Why I joined Fathom: Chasen Richards

From time to time, Fathom invites recent hires to share about their experience in deciding to join our team. In this blog, Chasen Richards, Chief of Staff, tells the story of his decision to join Fathom and create value for health systems.

In my very first internship, my manager told me that my main goal should be to try as many things as possible, and then double down on whatever gives me the most energy. This turned out to be the best early career advice that I ever received.

I took it to heart and pursued experiences that ranged from the public sector, to consulting, to investing -- so when I had the chance to join Fathom, I knew it was exactly what I was looking for. Here at Fathom I found an exciting growth story with a team that was really making a difference.  

Innovation and disruption
There are some clear lessons coming out of COVID -- many pre-pandemic processes and norms just aren't going to cut it anymore. The service sector is broadly still grappling with the long tail of labor market strain and rising cost, and healthcare is no different. Medical coding is an important (if less visible) enabler of a patient's healthcare journey and critical to the functioning of health systems.

Fathom presents a solution to the deepening labor crunch for coding professionals and is more accurate, reliable, and cost-effective than any human coder. This frees up capital that can be deployed elsewhere in healthcare operations and improves the financial aspect of care for providers and patients. 

Jumping aboard a team with a mission like this was a no-brainer.

Less talking, more doing
An exciting part of my last role was working with healthcare investors and entrepreneurs -- it really resonated that this sector would continue to be an exciting space where innovative business models could unlock a lot of value for patients, providers, and investors. At a certain point, I realized that getting some skin in the game beats talking about it any day. 

Working in a small, fast-paced organization can sometimes feel like a pie-eating competition, where the prize is more pie. But at Fathom every day brings a new, exciting, and challenging spin to every pie. 

Solving for people
A common bit of wisdom that analysts get at McKinsey is to "solve for people" -- in other words, find the folks that are doing work that you find interesting, that are willing to invest in you, and (most importantly) that you're happy to spend 12-hour days with. I feel like I found that here at Fathom.

Being a part of the talented, ambitious team at Fathom is so incredibly motivating -- I feel like I learn something new every day. People at Fathom are always willing to lend a hand or share a helpful perspective. There's a sense of being laser-focused on the same goal, and being willing to do whatever it takes to get there. 

Incredibly excited to see where this Fathom journey takes me. Watch this space!