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Cyvatar Adds Starter Subscription to CSaaS Offering

Cyvatar

Cyvatar today announced the availability of its starter subscription, a fast and cost-effective introduction to the company’s revolutionary all-in-one cybersecurity-as-a-service (CSaaS) offering. Cyvatar delivers outcomes-based solutions to organizations that cannot hire in-house security teams, do not have the runway to experiment with multiple security tools as they scale, or cannot compete against larger firms for the scarce number of skilled resources available. Its starter subscription offers businesses the quickest route to remediation--the process of identifying and closing gaps or vulnerabilities in a security environment--by bundling expert practitioners, proven technologies, and a strategic long-term roadmap into a fixed monthly price. The starter subscription also enables companies trying to maintain standards including SOC 2, CMMC, NIST, ISO, HIPAA, and PCI to achieve complete and continuous compliance even as regulations change. “Companies often don’t realize the hidden costs of maintaining compliance,” said Cyvatar Founder and Chief Experience Officer Corey White. “They think if they purchase a compliance tool or managed service, they’ll be covered--but that’s rarely the case. Too often, such solutions uncover more problems that require remediation without providing the capabilities to patch vulnerabilities and keep an organization’s data both safe and compliant. Our experts provide solutions across the entire security lifecycle as part of an inclusive all-in-one subscription model.” Cyvatar’s starter subscription covers incident response services, IT asset inventory, continuous vulnerability scanning security gap analysis, and a strategic roadmap to ensure that once an organization achieves remediation it preserves that solved state over time while maintaining all applicable compliance requirements. Rather than simply sending alerts, Cyvatar’s seasoned cyber veterans manage the entire security process, from assessment to continuous remediation and maintenance. “You can spend a small fortune investing in a series of pen tests, assessments, or other costly activities that don’t bring you any closer to remediation,” said Craig Goodwin, founder and chief product and strategy officer at Cyvatar. “Historically, companies had good security or full compliance, but not both. We’re revolutionizing the industry by ensuring both goals are met simultaneously so customers no longer have to sacrifice one to achieve the other.” The Cyvatar starter subscription delivers guaranteed cybersecurity and compliance outcomes at a fraction of the cost of legacy approaches: What security challenges are you trying to solve? What barriers do you face? Click HERE to get started with Cyvatar’s cybersecurity-as-a-service (CSaaS) subscription and register for the Subscription Launch Party on December 8th. About Cyvatar Cyvatar.ai is a transformative cybersecurity company that operates at the intersection of our customers and technology to define what a cybersecurity solution should be: guaranteed business outcomes that are measurable. We break down barriers to create positive experiences for passionate companies globally. Cyvatar is headquartered in Irvine, California. Learn more at https://cyvatar.ai/ and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Contact Details KC Higgins +1 303-434-8163 kc@cyvatar.ai Company Website https://cyvatar.ai/

November 19, 2020 08:22 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Convey Services Launches Cloud Exhibit

