Spotlight: Dan Bailey, senior vice president of growth
When Sharecare acquired BACTES Imaging Solutions Inc. over a decade ago, (which has since grown into Sharecare’s health insights and data solutions team) our senior executives knew it would be a key to manifesting our long-term vision to create a frictionless experience and connect patients to all the insights related to their health.
What they didn’t expect, however, was just how integral its founders, the Baileys, would become to the Sharecare family, and how their compassion and empathy would help drive forward the heart of our company. A leader who embodies the spirit of sharing care, our executive spotlight this month, is Dan Bailey, senior vice president of growth.
Dan says he feels blessed to be in a position to help others and credits his steadfast commitment to giving back to his community to the inspirational kindness and generosity patterned by his loving wife Judy, who constantly found ways to help others. In January 2022, Judy passed away suddenly at age 61. In honor of her competitive spirit, his family created The Judy Games, an annual fundraiser dedicated to bringing together the community of Beverly Massachusetts that she served and loved for years. In its three years running, the gathering has already raised over $150,000 for the causes that mattered most to Judy, in honor of her legacy.
We’re grateful that Dan and his brothers Bill and Jim joined the Sharecare family so many years ago, and for the remarkable impact of Judy Bailey, who reminds us of the compassion and exceptional care that lie at the core of everything we do. We hope you’ll continue reading on to learn more about how it all started, as told by Dan.
When did you first join the Sharecare family?
In the early ‘80s, I worked for a company called Anacomp. The chairman and CEO of Anacomp was Lou Ferrero. That last name might sound familiar, as he’s Justin Ferrero’s dad – who you may know as Sharecare’s president and chief financial officer. However, it wouldn’t be another 30 years or so until I became a more formal part of the Sharecare family.
I worked for “Big Lou” for 13 years. We were in a big financial market and the company was dealing with banks, insurance companies, and other big financials. At the time, we used antiquated technology that hardly even exists today, but it was an incredible learning environment. It’s where I met John Messinger, Sharecare’s senior vice president of strategic solutions – who I’ve now worked with for 43 years – and also Mike Riley, who also ended up with us at Sharecare.
What started your transition into healthcare?
In 1991, my oldest brother, Bill, founded a company called BACTES Imaging Solutions Inc., a provider of secure electronic exchange, delivery, and integration of protected health information (PHI). At the time, I was involved with the company financially, but not operationally – as I had another business I owned with John Messenger and Mike Riley. We had acquired a division of Anacomp that facilitated image capture and conversion. The industry was consolidating rapidly at the time. We ended up selling that business after a year and a half and stayed with the acquiring company for quite some time. Then, in the early ‘00s, my oldest brother suggested I get involved with BACTES operationally, to expand our footprint to the Northeast, since I was living in Boston. We formed an LLC called BACTES Imaging Solutions, East, LLC.
How did that go?
We had no presence at all in the Northeast when I started in 2002. My first customer was part of the largest health system in Massachusetts, which is now Mass General Brigham. It was one of their provider groups, the North Shore Physician’s Group. From there, we just grew and grew.
Among our first 40 customers or so, was what is now the health system Beth Israel Lahey Health. Getting into that hospital (Lahey) at the time was an incredible milestone, since the majority of the Greater Boston market was owned by a competitor. We kept growing, until we just about owned the market in terms of health systems in around 2012.
It was just a year later BACTES was acquired by Sharecare. How did that happen?
Every time John and I went back to BACTES headquarters in San Diego, we would reach out to Big Lou. This particular time, we decided to get food afterwards and say hi to Lou’s wife, Judy. We ended up also seeing Justin, who was in town managing Sharecare’s acquisition of a company called Real Age. Not too long after that, Jeff Arnold, Dawn Whaley, Kathy Harris, and Justin came up to my office in Beverly, MA, wanting to hear more about BACTES.
Long story short, Jeff said: “you know, I like you guys, but I don’t see a partnership here.” Which we were alright with. But then he said, “but I’ll buy you,” which came as a surprise, because we didn’t know we were for sale! We kept our discussions going from there and closed on a deal. On July 1st of 2013, BACTES Imaging Solutions Inc. became part of Sharecare.
How have things changed since then?
After the acquisition, we were on an earn-out for 30 months, and we were pretty much independent at that point. My oldest brother Bill retired at the time of the acquisition, so we recruited my younger brother Jim to run the division up through the earn-out, and for several years thereafter.
After many of our organizational changes, we’ve gone from BACTES to Sharecare Health Data Services, and now Health Insight & Data Solutions – in addition to expanding our capabilities over the years. That’s how we ended up officially becoming part of Sharecare, but my connection to the company truly goes back for years, when I was first working with Big Lou. I mean, I’ve known Justin since he was probably four or five. They’re family to me.
Who are the people who inspire you to “share care?”
My late wife Judy has been the single biggest influence that inspires my passion for giving back. Ever since she passed away suddenly in January 2022, my children and I have learned so much more about all she has done for so many people over the years, from folks who have shared heartfelt messages and posts about her kindness and generosity. She had a very special way of really tuning in and sensing people’s needs to be able to help in thoughtful and meaningful ways.
I’d also say my parents. We grew up with nothing in northern Minnesota, in the poorest county of one of the poorest states in the country. It’s a little town of 300 people. My dad worked his tail off and was pretty much a disciplinarian, while my mom took care of our family of six kids. We’ve been blessed now, to have the means to be able to give back.
How has your wife Judy’s legacy inspired your passion to give back?
Judy was always very competitive, and our family started The Judy Games as a way to honor her legacy, by bringing together those of us who have been touched by her kindness and generosity to have a day of fun, community, and competition. We hold it at my house and get about 350-400 attendees. In addition to competitive games of corn hole, kan jam, and ladder golf, the event includes plenty of different food, family-friendly activities, and festivities like face painting, sidewalk chalk, a bouncy house, and more, all to raise money in Judy’s honor, to help the community she loved.
About nine months roughly after she passed, we raised $46,000 in our first year of the games. In year two, we were up to just over $50,000. Last year, it was $54,000. It’s just been incredible. One of the biggest things we do is provide scholarships for graduating students at the public high school in Beverly. It’s called Scholarship Night, and we hand out $25,000, awarding a total of five scholarships of $5,000 each.
What are some of the other causes that are important to you?
I’m sure you’ve heard of the ice bucket challenge on social media, to raise awareness and funds for ALS by the Pete Frates Foundation. Pete Frates grew up a block away from me, and I’m very close with his parents. We’ve been very involved with the foundation and have joined to support several different initiatives.
We also have another group to raise money once a year, a couple weeks before Christmas. Don’t laugh, but it’s called the Bad Fathers Club. A group of about 100 guys get together, and have a great night of community, socializing, and raising money. Last year we raised $16,000 in a night. That money goes directly to families that are going through tough times in town, and it’s so rewarding to see their reactions when we deliver the shoebox full of cash.
There’s so many things – but the most important to me, is just giving back to my community.
What’s the best career advice you’ve been given?
Something that has stuck with me way back when I was working at Anacomp, was something that my boss shared that his dad had said to him. It’s stuck with me my entire life. It doesn’t matter whether you think you can or think you can’t. You’re right. I’ve never forgotten that. You can talk your way into something, or you can talk your way out. But if you don’t think you can do it, you won’t be able to do it.
