Ninth Brain Suite is Celebrating its 20th Birthday!

Time sure flies when you are having fun! The idea that started on a napkin all those years ago has grown into a robust online platform that is still going strong today – 7,300+ days later!! We couldn’t have done it without all the support and brilliant suggestions we’ve received over the years. Thank you.

We’re lucky to have friends like you!

Look at all the kind messages in our virtual birthday card.


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The History of NinthBrain

Click and scroll through the years to see the evolution of the NinthBrain Suite!

Development Begins

First Design Meeting

  • Collaboration based on notes on a napkin by two nurses
  • Lisa Tedford hired as First Developer

Development Begins

  • Product Name: Virtual Clinical Manager (VCM)
  • Goal was to be a virtual clinical manager to include company information, OSHA requirements, Health & Safety Planning, QI Improvement plan, MSDS, employee licenses, track course completion, and provide publication information.

Release and Rebrand

First Version Released (Virtual Clinic Manager)

  • Employee and Health tracking for OSHA
  • Basic license tracking
  • Journal Reviews
  • Survey Tool
  • Task Tracker
  • Ticklers (Alerts were called this)

Kevin Neumann hired

  • Now Senior Level IT Manager

2002 Fall: Rebranded to Virtual Solutions Manager (VSM)

  • VSM was developed by The Mercy Group, a healthcare consultant business, specializing in training and compliance issues. The Mercy Group is led by a team of highly respected health care professionals with over 100 years of combined experience who know the kind of frustrations you face because they once faced them, too.
  • VSM consists of multiple modules, each with its own advantages, each building on data collected and written with other VSM modules.

True LMS Experience Arrives

  • Delivered a true LMS experience with education courses from vendor partner Medic Ed Education as well.

Expansion of Course Library

  • Expanded library to include vendor partner Wild Iris known for ANNC nursing courses.

Growth!

NBS System Grows to Include More Modules

  • Health and Safety
  • Employee Health
  • QI Questionnaire and Survey tool
  • Journal Review
  • Continuing Education
  • Documents & Templates

First User Group meeting held at New Horizons in Grand Rapids, MI

Second User Group Meeting

  • 2nd User Group meeting held at Steelcase in Grand Rapids, MI

Version 2 Release and Rebrand

  • Worked to develop QI incidents still used today
    • Company rebranded to Ninth Brain!
  • Version 2 of the software was released
    • New colors, new menu structure, new look and feel!
  • Expanded Library again with another new partner – Summit Safety Training Courses

Introducing Forms!

  • Forms module now created to include workflow and notifications

Version 3 Development Begins

  • Started version 3 rewrite to focus on End User experience, security, dashboards

Introducing Verification Monitoring

  • Verification Monitoring rolled out with first client on board – Three Rivers Ambulance Authority

Version 3 Released – Checklists Introduced

  • Huge Version update with 3.0 Released
    • New security options
    • My Corner
    • Calendar
    • Dashboards
    • Credentials & Education connected for CE tracking
    • Merged Online and Outside Courses
    • Offered SCORM format for educational courses
    • Individual area overhaul
  • Checklist module was created and added!

New Management, New Features, and New Partners

  • Lisa Tedford and Holly Taylor become new owners of company
  • Audit Trail added on System Security
  • Partnered with Health and Safety Institute to offer Fire and EMS courses in NBS Library!

Version 4 Released – Quality Improvement Added

  • Version 4.0 Major Release for modernized web responsive site for all devices!
    • Brand new look and feel throughout entire system
    • Personalized login experience
    • Responsive Navigation
    • Form templates for Healthcare industry
    • Scheduled reports and more!
  • Quality Improvement – New system for Communication for Incident management added

New Modules Released

  • Several new Reports added for Education/Credentials
  • Release of NEW Scheduling Module!!
  • Center for Patient Safety Integration within QI module
  • NEW Risk Assessment tool Released!

New Features and Integrations!

  • Run Log was released along with GAMUT Metrics
  • Time Clock feature added to Scheduling and several other enhancements
  • EMS Charts Integration
  • Points Management System added as a Human Resources tool

New Integration – Flight Vector

  • Version release to include Leave Management for Scheduling Flight Vector Integration

Expanded Library and Moved to the Cloud

  • Offered VIVID courses for interactive safety courses
  • Migration from physical servers to the Cloud with Microsoft Azure
  • Added Discussion Board and NBS Community to Resource Center

Launched A La Carte Library

  • 2021 Aug – A La Carte Library was released including more vendor partners like
    • IA Med Education
    • Keavney & Streger content
    • Marion Learning content
  • 2021 December – Overhaul to the Resource Center – File Cabinet organization

Celebrating 20 Years of Service

  • New Credential Approval Process
  • Redesign of Reading, Course, and Form Assignments
  • Ninth Brain Suite Celebrates 20 years of serving the EMS Industry

Then vs. Now - The NinthBrain Suite

Click and drag to see a how far the NinthBrain suite has come in 20 years!

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