Dr. Tonmoy Sharma on How Sovereign Health Became a National Brand

How could employees be empowered? Dr. Tonmoy Sharma, author, and mental health specialist, CEO of Sovereign Health, attempted to answer this question when he was invited to speak at the “Accreditation Workshop” alongside the Joint Commission, on Thursday, February 9, 2017. His presentation as a guest speaker was in two parts: “Using Measurement-Based Care to Enhance Substance Abuse and Mental Health Treatment” and “How to Build a Company into a National Brand.”

Mental health specialist Dr. Tonmoy Sharma’s answer could be summer up in 3: technology, mental health, and measurement-based care.

The Sovereign CEO also spoke how his healthcare company went from 6 beds IOP to having 2000 people on board. However, they maintained the small facility feel.

How does one build a brand of national stature? Building a national brand from scratch, necessitates perseverance, commitment and fortitude. While charisma definitely does give a head start, it is not sustaining enough.

To outshine competition and to build a national brand, favorable attributes are: single-mindedness or focus in the pursuit of one’s goals, perusal of perfection, and a resilient attitude that does not grow weary of picking up the threads every time fortune deals with a blow. Another deciding factor is people the brand associated itself with, and how committed and trustworthy they are. It also factors in how keen they are to provide exemplary customer service which is a critical differentiator in world marked by disruption where social media posts could bring even a high profile brand to heel.

Leveraging a national brand in the healthcare industry could be daunting. This is because there is an increase in the clamor for value for money, especially if external players are involved. Dr. Tonmoy Sharma, author, and mental health specialist, emphasizes that the key is offering a personalized experience. Make it personal. To not be simply a voice in the crowd, one must retain the human touch — the compassion and care that embodies the “healthcare for all” objective — is what will attract as many patients into the center as possible as they are lured by the brand image. Mental health specialist Dr. Tonmoy Sharma states that having made it to the Inc. 5000, in terms of growth for three consecutive years, Sovereign Health has what it takes to become a national brand.

Here are the four factors that got Sovereign where it is today:  

1. People Empowerment With Technology

One of the most apparent examples of people empowerment is the Ritz-Clarton. This is where even junior level employees and housekeeping staff are prompted to deliver excellent customer service. Sovereign’s philosophy is resoundingly similar. Dr. Sharma believes in empowering his people. According to his shared Franchise model, people are the most essential indicator of success. Technology has emerged as a key enabler. At Sovereign, it has been leveraged to keep all on the same page.     

The Patient Information Management System (PIMS) and SCRUM methodology are used not merely in order to increase productivity, but also to keep everyone on the same page. Entirely homegrown, the PIMS is a very useful tool and keeping in mind that accessibility is important, everyone from the house manager to the CEO have access to it. Integrated with the GPs and feed management system, the PIMS provides a concerned parent a real time update about his son or daughter. It is routed via the global contact desk. The tool searches all the details of the individual, and provides updates where the driver of the car could be located while overseeing the flight simultaneously. This affirms the concerned parent that their son or daughter is in safe hand in the ward. Truly, this is an exemplary customer service.

2. Commitment to High Standards

In 2009, commitment to high standards was evident when as a 6-seater IOP, Sovereign had persisted in being granted an accreditation from the Joint Commission. All its facilities across America are accredited similarly.

The rationale was simple. In its quest for excellence, Sovereign took it upon itself to adopt a standard that would grant it credibility — that would serve as its guide towards growth. All the while, they would continue with the broad continuum of care.

Today, Sovereign Health is renowned for adhering to an effective plan in the treatment of individuals recovering from metal health disorders, addiction and underlying conditions. Sovereign’s Way encapsulates a striving towards individualized, clinically-driven and evidence-based treatment.  

3. Focus on Mental Health – Not a Rehab, but a Behavioral Health Facility

Sovereign Health’s resolve has always been to focus on mental health from early on. They decided not to be a rehabilitation center and concentrated on behavioral health.

With 40% of Americans in terms of population living with mental health problems, the gambit became worthwhile. Even in terms of treatment of dual diagnosis, Sovereign has a unique advantage. Other centers may claim that they are capable of treating dual diagnosis, but they are evidently not if they do not have the capacity to treat the underlying mental health issue. As a result, a major percentage of patients that come to Sovereign’s facilities are from other treatment centers because they felt that the care was lacking. Another significant 50% are direct referrals from hospitals.

4. Measurement-Based Care

Dr. Sharma is a proponent of using measurement-based care (MBC) in order to improve treatment outcomes. He spoke about how Sovereign Health has implemented a system of MBC to improve patients’ treatment outcomes and the delivery of care to patients with mental health and substance use disorders. He was walked the talk: Dr. Sharma has been an early adapter by deploying MBC at Sovereign Health’s treatment facilities.

About Tonmoy Sharma

Founder and CEO of Sovereign Health Tonmoy Sharma, M.B.B.S., M.Sc. has spent traveled throughout the United States for years, presenting on a measurement-based car at conferences and community events. His hope is that in the not-too-distant future, clinicians and the public nationwide will embrace MBC as the highly successful, evidence-based treatment that is the best approach to treating mental health issues and addiction.

 Dr. Sharma has been acclaimed with numerous awards, honors and grants for his work in advancing mental health and its treatment in the United States, Europe and Southeast Asia. He is a prolific researcher and scientist. He is also the author or co-author of more than 200 peer-reviewed articles and five books on schizophrenia and mental illness. Dr. Sharma has served on numerous editorial boards, acted as peer reviewer for 14 international medical journals, and has been on various advisory boards governing the development of antipsychotics. Also, he co-hosted Talk Radio 790 AM KABC Los Angeles’s “In Your Right Mind,” a cutting-edge, weekly radio show that discusses various topics in behavioral health.

About Sovereign Health

The Sovereign Health Group’s mission has consistently been to offer a broad spectrum of high-quality behavioral health treatment services for adults and adolescents, including support services for family members. One factor that differentiates Sovereign from other treatment providers has been the company’s capacity to provide separate mental health and addiction or dual diagnosis treatment programs at its facilities. For more information, visit www.sovhealth.com.  

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. To find out more, read our updated privacy policy and cookie policy.