We’re excited to welcome Yusuf Farhamand RN, Holly Berry BSN RN, and Stacey Simon RD CSG CDN to the mend™ team to help deliver standout care to Provider patients in a new-to-world perioperative care model. Yusuf has extensive experience in Medical and Burn ICU, specializes in Trauma ICU, and has years of experience in Care Management and remote patient care. Holly has held multiple roles in a clinical setting, including the Surgical Acute floor in Orthopedics, Cardiothoracic ICU, and more recently managing a team of nurses in remote patient care. Stacey has had a long career as a dietitian, working for the Department of Veterans Affairs, in long-term and primary care as well as virtual counseling.

Care delivery is under significant stress as Providers report burnout and staffing challenges continue to plague the industry. It is reported that as many as 30% of nurses are leaving the profession due to burnout and exhaustion. This industry dynamic will create care gaps that challenge the ability of providers to manage patient risk for complications and inferior outcomes. In a value-based model, this emerging feature of healthcare in the US will create substantial headwinds for care quality and business model viability. Further, acute care is challenged by the complicated health and nutrition status of patients, many of whom enter into a care setting undernourished/malnourished and with multiple chronic conditions. We know from an abundance of published data that poor nutritional status leads to a higher risk of complications and poor outcomes. We also know that higher patient activation leads to better outcomes. Extending the care continuum and utilizing a whole-person, multimodal approach to patient care is needed now more than ever.

Mend’s Upgraid platform provides a white glove extended care experience to patients, enhancing patient agency and activation while also improving and enhancing outcomes. The transformative model, which has been enthusiastically embraced by leading Providers across the country, creates a completely new career path for nurses, allowing them to continue employing their clinical education, credentials, and passion for serving patients while leveraging digital and remote care capabilities to work in an entirely new way. The program also gives dietitians a front-and-center role in patient care, which has for too long been missing from the healthcare equation.

We believe this is transformative for the industry and nurses and we’re thrilled to offer a completely new career path to RNs. Mend is on a rapid growth trajectory and we’ll be welcoming many more of the most qualified and passionate nurses to the firm in 2023 and beyond.

Meet the team!

“I am excited about this opportunity because it gives me a chance to use the nursing skills I have developed to help providers and patients in a new, innovative way. It is very easy for key aspects of the treatment plan to fall through the cracks, and with this program at Mend, we are going to fill in those gaps to improve patient outcomes and reduce the stress on providers. Everyone wins!”

“I am thrilled and excited to be a part of the Mend movement. The tension is palpable when reflecting on the shift that healthcare is going through. For us RNs to utilize our clinical skills and know-how in this type of setting, it truly is remarkable. I plan to use my management and implementation experience to the fullest in helping launch Mend into the next phase of growth. Providers and patients alike are going to be the main focus while we continue to challenge and stretch our own capabilities.”

“I am thrilled to be joining the Mend team. Nutrition is an integral part of improving patient outcomes and long-term health, and Mend’s focus on nutrition as a key component of health and recovery is tremendously exciting. I’m most excited to be able to deliver realistic, joyful nutrition counseling to patients in a way that not only supports their pre- and post-surgical goals, but also allows them the opportunity to use nutrition as a tool to improve their overall health and wellness in the long-term.”