Partner in Excellence Award: PYA

Marty Brown: PYA is an accounting and consulting firm, and our consulting practice is the largest portion of our firm, and it's focused on healthcare. We started serving The University of Kansas Health System in 2010, and we've been privileged to work alongside with them on very meaningful projects.

Michael Ramey: Mergers and acquisitions, affiliations, all focused on transactions predominantly, whether that's ambulatory services, physician services, and also hospital transactions. As well as working a lot with the NCI designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Doug Gaston: They're our go-to consultant. They know the industry. They've got a national perspective, they've got great knowledge, experience, and we really have a lot of trust with them.

Tammy Peterman: When you work together with someone as closely as we've worked with them, it's important that they understand our organization, they understand our culture, and they've worked hard to make sure they've done just that.

Bob Page: We have thousands of vendors. They send us a bill, we send them a check. They do work. We acknowledge the work. That's what a vendor is. A partner goes above and beyond that relationship, creates a relationship with us, believes in us, answers the call anytime we call, and that's what PYA has done throughout the years.

Brenda Dykstra: Relationships matter and Marty Brown is exceptional at relationship building. Marty is not only a professional skilled relationship builder, but he makes you feel like you're a friend.

Steven Stites: Because of that, when they come into a room, you're going to have a good conversation with honest people who have your best interest, or in this case, the Health System's best interest in their heart.

Marty Brown: Both organizations are very relational and long tenured. The leadership teams have been working together, and so you're allowed to develop those relationships and gain each other's trust.

Michael Ramey: The University of Kansas Health System's focus on patients is similar to PYA's focus on clients. The Health System's view that if patient outcomes are positive, then they're going to succeed. If our client is successful, then we'll be successful.

Tammy Peterman: They mesh with our philosophies. They want to be trusted. They want to be a trusted and impactful partner. They want to do things in a way that has the highest character. All of those things are important to our organization.

Doug Gaston: Anytime something comes up, someone in the meeting will say, we need to get PYA involved in this. They're responsive. They listen to us. They care about the project, and they give great advice.

Bob Page: They don't just do that work for us, they've been part of threads and threads for years. I think that that's a sign of them not only doing work with us, but believing in us as an organization.

Steven Stites: You know that we're more than just a business deal to them and I just enjoy working with them. It feels like family.

Marty Brown: We want to be able to make a difference. The Kansas Heart and Stroke Collaborative is a great example. There are lives being saved. And we are not caregivers or care providers, but we have some small portion of a role in that, and that is impactful.

Brenda Dykstra: PYA as a partner has helped the University of Kansas Health System really extend our reach across the state of Kansas, and really deliver high quality care close to home where patients really need and deserve that care.

Michael Ramey: The word partner is humbling because it's really what we're striving towards. It means everything to be considered a partner. We have a consistent set of values, of principles and culture.

Tammy Peterman: Marty Brown and his team are remarkable. They've helped us make some really big things happen in our health system.

Bob Page: Once we figure out who we are going to induct in the Hall of Fame, then Tammy and I sit down and we make these phone calls. And so I will never forget the phone call with Marty because it was the epitome of why we made the right selection because he was speechless.

Marty Brown: It's an unbelievable honor. I told Bob and Tammy when they shared the news that I was stunned and delighted, and I couldn't wait to share it with our team. It's one of the highest honors we've ever received as a firm, and I will cherish it.