When Dr. Ryan Hungate launched his technology solutions company Simplifeye, he had one goal in mind: change health care.

It turns out creating a company where employees thrive and love coming to work is a lot easier than the gargantuan task of overhauling an industry.

“I have two rules when people come into Simplifeye,” Hungate said. “I want them to bring everything from their past they loved and make it part of our culture. And I want them to take everything that they did not like and make sure we don’t do those things.”

See all the winners: Here are your 2022 Top Workplaces winners in Central Indiana

It’s a simple formula that is undoubtedly working. In its first year participating in The Indianapolis Star’s annual survey of Top Workplaces in Central Indiana, Simplifeye debuted in the No. 3 spot in the small company category.

After years of dental school and specialized training, Hungate put private practice in his rearview mirror and moved to New York City, where Simplifeye was founded in 2015.

Simplifeye launched its first service — Amplify — in 2018 and currently delivers a half dozen products and services to more than 6,000 dental and health care practices in all 50 states, Canada and Mexico.

Though they were based in New York City, Hungate and his wife, Lauren, always dreamed of opening a Simplifeye office in Indiana. And it turns out the COVID-19 pandemic would help accelerate not only those plans, but the growth of the company.

The “high school sweethearts” from Kokomo began looking for office space in Carmel just a couple of months before the coronavirus would shut down much of the country. They left New York for Indiana on St. Patrick’s Day 2020 and moved in with family members. Within the following week, as doctors were closing their office doors, Simplifeye was offering telehealth visits for patients across the country.

“We were very fortunate during COVID to grow our business,” Lauren Hungate said. “A lot of doctors didn’t know what to do during that time. But we were able to talk with them and offer our services to be their virtual front desk and help them triage situations.”

Simplifeye’s Carmel location is a pet-friendly, open work environment where questions that start with “why” and “how” are encouraged. It’s the mentality of “an idea can come from anywhere” that creates a culture of collaboration, openness and transparency.

“Any new idea, anything that you think could benefit the organization and move us forward, they’re always open to hear it,” said Slater Rush, who started at Simplifeye in February 2021 and works as an account executive.

Employees enjoy perks such as unlimited PTO, paid holidays (including the day after the Super Bowl), casual dress and company outings. Each quarter the company adopts a cause for employees to get behind. They’ve donated coats to Wheeler Mission, participated in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, and raised money for the Best Friends Animal Society.

“It’s a really great way to focus on something outside of our work and personal lives that gives us that sense of purpose,” said Kate Urbanowski, an associate director who works within Simplifeye’s payments processing team. “I’ve always enjoyed philanthropic activities, so I’m very happy that we make that a priority and part of the culture.”

While the work perks and philanthropy provide value and meaning, employees say it’s Hungate’s vision and the people they work with that make it all worth it.

“I truly feel like this is a place where you can leave your mark,” Urbanowski said. “If you believe in what you’re doing and want to work hard, you can be so successful here.”

That’s exactly what the Hungates eventually hoped to hear from their employees when the company was founded seven years ago.

“We look for bright individuals who work hard, take pride in their work and hold themselves accountable,” Lauren Hungate said, “and we feel like we’ve built something really special here.”

Bottom Line

• Founded: 2015

• Central Indiana locations: 1

• Description: Simplifeye is a company focused on automating time-consuming processes for healthcare practices. Its platform includes 24/7 live chat for practice websites, online scheduling, targeted patient reactivation, payment processing, automated text-to-pay reminders, and telehealth solutions.

• Employees in Central Indiana: 52

Michael Jackson is a local freelance consumer journalist.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Carmel-based Simplifeye a Top Workplace in Central Indiana for 2022