Convey Services

Convey Services, a SaaS technology company, today expanded its Cloud Conventions platform by launching Cloud Exhibit ™, a universal, portable, virtual exhibit environment that improves branding, and enhances attendee experience, when exhibiting or sponsoring any virtual event, regardless of the platform used by the tradeshow or conference. Cloud Exhibit is the digital version of a custom trade show booth that companies can use to showcase their products and services at dozens of different events and conferences, selectively displaying from a collection of formats and assets to match every audience. With Cloud Exhibit you can own a branded, content-rich exhibit environment connecting attendees to a custom experience. “Today, companies must adapt to virtual booth environments on event platforms that have the philosophy of one size fits all,” said Carolyn Bradfield, CEO of Convey. “As the virtual event trend expands into 2021 and beyond, companies large and small will exhibit at an increasing number of virtual events delivered over a variety of technology platforms. Exhibitors don’t have a say in the platform a trade show chooses, but they can control everything an attendee sees and can engage with. Cloud Exhibit provides a customizable, flexible, virtual booth environment that comes online in days without the time, risk, or expense of development. It maintains a strong corporate identity, provides better control of branding, and has an expanded set of sales tools.” How Cloud Exhibit Works Cloud Exhibit is built on Cloud Conventions’ technology platform providing exhibitors with a framework to create a custom branded display that can be linked to any virtual tradeshow. Attendees logged into a virtual event are connected to the Cloud Exhibit platform through hyperlinks or by single sign-on technology transferring the attendee into the Cloud Exhibit platform, creating a data record at the same time. Cloud Exhibit has many of the capabilities of a Cloud Conventions event portal including customization of the home page with graphics and embedded videos or 3D virtual technology. The platform is segmented into catalogs to organize and visually display content, showcase products, or segment individual brands and hold live or on-demand sessions. Every Cloud Exhibit comes with an attendee CRM, built-in email marketing and analytical reports to track engagement. “Customized, connected, focused and branded, a Cloud Exhibit showcases you in the way you want it to be seen and tracks engagement,” added Bradfield. “We created Cloud Exhibit in response to demand from exhibitors participating in Cloud Conventions-hosted events who are exhibiting at other events in 2021 on platforms that are less robust. Most event platforms do not provide companies with enough messaging control, branding, and a flexible experience to encourage attendee interaction, so having a permanent online environment that is portable only makes sense.” Cloud Exhibit comes with the technology framework to customize the homepage, organize content, create attendee dashboards, manage data records and relationships in the CRM, deliver virtual sessions and track activity. Cloud Exhibit portals include online training and an administrator help database to answer frequently asked questions. For more information on Cloud Exhibit visit: cloudconventions.com. About Cloud Conventions Cloud Conventions is a Virtual Trade Show and Conference Platform from Convey Services that brings new capabilities to a marketplace looking for solutions to replace the thousands of live trade shows, annual conferences and association meetings cancelled in the wake of COVID-19. Originally launched as ConveyLive, Cloud Conventions automates exhibitors and virtual booths, attendee registration, speaker sessions and reminders, invitations and email communication, while at the same time producing detailed analytics on attendee, session and exhibitor activity. Trade Associations and event managers can explore all of the Cloud Conventions solutions by visiting https://cloudconventions.com or contacting info@cloudconventions.com or call 888-975-1382. Cloud Conventions™, Cloud Exhibit™, Cloud Kickoffs™, Conduct™, One-Touch Email Share™, Hub & Spoke™, 360° Virtual Exhibit Hall & Lobby Experience™ and ListLock™ are trademarks of Convey Services LLC Contact Details Bruce Ahern +1 770-580-0810 bahern@conveyservices.com Company Website https://cloudconventions.com

November 17, 2020 01:45 PM Eastern Standard Time

CMMC Center of Excellence Announces Memorandum of Understanding with Maryland Innovation & Security Institute

