Many of us are working on the Strategic Business Plan for the practice. I want everyone’s input. All ideas are welcome and solicited. A draft of the plan will be included in an upcoming edition of SPIRIT 5 for comments. To be a top-tier medical practice in the country in terms of quality, satisfaction and value: that’s our vision.

I was talking with someone recently about it and he expressed reservations. “Brent, I just don’t know if that is possible,” he said. That gave me the opportunity to ask this question: “If it were possible, what would it look like?”

That question, which is not original to me, changes the conversation. It puts matters in a completely different environment. It moves it from why we can’t do something to what it will look like when it happens.

Then the person went on to say that we would offer evidence-based medicine, focused on maximizing health status of the people we serve. He said we would look at things through the patients’ eyes and make it easy for them to set appointments, get in and out, and minimize waits. Further, he said we would share patients’ health data with them and educate patients on health matters. He was on a roll… “Furthermore, we would use technology in more skillful ways and partner with the patient.”

And then, he said, we would hold down costs to the patient (or whoever is paying the bill) and not waste resources. Sounds a lot like the Triple Aim Initiative of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

I smiled. I think he had it! Once we see the vision and the gap that exists between it and where we are today … we can start bridging it! So, I will ask you the same question, “If it were possible (to achieve our vision), what would it look like?”