WHY SISYPHUS?

The character of Sisyphus [sis-uh-fuh s] comes to us from Greek mythology. Sisyphus was the first king of the city-state of Ephyra (Corinth). Ephyra was one of the largest and most important cities of ancient Greece, located about halfway between Athens and Sparta. Sisyphus served his people well in that he turned the city into a successful commercial hub and invested heavily in navigation, which was important in sea borne trade.

However, as a person, Sisyphus was prone to arrogance, deceit and cunning. He was constantly looking to improve his image to his people and to the Greek gods. On numerous occasions, Sisyphus infuriated Zeus, the father of the Greek gods, as a result of his cunning and hubris. Finally, Zeus decided to punish Sisyphus in perpetuity, by forcing him to push a boulder up a hill. However, as soon as he would reach the pinnacle of the hill, the boulder would roll back to the bottom of the hill and Sisyphus would have to push it back uphill again.

WHY SISYPHUS CONSULTING?

The parallels between the myth of Sisyphus and your real life experience in business, especially the healthcare industry, are striking. Whether you are trying to manage your organization and it’s teams productivity, their alignment with your strategic objectives, their ability to execute on financial imperatives or their ability to effectively engage with your customers, at times it must feel that you are constantly pushing the boulder up the hill. The effort and the consumption of your resources is too great and the results are less than forecast and it feels like you are destined to push the boulder up the hill tomorrow.

Sisyphus Consulting can “help you stop pushing the boulder up the hill.”

Please click on the Services tab to see the many ways that we can be of assistance.

WHO IS SISYPHUS CONSULTING?

Paul E. Pedersen is the CEO/Principal of Sisyphus Consulting.

Prior to establishing Sisyphus Consulting, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana, an operating division of HCSC, was Paul’s employer for almost twenty-seven years. In the role of the Senior Director, Provider Network Administration and Contracting. He was responsible for the management of the External and Internal Teams that comprise the Health Care Services department and was directly involved in the strategic planning, the tactical execution of the strategic imperatives, the budget development, recruitment, contract negotiations and providing excellent communication and customer service to the physicians, hospitals and other healthcare providers that are contracted with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana. As a large organization, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana may not have seemed as accessible to representatives of the provider community. Paul’s task was to act as an intermediary between external clients and the individuals within the organization to collectively resolve issues and to also act as a conduit for the flow of information to and from the provider community. If you have questions for Paul, he can be e-mailed at paul@sisyphusconsulting.net.

Paul’s formal education is in Computer Science and Mathematics. He attended college at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, IL, and the University of Montana in Missoula, MT. He began his professional career as the Data Processing Manager for the Montana Workers’ Compensation Division, what is now the State Fund. After a brief three-year stint at the Department of Administration for the State of Montana, he has been employed by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana for almost twenty-seven years.

Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) EXPERIENCE

Paul E. Pedersen is a past National Director on the National Board of Directors of HFMA and a past Regional Executive for HFMA Region 10. Paul has served at all levels within the Montana Chapter of HFMA, and has held the post of Secretary/Treasurer, President-Elect, President, and Past-president. He is the recipient of the HFMA Bronze, Silver, and Gold service awards as well as the HFMA Medal of Honor. Paul joined HFMA in April of 1994. He believes that HFMA offers excellent opportunities for education and the development and nurturing of long-term professional relationships within the healthcare community.
One of Paul’s goals in his affiliation with HFMA is to provide the “human experience” for all of his clients. Paul firmly believes that HFMA offers everyone the opportunity to become involved. And as with any volunteer organization, the return on ones investment of time and resources is commensurate to our willingness to participate and to extend ourselves outside of our “comfort zone.” He is excited about the opportunities that the healthcare environment offers and looks forward to continuing to work with the membership in a collaborative effort to meet the demands of this ever-changing environment. And if we can do this together with a smile and have some fun in the process, all that much better!!