Interoperability Clearinghouse

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Center of Excellence ( CMMC COE ), hosted by the Information Technology Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-AAC), a public-private partnership serving the public and private sectors for more than 15 years, is proud to announce a Memorandum of Understanding with the Maryland Innovation & Security Institute ( MISI ) and Dreamport Mission Accelerator. This unique partnership will extend efforts to advance the goals and objectives for improving the cyber and supply chain security and resilience of the US Department of Defense (DoD) global Defense Industrial Base (DIB) network of contractors, suppliers, and vendors. The executed MOU establishes a cooperative agreement between the Maryland Innovation & Security Institute and CMMC COE to partner in the furthering of their respective and complementary missions and objectives regarding the adoption, use, and expansion of CMMC based cybersecurity practices for the DIB contractor community and the information and communication technology community creating a broader CMMC ecosystem to improve security and resilience. Specific actions will include: The co-development of CMMC advisory services, cyber training and education programs to accelerate CMMC certification, increase cyber adoption and improve cyber protection & resilience. Collaboration on cyber technology knowledge sharing Co-sponsor symposiums, training programs and podcasts leveraging their combined cyber and IT expertise. Host regular working groups, with other partners, to enable collaboration and communications. Establish an independent Industry Cyber Security Advisory Council with peer organizations to advise and educate leaders across government and industry on the continued evolution and effectiveness of CMMC Through this exciting partnership, the CMMC-COE ( www.cmmc-coe.org ) will also focus on bringing together the many disparate cyber and national security communities of interest to reduce complexity, improve awareness, and accelerate industry effort to become more cyber resilient against the growing threats from nation states and criminal enterprises. The CMMC-COE partner network will be sharing a wide range of capabilities from member organizations, including; cyber standards frameworks, education, solution architectures, cyber mentoring, workforce, and other elements needed to scale to the demands of the entire DIB market place in the US and abroad (400,000+ contractors). The CMMC-COE establishes both a Market Place and Knowledge Clearinghouse that will include resources that support the overall effort, including white papers; tutorials; recorded webcasts; presentations; and more that will help reduce the cost and burden on small/medium size contractors already struggling from the impact of COVID. MISI is recognized as a leading provider of cybersecurity expertise and test and evaluation resource for cybersecurity technologies. MISI helps organizations by disrupting traditional innovation and accelerating the discovery of viable cybersecurity and related technologies that when combined with more mature technology, results in powerful new capabilities tackling new vulnerabilities and attack vectors launched at the US and the world. Acceleration is accomplished through maximum collaboration between our global cybersecurity and technology network of resources, academia, federal laboratories, and technology incubators and accelerators in our cyber mission accelerator facilities and labs, thereby, speeding up solution discovery through continuous probing of the marketplace and disruptive thought leadership. The team at MISI is deeply engaged with DoD suppliers across the nation and around the world as part of the organization’s efforts to find, test, evaluate, and develop as necessary, cost-effective cyber solutions in support of the nation and its supply chain. MISI’s work includes an almost two year deep dive into studying the challenges and state of the Defense Industrial Base ( DIB ) as it pertains to DFARS-7012 and readiness for the new CMMC requirements. For more information on the CMMC COE, please visit http://cmmc-coe.org email info@cmmc-coe.org or call 703-863-3766 For more information on the Maryland Innovation & Security Institute, please visit https://misi.tech/ About Us ---------- CMMC-COE.ORG is a unique non-profit public-private partnership, with a vision to accelerate Cybersecurity Maturity Model (CMM) adoption, and reduce time & cost for security compliance for our partners by leveraging commercial best practices, CMMC standards, and innovative solutions for a measurable success. Our mission, focused on DOD mission objectives, cost containment and expeditious CMMC compliance, is to help the DIB improve cyber posture and resilience, and simplify its acquisition. The CMMC-COE is hosted by the Information Technology Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-AAC), a public/private partnership (P3) chartered in 2007 as an honest broker to reach outside the confines of the Federal IT advisories that lack dynamic reach into the Global IT Market, and dedicated to the adoption of commercial IT management standards of practice and innovations emanating from the Global IT market. Team IT-AAC has already demonstrated the value of its decade long investment, and provides a unique value to agencies seeking to achieve accelerate the transformation of legacy processes and systems. Our Just-in-Time SMEs apply an innovative suite of Technology Business Management and Agile Acquisition Processes needed to assure the business value of commercial IT. The Interoperability Clearinghouse (ICH), is the managing partner that make up the 24 NGO/SDO organizations that make up the IT-AAC. ICH provides the contract vehicles, clearances, and critical resources proven to guide sustainable, measurable and repeatable processes needed to drive better investment decisions as the speed of mission need, while aligning existing processes, methods and workforce with IT reform mandates contained in Clinger Cohen Act, FITARA, IT MGT Act, EO13838. Contact Details Bob Dix +1 703-975-6633 bob.dix@it-aac.org Company Website https://cmmc-coe.org

November 16, 2020 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

Holiday Shopping Tips from a Personal Finance Expert

D S Simon Media

After a difficult 2020, it’s no surprise that this holiday season will look and feel a little different. With consumers potentially navigating difficult financial times, it’s more important than ever to be prepared for what lies ahead. Recently, Personal Finance Expert, Farnoosh Torabi, teamed with YourUpdateTV on a national satellite media tour to discuss. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/4hnnkME8t0E Get a Head Start There’s no need to wait until Black Friday or December to begin holiday shopping. Sales are abundant and round-the-clock this year, as retailers work hard to attract shoppers in a slow economy. When you see a sale for an item that’s on your list, take advantage of it. Waiting until the last minute only ensures you’ll be left with few options, in which case you might overspend on items that weren’t originally on your list. Make Budgeting a Family Affair You’re likely not the only member of the family concerned with blowing your budget over the holidays. To that end, be sure to openly discuss your savings goals with your family and suggest alternatives that could help bring down everyone’s expenses. For example, you might want to throw out the idea of an anonymous gift exchange, ‘Secret Santa,’ or ‘Pollyanna’ so that each family member only needs to shop for one person instead of multiple. Make it extra budget-friendly by capping gifts to no more than $25 or $30. Use Credit Wisely Avoid the traditional New Year debt hangover and be conscientious when using your credit card this holiday season. Try to streamline your spending onto one card for easier tracking. While you’re at it, use the card that best rewards you for all of your holiday purchases. For example, the Capital One Walmart Rewards Card helps will save you time and money this holiday season with unlimited 5% cash back on Walmart.com purchases. And if you’re planning to get out of your home for the holidays, the Capital One Walmart Rewards Card also earns you 2% back on restaurants and travel, so you’re saving everywhere you shop. That savings will allow you to spend more time on what matters during the holidays and less time shopping around. Bulk Buy Common Gifts For gifts you anticipate giving to many people this year, for example, bottles of wine, chocolates or stocking stuffers for your kids, buy the items in bulk. Often retailers will provide a 10% or 15% discount if you buy several of one item, whether it’s six pairs of the same socks or several pounds of sweets. It may not be advertised, but always worth asking a store manager. Never Checkout without a Promo Code Before you click “check out” online, be sure you’re not leaving any discounts on the table. A quick internet search for the name of the retailer and the term “discount code” might lead you to some handy codes to save a fast 20% or free shipping. For more information about the Capital One Walmart Rewards Card, visit www.Walmart.com/credit or visit Farnoosh.tv for more holiday shopping tips. About Farnoosh Torabi Farnoosh Torabi is one of America’s leading personal finance authorities — hooked on helping you live your richest, happiest life. As a Contributing Editor to Oprah Magazine and NextAdvisor, host of primetime series for CNBC and creator of the Webby-nominated podcast So Money, Farnoosh has become our favorite go-to money expert and financial friend. The New York Times calls her advice, “perfectly practical.” About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

