to accommodate both rural and urban providers.”

Did you catch it? At the center is one main theme—technology. It is going to be how we address regulatory burden, modernize our systems, and expand rural health. And we’re very excited about our role in these priorities. Stay tuned for future posts on CNSI’s plans to contribute.

CNSI is proud to announce that the Department of Environmental Protection, has confirmed that we have achieved a Green Business Certification for CNSI’s office at 2277 Research Blvd in Rockville, MD. We are honored to have met the standards of the Montgomery County Green Business Certification Program – a voluntary recognition program designed to encourage businesses and other organizations to take steps that reduce their ecological footprint. The certification, which is good for three years, recognized CNSI for its commitment to reduce its ecological footprint, specifically for the company’s:

• * Organizational Commitment
• * Waste Reduction and Recycling
• * Environmentally Preferred Purchasing
• * Energy and Water Efficiency
• * Transportation and Travel

“In reviewing your application, it is clear that sustainability is very much embedded in your day-to-day operations and corporate culture,” said Douglas M. Weisburger, Senior Planning Specialist of Sustainability Programs at the Department of Environmental Protection. “In fact, CNSI’s application and commitment is among the strongest I’ve seen!”

Environmental stewardship is a core value of CNSI. Through comprehensive environmental policies, continuous improvement plan and metrics, preferred vendor database based on Responsible Purchasing methods, outreach to staff through a newsletter and educational events, and collaborative work with outside organizations, CNSI has exemplified its dedication to improving the environment in which it serves. To learn more about the Green Business Certification, visit www.mcgreenbiz.org.