After launching Third Eye Business Solutions, LLC, in 2020, Bridget LaFleur and Kimberly Tillman-Bahrami are pleased to announce the company’s certification as a HUBZone small business concern in April 2021.
Co-founders LaFleur and Tillman-Bahrami, who have a 50-year combined history serving the Department of Defense military medical community, are bringing their unique expertise to bear in promoting economic development in the Southeastern United States.
The HUBZone (Historically Underutilized Business) designation from the U.S. Small Business Administration helps firms gain access to federal contracting opportunities based on a commitment to increase employment opportunities in zones identified by household income, unemployment, and poverty rates to particularly benefit from capital investment.
Third Eye has already formed alliances with local community colleges, technical programs, and economic development groups to recruit trained health IT and veteran resources in HUBZone areas in the Southeast – with plans to directly link HUBZone talent with federal contract needs nationwide.
“We are excited to improve the economic future of the HUBZones where we currently operate, both in Georgia and Louisiana,” said CEO Bridget LaFleur. “We look forward to expanding to other states experiencing employment ramifications from the Covid-19 pandemic this past year.”
Third Eye Business Solutions was founded with a vision to provide seamless, secure healthcare solutions for servicemembers, their families and those who care for them – whenever and wherever they are located. The company has a dynamic three-pronged approach:
- SERVICES – Third Eye has extensive expertise in transitioning commercial capabilities into the Defense Health Agency and Veterans Affairs markets. The company provides consultative services to clients seeking to apply emerging technology innovations and workflow efficiencies for mission-critical defense healthcare priorities.
- PRODUCTS – Third Eye is the go-to-market reseller, offering products to resolve complex HIT, medical device, combat care and virtual health technology gaps. The company already has a select partnership with internationally recognized Red Hat.
- SOLUTIONS – Through its GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS); 54151HEAL SIN, Third Eye offers a relevant blend of capabilities, skills, and knowledge. As a woman-owned business with a proven success record of delivery excellence and business growth, Third Eye aligns with the federal government’s push to meet small business, minority and HUBZone contract requirements.
Tillman-Bahrami, President of Third Eye, is a Federal business leader known by customers and colleagues as a positive change agent with proven results; a dynamic and seasoned team builder with unique strengths that include business growth strategy and diversification, tactical execution, and mentorship at all levels of organization; and a relationship development manager for military initiatives, healthcare pursuits and complex large-scale programs. She is knowledgeable in DHA, VA, Joint DoD/VA initiatives, Combatant Command and Service-specific medical operational, business and technology environments and operations. Early in her career, she mastered the fundamentals of Enterprise HIT program delivery through various roles supporting the worldwide deployment of military health’s first $1.2 billion electronic healthcare system. As CIO for the State of Florida, she provided oversight for a $1.2 billion IT budget, launching major technology initiatives and streamlining government processes directly affecting a population of 16 million Floridians. At the request of the Florida Legislature and Governor, Ms. Bahrami focused heavily on enterprise HIT initiatives for Florida’s Department of Health (DOH) and Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA). In more recent years, Ms. Bahrami focused on DHA telemedicine programs and operational medicine innovations to support virtual models of care such as Teleradiology, Global Enterprise Image Exchange and Tele-Critical Care solutions. She led integration and interoperability initiatives that involved complex network, systems security, and medical device integration challenges. These efforts included the oversight and management of global teleradiology services delivered to joint operational medical locations of care across the globe. During the national COVID 19 response, Ms. Bahrami led an industry initiative to provide digital imaging sharing on the USNS Mercy and Comfort during the initial DHA COVID-19 response.
LaFleur, a results-driven executive with over 25 years’ experience in DoD and VA environments supporting large healthcare payor and provider government service/staffing contracts, has a keen sense of aligning relationships, customer needs and industry capabilities to grow and diversify business entities. LaFleur has successfully managed multi-million-dollar business units delivering CONUS and OCONUS-based programs and services for the Army, Air Force and Navy. She managed and delivered the first DoD Tele-Behavioral Health implementation for the five Army Regional Medical Commands and served as director for the first contract inception of the Army’s mCare (mobile care/text messaging) Program, which provided Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) IT support and TBI program management. She is an expert in TRICARE operations to include all aspects of revenue cycle management. Most recently she served as Director of Operations providing secure teleradiology services to the joint theater of operations and to Navy ships worldwide. Ms. LaFleur secured and managed a contract with the Department of Defense’s Joint Operational Medicine Information Systems (JOMIS) to provide teleradiology and telehealth services to deployed combat units throughout theater, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Jordan, and the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) Region.
Stacey Hagens, Chief Client Relations Officer, has recently joined Third Eye as Partner. She is responsible for leading and managing Third Eye’s customer relations as a key advisor for corporate business development, strategic organizational development, and revenue growth. She has over 20 years of experience in implementing healthcare technology solutions, most recently in her own consulting business. She adds customer-focused strategic and solutioning perspectives as well as business development expertise. Boasting a strong sales background and stellar interpersonal skills, Hagens applies a comprehensive approach to customer relations, from marketing to post-sale support. She is noted for recognizing business trends, empowering teams, and organizations, and utilizing out-of-the-box techniques to ensure client satisfaction and retention. Her previous management experience includes human resources and operations management for 100+ employees including instrumental support roles in programs such as DHA’s Behavior Health Information Exchange, Designated Provider (a Congressional Mandate) and Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record (VLER). Hagens is a people-person and outstanding communicator – equally knowledgeable in customer technologies and processes. She is experienced in producing DHA customer workflow efficiencies through standardization and in processing cybersecurity risk assessments and associated corrective action plans.
Source: Third Eye Announces HUBZone Certification – April 26, 2021. Third Eye.