November 13, 2020 12:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

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M Moser Associates Designed Project Sets Benchmark for Dynamic Workplaces

M Moser Associates

With remote working on the rise and employees increasingly working from anywhere, companies are quickly recognizing that recruiting talent has no borders. M Moser Associates, a global workplace design firm, today announced the completion of new office space in San Francisco for Okta, a leading independent provider of identity for the enterprise, that aims to address this very issue. The new workspace, located on a single floor of Okta’s headquarters in San Francisco, was created as a pilot and a blueprint for transforming the company’s use of physical space around the world. At its core, the strategy bucks the status quo by asking what if -- instead of creating large, centralized spaces -- Okta, with the help of M Moser, created smaller, agile spaces to serve as home bases for remote working employees to come together, collaborate and ideate while maintaining independence. “Even before the onset of the pandemic and the rise of remote working, Okta approached us with the idea to test a new strategy that redefines the purpose and configuration of physical office space -- one that provides a place for a distributed workforce to convene, collaborate, and recharge on culture when the need arises,” said Nabil Sabet, Group Director at M Moser. M Moser’s ultimate goal? Design to accommodate the nuances of team microcultures and specific work flows while maintaining a baseline workplace that can support all types of work. A new approach While many office designs use employee count, department function and/or desired amenities as their starting point, the Okta project was defined from the beginning by the behaviors and culture to be fostered by the new environment. Key features include: Personalized, semi-enclosed lounge spaces provide a ‘home base’ for teams to congregate. Located in different areas of the floorplate, and tied together by design elements, they replace traditional assigned departmental seating. While employees may start and end the workday at their team’s ‘home base,’ a myriad of seating options and work settings are always available. From social, collaborative café-like environments to ‘deep-work’ zones, the design strives to create a spectrum of spaces for employees to explore. M Moser’s behavior-based design approach provides in-depth understanding of the reality of the workplace performance. A proposed, one-of-a-kind concierge experience that will enable a hosted and social environment that nurtures creativity and teamwork to ensure both short-term and long-term optimization. An emphasis on the space’s four corners each containing unique features to attract usage and encourage movement around the floor. By allowing employees to truly work from anywhere but still providing a touchpoint for culture and camaraderie, Okta hopes to inspire and attract the best talent around the globe, regardless of physical location. Sabet concluded, “Okta was ahead of its time in understanding that workplaces must incorporate agility and flexibility for people to transition between in-person and remote work and from individual to collaborative settings with ease. Their transformation is inspiring and a model for others to follow.” ++ ABOUT M MOSER ASSOCIATES M Moser Associates is a global architecture, design, strategy and delivery firm with more than 1,000 professionals networked across Asia, India, Europe, and the Americas. Since 1981, we have helped transform organizations large and small as they’ve expanded locally and globally, providing solutions that meet the unique needs of their business and their people. Today, work happens everywhere, and the purpose of the office and the role it serves for employees is evolving. We believe that now, more than ever, a company’s physical workplace is a critical resource for creation, socialization and culture building. At M Moser, we work as one integrated team to align the physical, social and digital elements of your workplace and create healthy, agile and resilient virtual and physical spaces where people can connect, collaborate and do their best work – wherever they may be. To learn more about our team and how we work with clients and industry partners to create dynamic, resilient and human-centric environments please visit mmoser.com. ++ MEDIA CONTACTS Mica Guitron San Francisco Tel: +1 415 279 7305 Email: micag@mmoser.com Jessica Botos New York Tel: +1 646 204 5864 Email: jessicab@mmoser.com Alex Kendrick London Tel: +44 207 621 5400 Email: alexk@mmoser.com ++ Contact Details Mica Guitron +1 415-279-7305 micag@mmoser.com Company Website https://www.mmoser.com/en/

