DailyKaizen

On my way home last night I stopped at a locally owned drug store to pick up some household cleaning supplies. As I was walking in the door there was a large sign announcing the Grand Opening of a retail Primary Care “Minute Clinic”. My curiosity got the best of me and I walked to the back of the store to check it out. I loitered around for a while until the PA working in the clinic asked me if I needed help. I told her I was in healthcare and asked her about the “Minute Clinic” concept. She was very nice and gave me a quick rundown on how it works.

What was the most interesting to me was how organized and efficient the processes were and how friendly for the patient. The “Minute Clinic” only handles minor health problems like the flu and sore throats. There is only one employee who handles all cases on a first come first serve, one at a time basis. There is a standard cost per condition. When the patient walks in there is a big sign that draws you to a computer where you sign in and click a box with you condition. The computer immediately tells you how long the wait will be and the cost (no insurance). You then have the option to sit and wait, take a pager and shop, or come back later. A large board contains all the information most patients would need to answer any question that might come up. Once the patient finish there visit the PA prints a summary of their diagnosis, which they can then take to a MD if the PA believes a referral is necessary.

Very cool example of how a healthcare organization with standard processes and visual systems can handle a large volume patients, at a low cost, with low overhead. I left wondering how I could apply these learning to my organization…