Strengthening national emergency preparedness is crucial in minimizing the impact and reach of diseases, and the importance of readiness has been highlighted even more by the COVID-19 pandemic outburst. With 20 years of experience in national preparedness assessment, performance management, decision analysis, and many others, James Mullikin is equipped with comprehensive knowledge, and his expertise in the field is invaluable.
After retiring from the Federal Government, Mullikin established International Responder Systems (IRS), a full-service Federal, State, and Local Government contractor. The company’s mission to support international and domestic governments through emergency response training, and operations support has earned IRS many awards, including an astonishing $28.5M grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Training and exercises prepared by International Responder Systems quickly gained recognition and were used by organizations such as the California Department for Food and Agriculture (CDFA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the California Department of Public Health, and The City of Washington DC.
There were many factors contributing to the success of International Responder Systems, including determination, hard work, attention to detail, and expert knowledge in data analysis and grant reporting. However, Mullikin emphasizes the power of teamwork and forming deep connections with customers as the aspects that allowed him and his team to succeed. “I know that happy employees mean happy clients. That’s why questions and feedback are highly encouraged at IRS,” stated Mullikin.
International Responder Systems, on top of fortifying emergency preparedness, has also developed GrantReady, an innovative platform empowering the public and private sectors. Technology in healthcare helps automate measurements and data, allowing organizations to efficiently review results and uncover various ways to enhance patients’ care. Although the usefulness of tech developments is tangible in most sectors, healthcare is one area where highly-developed technology is lacking.
Aiming to solve that problem, Mullikin developed information-sharing, financial management, and grant management software for State and Local Governments in the US. GrantReady’s technology is meticulously designed to support situational awareness and broad data sharing, allowing efficient and detailed finance and grant tracking. GrantReady is a SaaS (Software as a Service) subscription, and a public health e-management system, poised to revolutionize data management across many industries.
“What everyone is taught is to use Excel or other analytics packages to track and manage data. That approach might have been sufficient decades ago, but now technology allows us to improve and make information management easier. Additionally, Excel spreadsheets are either hosted locally on older servers or even individual desktop computers, which means they are often lost or there is a version control issue. I’ve done forensic work for major US Governments that lost parts of their grant portfolio, resulting in millions of lost costs. GrantReady is designed to automate the process, ensuring a smooth experience for all users,” added Mullikin.
Automation and digitization enable more than accurate results, scalability, and increased efficiency. As noted by Mullikin, service providers consist of human resources, which very often, especially in healthcare, are limited. Developing sustainable technology solutions is Mullikin’s way of not only improving the data management systems but also shifting in a less labor-intensive and more cost-effective direction.
“International Responder Systems excelled as a service provider company, and the next step is developing technology to support services,” said Mullikin about his goals. “In the next 5 to 10 years, I hope to keep continuously improving financial management in public healthcare. I’m certain GrantReady will allow health institutions to be more confident in their transactions. I know how much work went into developing GrantReady, and I’m ecstatic to witness it transform forecasting and analytics nationwide, elevating users’ decision-making and interventions in case of a disaster.”
James Mullikin, an experienced risk assessment and evaluation expert, significantly advanced nationwide emergency readiness. He and his team with an average of 30+ years of experience working with various governing bodies allowed the team to analyze the most common issues in public health and healthcare and identify the root of the problems. According to Mullikin, automating certain processes that not only require a lot of time but also undivided attention, will improve the grant management sector, and prevent severe cost losses.
With a mission to integrate innovative science and technologies into the existing system, International Responder Systems developed GrantReady. Due to launch at a National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) Conference held from March 25th till 28th, GrantReady carries a promise to provide a yearned-for solution, addressing numerous issues in many industries.
Media Contact
Name: James Mullikin, Holli Kozar
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