November 12, 2020 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Trusaic Announces New Software Product Designed to Simplify ACA Compliance and Reduce Risk of IRS Penalties for Large Corporations

Trusaic

Trusaic, a leading innovator in data solutions for regulatory compliance, today announced the launch of its new Free ACA E-File product with Penalty Risk Assessment. This new software solution is the only free product on the market that identifies penalty risk before the filing is transmitted to the IRS for approval. Most Human Resources professionals tasked with managing Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliance face a complex process in identifying employees who should receive health coverage under the ACA, and accurately tracking the corresponding coverage offers. Notably, companies with a large number of hourly employees or a high rate of workforce turnover, the process is difficult to manage and is often fraught with potential for error. Trusaic’s revolutionary Free ACA E-File solution with Penalty Risk Assessment identifies errors by replicating the checks run by the IRS to detect out-of-compliance organizations; this enables HR professionals to correct any issues and submit their organization’s 1094-C/1095-C filings for ACA reporting more quickly and with a higher level of accuracy. “With the pandemic and the global recession, we realized we had a big opportunity,” explains Robert Sheen, CEO and founder of Trusaic. “We decided we could leverage our technology prowess and our unmatched expertise in data, analytics, and regulatory compliance to offer a free service to businesses looking to save money and feel confident about what they sent to the IRS, giving them peace of mind in a time when it’s really needed.” Small mistakes in ACA filing can result in costly penalties approaching millions of dollars for the reporting organization, and most self-completion ACA software solutions do not offer the capability to identify or prevent IRS penalty risk. Trusaic’s Free ACA E-File product dramatically reduces the margin for error with the only built-in penalty risk analysis feature on the market. In order to ensure full compliance under the law, HR professionals must first organize and clean large amounts of data from disparate data sources, and then use that clean data to make calculations — all while applying the ACA law correctly. Issues with data entry, overwriting errors, inaccurate control group analysis, and missing values can result in inaccurate or incomplete data which is virtually undetectable by employees. Ultimately, such errors lead to out-of-compliance filings and inaccurate reporting to the IRS. “I’ve found Trusaic’s free Penalty Risk Assessment to be very helpful to the clients I serve, and I recommend it highly,” states Debra DeSpain, Assistant Vice President of Employee Benefits at Keenan and Associates. “When it comes to the risk my clients face, Employer Shared Responsibility Penalties (ESRP) are becoming more concerning as the amounts assessed and collected continue to grow each year. For many of my large, hourly-wage, high-turnover clients, this requires they outsource their ACA compliance, but for my simpler large clients with mostly salaried staff and low turnover, they can use Trusaic’s Free ACA E-File product with Penalty Risk Assessment to feel confident that what they are transmitting to the IRS is accurate – at no cost, which is extremely helpful during difficult budgeting times.” Trusaic boosts confidence for HR professionals by insulating the entire company from substantial fines that can result from human error and process failures. The free filing feature embedded into Trusaic’s Free ACA E-File product can further reduce costs, especially critical for organizations facing financial hardship during the economic turbulence of the global pandemic. Many organizations lack the capability to reconcile inconsistencies between data silos. Trusaic’s Free ACA E-File product provides a single source of truth to circumvent these issues and prevent incorrect filings before final submission to the IRS. “I really like the Free ACA E-File product from Trusaic,” says Derek Moore Senior Vice President with Venbrook Insurance Services. “They did such a great job making it super simple, and the fact that it identifies coding, compliance, and other errors is a real game changer.” Organizations can access Trusaic’s Free ACA E-File solution here. About Trusaic Trusaic is a software and services company that simplifies complex data and complicated regulations to give employers the information and confidence they need to take their businesses to the next level. We provide regulatory compliance, data quality management, and business intelligence, Done and Done Right. Visit trusaic.com to learn more. Contact Details April White +1 347-870-9402 trusaic@trustrelations.agency Company Website https://trusaic.com/

November 12, 2020 08:06 AM Eastern Standard Time

Physician Compensation Programs Shifting to Address Changing Market Dynamics and Mitigate COVID-19 Financial Implications

