Asante’s new strategic plan focuses on the consumer

Asante has unveiled its 2020-2022 Strategic Plan, an ambitious document that serves as an organizational roadmap for the next two years.

Although many of the goals are familiar —  to fully integrate our delivery system, provide more affordable and accessible services, continue to provide high-quality services and build Asante’s team of the future — the new plan includes a new goal: Be consumer-friendly.

This goal has the potential to dramatically change Asante’s patient experience, from enhanced use of technology to renewed processes. To meet it, the plan lays out seven strategies:

Understand deeply what health care consumers want. This means surveying them every two years, creating ongoing focus groups (perhaps online), tracking national trends and developing services based on consumer data.

Improve the patient experience through technology and innovation. This may involve such things as developing a formal process for innovation; creating an Asante mobile app; and simplifying hospital transfers, referrals and bed management.

Engage potential Asante consumers. This means integrating some of our existing services — website, MyChart, social media and patient kiosks — into a “digital front door.” It also includes expanding the use of MyChart, the self-service portal for electronic health records, and broadening its features.

Create an Asante quality and service guarantee. Just like retailers use guarantees for on-time deliveries, health care service guarantees can build trust and help Asante learn about opportunities for improvement. A guarantee wouldn’t focus on clinical outcomes, but rather the quality of service provided. This is a long-term strategy.

Enhance the Asante experience before the patient arrives. This could mean making patient questionnaires accessible before an office visit or using tablets in waiting rooms; developing a cost estimator tool; and making greater use of text messaging.

Enhance the Asante experience during the patient’s visit. This is an ongoing effort, but it may be enhanced with new features such as digital wayfinding.

Enhance the Asante experience after the patient’s visit. A single, easy-to-understand bill is a good start, as well as a consistent discharge process for hospitalized patients.

Creating the plan was a lengthy process, involving a board retreat and input from medical directors, consumers and Asante leaders and staff. Dennie Conrad, chief strategy officer, presented the updated plan at a recent Asante Leadership Forum and is available to meet with departments to discuss the structure and timing of the plan.

We’ll explore other goals in the 2020-2022 Strategic Plan in future issues of Asante News.

2020-2022 Strategic Plan goals

1. Build a fully integrated delivery system
2. Provide more affordable services for our patients
3. Provide accessible services for our patients
4. Provide the highest-quality services
5. Build an Asante “team” of the future
6. Become consumer-friendly and improve ease of use