Operations Improvement & Patient Centered Medical Home
Guided projects to develop the Patient Centered Medical Home as well as improve access, patient centeredness, electronic health record integration, work flows, and revenues. Facilitated implementation of innovations in patient self-management and planned care, including group medical visits. Utilized lean management principles and matched national best practices with group goals and culture, expanding collective skills to achieve desired improvements routinely.

Our focus is on building client knowledge and skills. Mobilizing physician and staff capacity to dramatically improve operational, financial, and service outcomes in medical groups. Results include sustainable improvement and less dependence on outside assistance. We have enabled client capacity to participate in pay-for-performance reimbursement models.

American Academy of Family Physicians’ National
Demonstration Project
Suzanne Houck, President of Houck & Associates, assisted the American Academy of Family Physicians’ TransforMED project with redesigning the practice of Family Medicine nationwide. Work included training TransforMED staff and advising participating practices in the areas of improving operations, electronic health record implementation, and effectively managing major change.

Electronic Health Record Implementation
Assisted medical groups in successful transitions to electronic health records. Houck & Associates hands-on experience helped clients avoid common, costly pitfalls for physicians and staff. Facilitated implementation, from needs assessment to vendor selection, training, and migrating workflows to ensure a positive return on investment. Matched vendor solutions with client criteria and needs. Assisted clients in leveraging existing information technology for maximum efficiency as well as patient and staff satisfaction.

Developed and implemented national training program to facilitate effective integration of information technology with operational efficiency and redesign. Clients included staff from quality improvement organizations (QIOs) and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Patient Satisfaction
Developed innovative programs to build capacity of ambulatory care providers to build strong patient loyalty. Beyond traditional customer service training and annual surveys, our experience with operational redesign resulted in strategies that resolve the root causes of patient dissatisfaction and attrition. Enabled institutional knowledge to sustain changes with practical accountability, measurement, and feedback tools.