SullivanCotter

SullivanCotter, the nation’s leading independent consulting firm in the assessment and development of total rewards programs, workforce solutions, and technology and data products for the health care industry and not-for-profit sector, recently released results from the 2020 Physician Compensation and Productivity Survey – which represents data from more than 800 organizations on nearly 244,000 individual physicians and advanced practice providers. The results reflect calendar year 2019 and, as the last set of benchmark data available prior to the onset of COVID-19, this year’s survey will serve as an important resource for organizations needing pre-pandemic compensation reference points for this critical workforce. “Although the pandemic has created a great deal of uncertainty – with many organizations making near-term modifications to their physician compensation programs as a result – we’re seeing a slow and steady adjustment to the ‘new normal’ as patient volumes have returned to approximately 90% of pre-COVID-19 levels. In some ways, the fallout from COVID-19 has simply accelerated the forces that were driving physician compensation changes prior to the pandemic, and the 2020 survey data will be very important in helping to determine how organizations are responding to these challenges,” said Tim Stamper, Senior Consultant, SullivanCotter. Physician Total Cash Compensation (TCC) While TCC has grown, on average, 2.5% annually since 2012, COVID-19-related reductions in surgical and non-emergent care have impacted the financial condition of many health care organizations nationwide – causing them to implement or consider a number of compensation and benefits-related modifications to help offset significant losses in revenue. According to SullivanCotter’s COVID-19 Physician and Advanced Practice Provider Compensation Practices Survey series, nearly 30% of participants had implemented or were considering pay reductions for front line physicians and nearly 40% of participants were doing the same for non-front line physicians as of May 2020. Median pay cuts were 11% and 15% for front line and non-front line physicians respectively. Other organizations made cuts in physician benefits in response to COVID-19. The most common benefit program changes in 2020 included eliminating or reducing retirement plan contributions, adjustments to PTO policies, and eliminating or reducing CME allowances. The majority of these actions were intended to be temporary and, as patient volumes continue to increase and organizations start to recover financially, many are returning to historical pay and benefits practices. Due to the financial impact of COVID-19, physician incentive programs have also come under scrutiny in 2020. Among respondents surveyed in May, 16% of organizations reported eliminating or reducing non-productivity incentive compensation in 2020 while an additional 38% were considering this action. Many organizations pay out these incentives at year-end, making these programs an obvious target for cost-reduction. Physician Productivity The 2020 Physician Compensation and Productivity Survey results continue to show a trend of flat or even declining median work RVU (wRVU) productivity across all major specialty categories. Since TCC showed modest increases in the 2020 survey, TCC per wRVU ratios have also increased. While we have anticipated growth in value-based incentives, wRVUs and productivity-based incentives still determine the majority of incentive or variable compensation as a percentage of TCC. Approximately 70% of organizations utilize wRVUs to determine compensation for primary care and specialist physicians, with wRVU productivity accounting for about 18% of TCC in plans with a base salary component and over 90% of TCC in plans without a base salary component. Less than half (44%) of organizations surveyed include a wRVU component for hospital-based physicians, who are instead paid primarily on base salary and shift-based models. As organizations focus their attention on maintaining patient access and minimizing the financial losses created by COVID-19, the emphasis on individual wRVU productivity will remain prominent. While the pandemic itself has had a sizable impact on patient volumes and physician productivity, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed changes to the Evaluation & Management wRVU values loom large as organizations look ahead to 2021. These adjustments include an increase in wRVUs for most office-visit E&M codes due to added responsibilities physicians have absorbed over the last five years. As a result of the overall projected increased in wRVUs, a 10.6% reduction in the conversion factor was required in order to maintain budget neutrality. The proposed increase in wRVU values ranges from 28%-46% for established office visits, which will have a significant impact on compensation plans that use wRVUs as a determinant of compensation. Considerations for 2020 and Beyond Although COVID-19 has sharpened industry focus on supporting financial sustainability, other market dynamics and the timing of anticipated financial recovery are also influencing the way hospitals and health systems are approaching physician compensation in both the short and long-term. “Considering the implications of COVID-19 in 2020 and the impending impact of wRVU changes in 2021, the 2020 survey benchmark data represents the best data reference point for use in the near future. With appropriate context, it can serve as a foundation for understanding specialty market positioning leading into COVID-19, identifying recruitment and retention risks, and pinpointing areas of focus for targeted compensation adjustments as your organization moves forward with 2021 planning,” said Dave Hesselink, Principal, SullivanCotter. There are a number of important physician compensation considerations for organizations to assess as they continue to navigate the new normal: Be mindful of how to appropriately use 2020 survey data. Understand the timing of the data and consider what you are trying to assess before using it. It can be helpful in benchmarking the competitiveness of compensation program elements and incentive opportunities. Develop an approach to physician compensation now in response to CMS’ proposed wRVU changes. Organizations should be proactive in assessing how these changes will impact payer reimbursement and physician compensation programs. With continued uncertainty regarding the impact of the pandemic in FY2021 and beyond, be prepared for new pandemic-related challenges to patient revenues and physician compensation. Organizations would be well-advised to have a plan developed in advance of any new restrictions on elective and non-emergent care to mitigate additional financial losses. View an infographic summary of the 2020 survey results. For more information on SullivanCotter’s surveys or the upcoming Evaluation and Management wRVU value changes, please visit our website at www.sullivancotter.com, email us or contact us by phone at 888.739.7039. About SullivanCotter SullivanCotter partners with health care and other not-for-profit organizations to understand what drives performance and improve outcomes through the development and implementation of integrated workforce strategies. Using our time-tested methodologies and industry-leading research and information, we provide data-driven insights, expertise, data and technology products to help organizations align business strategy and performance objectives – enabling our clients to deliver on their mission, vision and values. Contact Details Becky Lorentz +1 314-414-3719 beckylorentz@sullivancotter.com Company Website https://sullivancotter.com/

