Challenge
Curry Health Network (CHN), an Oregon special health district comprised of a hospital and several medical clinics located on the southern Oregon coast, was lacking a clear strategic plan. CHN leaders wanted to develop a plan that would guide the organization with key priorities. They were looking for a partner with deep knowledge of healthcare market strategies that could facilitate the strategic planning process.
Process
CHN had a positive experience working with Stroudwater in the past on market analysis, and our rapid strategic planning service was a perfect fit for their goals.
“I’m used to strategic planning taking forever,” said Ginny Williams, CEO, Curry Health Network. “When Stroudwater suggested the rapid strategic plan, it was really appealing to hear we could go all in for three days and then get across the finish line with everybody on the same page. Strategic planning takes a lot of meetings, and sometimes you can lose momentum and excitement. The tight timeline was really great for us.”
Stroudwater worked with CHN at the beginning of the COVID-19 shutdown in spring 2020, conducting remote planning sessions. Milestones included:
- Providing the board with a high-level market assessment and education about healthcare moving toward a more value-based platform
- Strategic goal-setting and all-team meetings that resulted in team members sharing priorities and benefits that Stroudwater compiled in a presentation
- A finalized strategic plan and detailed follow-up actions for the management team
Stroudwater also began working with CHN on a community health needs assessment (CHNA). A CHNA is a process to evaluate the health needs of a community, or specific populations within that community and use those findings to address areas that need improvement. The IRS requires charitable hospital organizations do conduct one every three years. Stroudwater collected public data and community input, including first-hand testimonials from community stakeholders, and a county wide community survey, to create an in-depth report that highlighted the healthcare needs of Curry County.
Results
Stroudwater produced a concrete, actionable strategic plan that the CHN team could start implementing right away. The plan was so structured that the organization was able to transfer its tasks, initiatives, and priorities into a project management system, assigning them to specific team leaders and tracking progress toward goals. Additionally, Stroudwater was able to incorporate the findings from the CHNA into the strategic plan creating synergy between the reports and a greater focus on the specific healthcare needs in the county. Conducting both an actionable strategic plan and CHNA in concert with one another allowed CHN to truly understand its strengths and weaknesses in every capacity and create an iron clad plan for the future.
“Stroudwater really knows rural healthcare and critical access,” said Williams. “Because their team is so knowledgeable, they facilitate and can also participate. They were a great partner all the way around.”