our approach

Our approach is to begin with the recognition that each situation is unique. Each consultant who works on Mitlyng Associates engagements brings extensive experience with approaches that work in various situations, but we do not have a canned solution or approach. It is our experience and judgment in dealing with the specifics of each situation that make us successful in meeting the needs and interests of our clients. Joe Mitlyng is personally involved as the lead consultant on every Mitlyng Associates engagement.

The first task is to understand the present situation, the organization and individuals involved, and the issues as seen by those individuals. In this process, we begin to build trust that we have the experience and skills to understand the issues – we will develop and recommend solutions that will best meet the needs of the organization and the individuals involved.

The strategic task is to identify common interests in ways that will improve patient care and improve financial performance. Those common interests become the basis for a shared vision of what can be done.

Our experience is that good patient care and good financial performance go hand-in-hand. Putting the patient first – focusing on the patient and the patient experience – builds patient and provider loyalty. The example of putting the patient first may be a more efficient surgical technique that enables the surgeon to operate with less blood loss, less OR time, and better results. The example may be making more appointment slots available and improving both patient access and provider productivity. Improved patient care and improved financial performance are both important drivers of change in healthcare.

The overall task is to structure a strategic relationship that both fosters improved performance and reasonably meets the interests of the individuals involved.

We believe:

Physicians and hospitals have common interests that are best served by identifying ways to work together.

The “Business of the Business” in healthcare is caring for patients. The best quality and cost effective care is achieved when physicians lead the care provided and are accountable also for financial performance.

Physicians do better in directing their own work than in being directed by others. Ample experience has demonstrated that the idea of physicians working as employees – taking direction from others and meeting externally established performance standards – is not a productive way of working with physicians.

The best strategic relationships are those in which there is effective physician leadership and accountability for the team’s clinical and financial performance, the hospital is responsible for providing an efficient environment (systems, staff, supplies, equipment and facilities), and there is effective hospital/physician governance that oversees performance and assures joint accountability of physicians and the hospital for overall performance.