November 11, 2020 08:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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CMMC Center of Excellence Announces Memorandum of Understanding with CREST International

Interoperability Clearinghouse

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Center of Excellence ( CMMC COE ), hosted by the Information Technology Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-AAC), a public-private partnership serving the public and private sectors for more than 15 years, is proud to announce a Memorandum of Understanding with CREST International, an international not-for-profit certification and accreditation body that supports the global technical information security market and is headquartered in the UK. This unique partnership will extend efforts to advance the goals and objectives for improving the cyber and supply chain security and resilience of the US Department of Defense (DoD) global Defense Industrial Base (DIB) network of contractors, suppliers, and vendors through an evaluation process intended to validate the capabilities, experience, and integrity of CMMC COE provider partners. The executed MOU establishes a cooperative agreement between CREST International and the CMMC COE, in coordination with the CMMC COE EU ( http://cmmc-eu.com ), to partner in the furthering of their respective and complementary missions and objectives regarding the adoption, use, and expansion of CMMC based cybersecurity practices for the DIB contractor community and the information and communications technology community creating a broader CMMC ecosystem to improve security and resilience across the global defense industrial base. CREST ( www.crest-approved.org ) provides internationally recognized accreditations for organizations providing technical security services and also includes professional level certifications for individuals providing vulnerability assessment; penetration testing, cyber incident response; threat intelligence; and security operations center ( SOC ) services. “This is a momentous occasion for us”, said Mr. John Weiler, Chairman of the Board at CMMC Center of Excellence, “Our global expansion will further help advance the goals and objectives for improving the supply chain security and resilience of the US Department of Defense (DoD) beyond North America”. “This new partnership between CREST and CMMC COE will play an important role in strengthening the resilience and protection of vital critical national infrastructure through structured testing to validate security defenses and controls, carried out by highly-qualified and certified professionals,” said Tom Brennan, Chairman of CREST USA. “It is vital that the buying communities in both the public and private sectors have the confidence and trust that their employees, contractors or suppliers have the highest levels of knowledge, skill and competence.” With locations in Europe, Asia, Australia, and the United States, the partnership reinforces a foundation of global capability for the validation of CMMC providers in 1) training & education; 2) readiness assessment 3) development and implementation of a tailored plan of action & milestones to advance preparedness, and 4) continuous monitoring to ensure maintenance of certification compliance. The CMMC-COE ( www.cmmc-coe.org ) and the CMMC COE EU ( https://cmmc-eu.com/ ) will continue to focus on bringing together the many disparate cyber and national security communities of interest to reduce complexity, improve awareness, and accelerate industry effort to become more cyber resilient against the growing threats from nation states and criminal enterprises. The CMMC-COE partner network will be sharing a wide range of capabilities from member organizations, including; cyber standards frameworks, education, solution architectures, cyber mentoring, workforce, and other elements needed to scale to the demands of the entire DIB market place in the US and abroad (400,000 contractors). For more information on the CMMC COE, please visit http://cmmc-coe.org email info@cmmc-coe.org or call 703-863-3766 For more information on the CMMC COE EU, please visit https://cmmc-eu.com/ For more information on CREST, please visit www.crest-approved.org About Us ---------- CMMC-COE.ORG is a unique non-profit public-private partnership, with a vision to accelerate Cybersecurity Maturity Model (CMM) adoption, and reduce time & cost for security compliance for our partners by leveraging commercial best practices, CMMC standards, and innovative solutions for a measurable success. Our mission, focused on DOD mission objectives, cost containment and expeditious CMMC compliance, is to help the DIB improve cyber posture and resilience, and simplify its acquisition. The CMMC-COE is hosted by the Information Technology Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-AAC), a public/private partnership (P3) chartered in 2007 as an honest broker to reach outside the confines of the Federal IT advisories that lack dynamic reach into the Global IT Market, and dedicated to the adoption of commercial IT management standards of practice and innovations emanating from the Global IT market. Team IT-AAC has already demonstrated the value of its decade long investment, and provides a unique value to agencies seeking to achieve accelerate the transformation of legacy processes and systems. Our Just-in-Time SMEs apply an innovative suite of Technology Business Management and Agile Acquisition Processes needed to assure the business value of commercial IT. The Interoperability Clearinghouse (ICH), is the managing partner that make up the 24 NGO/SDO organizations that make up the IT-AAC. ICH provides the contract vehicles, clearances, and critical resources proven to guide sustainable, measurable and repeatable processes needed to drive better investment decisions as the speed of mission need, while aligning existing processes, methods and workforce with IT reform mandates contained in Clinger Cohen Act, FITARA, IT MGT Act, EO13838. Contact Details Bob Dix +1 703-975-6633 bob.dix@it-aac.org Company Website https://cmmc-coe.org

