Avatar International Expands Patient Experience Offerings with Acquisition of HR Solutions International

ORLANDO, Fla. – (Dec. 5, 2011) – Avatar International, a leading healthcare quality improvement firm, announced today its acquisition of HR Solutions International, Inc., a human capital management consulting firm specializing in employee and physician engagement. The acquisition, terms of which were not disclosed, furthers Avatar’s strategic position as a comprehensive provider of patient experience solutions to hospitals, health systems and other healthcare organizations.

“Engaged employees and physicians are crucial elements of a positive patient experience. That is why HR Solutions is the perfect addition to the Avatar portfolio, both culturally and strategically,” said Avatar CEO David Medvedeff, PharmD, MBA. “By leveraging HR Solutions’ diverse client base, Avatar is able to expand its employee engagement service offerings beyond healthcare while further strengthening its existing patient experience business.”

The industry’s only third-party, HIPAA-certified patient experience vendor, Avatar provides clients with customized surveys and actionable data reports that track a patient’s journey from admission to discharge. These are supplemented by benchmarking and best practices guidance focused on improving the patient experience and health outcomes. The company is on the approved vendor list for administering the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Hospital and Home Health Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey.

Chicago-based HR Solutions, which serves a wide range of industries, derives about half its revenue from healthcare customers. It has been exclusively endorsed by the American Hospital Association for employee engagement and exit surveys, as well as physician engagement surveys. The firm designs surveys and administers them primarily through email and web-based channels. Customers access the data through an online reporting tool that provides detailed and customizable results as well as actionable recommendations.

“We are excited to join the Avatar team to offer our clients a leading-edge customer measurement tool. Through the acquisition, we will obtain the resources that will fund additional research to expand upon our service offerings and permit advancements to our online survey reporting and action planning technology,” said Kevin Sheridan, CEO and Founder, HR Solutions. “The forging of the two firms shifts the entire industry focus away from the world of satisfaction to a results-driven emphasis derived from employee and customer engagement.”

The work of companies like Avatar and HR Solutions is increasingly important in competitive marketplaces. The acquisition of HR Solutions greatly expands Avatar’s capabilities while providing an office in Chicago, which is close to many current Avatar customers and offers a solid foothold in the Midwest.

About Avatar International

Avatar International (www.avatar-intl.com), a research and consulting company based in Orlando, Fla., specializes in Evidence Based Intelligent Surveys™ and Innovative Strategies™ to transform information into significant quality and efficiency of care improvement for the healthcare industry. In addition to conducting surveys, Avatar also actively engages healthcare providers in process improvements, including training in service quality.  Avatar, which was acquired by the Riverside Company in 2011, serves healthcare organizations nationally, including small community hospitals, academic medical centers, large regional medical centers, integrated healthcare systems, long-term care and behavioral health organizations. Avatar International can be reached at 1-800-282-8274.