Talking HealthTech: 333 – Setting up your medical practice for success. Jerry Kennard, Evoke Projects

Podcast Home >

Do you believe that we are currently living in a peculiar time in which everything used to take place in person, then it all shifted to taking place virtually, and now we are kind of a hybrid? Can we take the best parts of all of those virtual experiences we had for a couple of years and then blend them together with in-person experiences that people crave so that we can continue to innovate in healthcare settings and create these environments that are not just efficient, but people-centric so that they are optimised for the people who are present in them, whether they are patients receiving care within the facility, clinicians, or employees? It is an intriguing subject to think about.

 

In this episode, Pete is joined by Jerry Kennard, and they discuss a variety of topics, including the priorities and trends within clinic fit-outs in Australia, what exactly is meant by the notion of a people-centric practice, the significance of adopting a more holistic approach to the physical design of a clinic, and much more.

Meet Jerry Kennard

Jerry Kennard is the CEO of Evoke Projects and the founder of Practice Success Collective. He is a highly focused and results-driven leader who motivates his team to work to their full potential and leads by example. He motivates his team to think creatively and imaginatively about medical fit-out solutions in order to ensure that every client not only achieves their operational goals but also increases the engagement, productivity, and retention of their team. He believes the physical environment is like the soil for our patients and team to grow in and, ultimately, is the determinant of practice success.

Looking Back to the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has provided a boost to the technology industry in terms of the development of methods, procedures, and technology that can assist in the operation of practice in a more effective manner. This has made it possible for people to embrace technology because it is less expensive than real estate and can help them run their practice in a more efficient manner.

Patient Engagement Software

Instead of having to expand the size of waiting areas, patient engagement software allowed people to come when their appointment was ready, go off, have a coffee, and do what they needed to do. This has been a silver lining of the pandemic, as it has pushed people to embrace tech.

 

Technology is essential for the efficient operation of practice because it can help reduce the amount of space required while increasing efficiency. People frequently overlook the importance of technology in office fit-outs, but it is critical for the efficient operation of a practice from both a spatial and technological standpoint. At the end of the day, real estate is expensive.

 

The patient engagement software can be thought of in two different ways. You have the option of having it on an app on your phone, or if you do not have an app, when you enter a clinic, there would be a concierge wherein you can log in to use the app. We need to be seeing less of these reception deaths and more of the concierge feel. The patient experience should be like the ultimate customer experience.

 

The target market and demographic, in addition to the environment, cost, and emotional journey, are what determine the finishes of a practice. When it comes to technology—it is being implemented everywhere because it is enhancing the way medical practices function and allowing for more individualised patient care. It is more the finishes and the level of specification of the actual design of the practice itself that makes the difference.

Practice Success Collective

Practice Success Collective is a collective of experts to help aspiring practice owners and existing practice owners access the knowledge and resources they need to start, grow and succeed in their businesses. They are now doing five online summits a year. The first summit is a start-up summit, which is non-specific to any speciality and is aimed at aspiring practice owners. They will also conduct four more summits throughout the year, including a GP summit, a dental summit, a specialist summit, and a veterinary summit. The purpose of the collective is to give aspiring practice owners access to a talent pool of experts and to help them start with the end in mind. The team is grateful for the advisors and experts that have come on board the Practice Success Collective.

Evoke Projects 

At their offsite strategy this year, the leadership team discussed the importance of creating a people-centric practice. The discussion focused on why Evoke exists – which revolves around having a holistic approach to doing things by improving the well-being of occupants in the physical space through design and fit-out, but also on the importance of focusing on the team that looks after those patients. The leadership team emphasised that it is not just about the physical space, it is also about the tech, systems and processes, and then it is about the behaviours, strategy, and leadership. They also emphasised the importance of having the right people in the right seats on the bus to help the practice owner succeed.

The People-centric Practice 

It is not enough for owners of practices to simply provide a pleasant environment in which to do their jobs; they must also be able to draw in and keep the best possible employees. It is also essential to have a team that looks forward to serving their patients each day and to have a strategy outlining where you want to be in the future as well as how you intend to expand your business. Both of these factors are important. Without people at the heart of it, the practice most likely will not succeed.

Contribution of Physical Spaces to the Success of a Practice

In order to provide the best possible solution, it is critical to have a solid understanding of one’s target market and demographic, as well as what works best for those groups. It all comes down to this: if you are regularly seeing patients through the use of technology, what is the point of taking up a large clinic space?

Therefore, at the moment, we are witnessing an increase in the prevalence of these more compact spaces, as well as a variety of spaces that provide flexibility. It is a shift in thinking and a shift in culture, but it is the way forward.

Factors to Consider in Designing Practice

The majority of design firms place a primary emphasis on spatial design and figuring out ways to make a space functional. But the second part of the design that Evoke puts a lot of emphasis on is the emotional design of the practice. Emotional design is an important part of the design, as it focuses on the emotional journey that every human is on as they enter practice. This is especially important for the patients, as it is more emotional for them.

 

The WELL Building Institute has developed a standard that examines ways in which the well-being of the occupants can be improved. This standard takes into account ten fundamental ideas, including air, water, nourishment, light, movement, mind, and community. There is nothing that we can do or say to change the fact that the environment in which we live, work, or play has a significant influence on us as humans.

These factors have been identified as having a massive impact on the effect of space, the environment, and well-being. Practices should invest in people-centric practices to attract and retain top talent. This is easier said than done, but it is important to remember.

Light and biophilic design are strategies that can be implemented through the design process. Light is important for nourishment, while the biophilic design is a simple way to look at the mind and its connection with nature and can be done at no extra cost. These strategies are backed by science and proven to make an impact.

Looking Beyond

Both Evoke Projects and the Practice Success Collective are centred on the idea of assisting aspiring business owners in establishing a foundation for success from the very beginning of their ventures by connecting them with the resources, networks, and communities that will enable them to thrive. It is about providing access to the people, such as accounting, legal, marketing strategy, demographic, target market, property strategy, and where to put their practice. In other words, it is about putting people first. It is not a question of what is in it for them but rather how they can benefit the community that they are there to serve.

_{Source talkinghealthtech.com}