November 10, 2020 05:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

DealCloud Survey Shows Optimism as Private Investors Look Beyond the Pandemic

Intapp

Fundraising Expectations High as Firms Gear Up to Deploy Dry Powder Limited COVID-19 Impact on Portfolios DealCloud (an Intapp company), a leading provider of deal, relationship and firm management solutions for capital markets firms, today released the Fall 2020 edition of its Dealmaker Pulse Survey, which indicates that private investors have moved past pandemic concerns regarding impact on current investments and are now concentrating on sourcing and closing new deals. In addition, a surprising number of firms raising new funds expect to meet or exceed their targets, despite existing dry powder. “In the six months since our last survey, the focus has shifted from portfolio concerns to dealmaking,” said Ben Harrison, co-founder and president of DealCloud. “Investors expect founder-owned businesses to see significant deal activity, though private equity firms of all sizes recognize that finding quality assets at fair valuations will be a challenge with increased competition.” The survey also revealed that fundraising may be returning to pre-pandemic levels. Only 12% of investors postponed or suspended fundraising plans, and a mere 6% lowered the target for their next fund. Meanwhile, an impressive 26% said their next fund will actually be larger than originally anticipated. Other findings from the survey include: New platforms are the focus: 70% of investors said new platform investments are their primary focus over the next six months, compared to 35% six months ago Fewer investors expect valuations to decline further: only 35% of respondents said they expect valuations to decline, down from 93% in April The pandemic continues to impact the work environment: 47% of private equity firms have plans to return to the office, and only 40% have plans to resume business development travel, as technology-driven operations are seen by many as a bare minimum to remain competitive and cultivate key relationships For some, dealmaking evaporated: 30% of investors said their firm did not close a deal (platform or add-on) since March “Clearly, investors are eager to deploy dry powder, but questions remain about who is able to close deals in this environment,” said Chris Gaffney, co-founder and managing partner of Great Hill Partners, a leading growth-oriented private equity firm. “Many firms are finding ways to close deals even as business development teams remain grounded, suggesting that the relationship cultivation that has traditionally taken place face-to-face has become increasingly reliant on technology over the past six months.” DealCloud’s Dealmaker Pulse Fall 2020 Survey polled dealmakers to gain key insights into how capital markets firms are dealing with the effects of the global pandemic and thinking about opportunities for the fourth quarter, next year and beyond. The online survey was conducted via DealCloud Dispatch, the platform’s integrated marketing solution, amid the COVID-19 crisis from Sept. 21 to Oct. 5, 2020. DealCloud will host a webinar to provide more color on the results of the DealCloud Dealmaker Pulse Fall 2020 Survey: Dealmaker Pulse: Key Findings for Capital Markets Firms to Take into 2021 Thursday, Nov. 11, 2020 at 11:00am EST Register here: https://dealcloud.com/event/dealcloud-dealmaker-pulse-key-findings-for-capital-markets-firms-to-take-into-2021/ To see the full results of the DealCloud Dealmaker Pulse Fall 2020 Survey, visit dealcloud.com/pulse. About DealCloud DealCloud, an Intapp company, provides a single-source deal, relationship, and firm management platform to enable more than 900 clients to power their dealmaking process from strategy to origination to execution. We offer fully configurable solutions purpose-built for the complex relationships and structures of private equity and growth capital firms, investment banks, private and publicly traded companies, debt capital providers, and other investors. For more information, visit dealcloud.com. Contact Details Alex Nye +1 646-502-3598 anye@stantonprm.com Company Website http://www.intapp.com

November 09, 2020 05:30 AM Eastern Standard Time

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