Consulting

Overview

The IHQC team is available for coaching and consulting partnerships with safety net clinics and healthcare systems, foundations, and other organizations interested in community health and quality improvement. We prioritize tactical and practical approaches to problem-solving, while acknowledging that each organization faces a unique combination of challenges.

 

Examples of our services include:

  • Convening and facilitating subject-specific roundtables and events including topics on access, quality improvement, inter-organizational collaboration, and project management.
  • Providing expertise on safety net systems and healthcare trends to researchers, foundations, funders and member-based associations.
  • Developing operational and quality improvement skills within management teams.
  • Assessing coaching needs for organization staff, developing instructional strategies, creating initiative goals and timelines, and refining content and curriculum.
  • Project development and management, including technology planning and implementation.
  • Developing and promoting quality improvement infrastructure.

 

For more information about how IHQC can support you and your organization, contact us.

Past Consulting Engagements

IHQC has provided consulting services to:

  • Blue Shield of California Foundation
  • California Improvement Network
  • Center for Care Innovations
  • Herald Christian Health Centers
  • Kaiser Permanente
  • Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
  • Safety Net Institute (SNI)
  • UCSF HealthForce Center

 

Case Study

eConsult & eReferral Learning Roundtable: Considerations for Implementation in the Healthcare Safety Net

In 2014, the Blue Shield of California Foundation (BSCF), as part of their effort to invest in innovations to improve access to specialty care services for the safety net population, reached out to the leadership of IHQC for support in the planning and development of an eConsult Learning Roundtable. eConsult and eReferral systems are used to improve access to specialty care by promoting dialogue between primary care providers and specialists – for enhanced, timely consultation, case review and care management. This eConsult Learning Roundtable brought together experts from across the country to discuss lessons learned from their implementations of eConsult and eReferral systems. The best practices discussed were shared with communities and health systems that are contemplating implementing these platforms to improve access to specialty services.

IHQC staff facilitated the planning process by conducting stakeholder interviews and surveys with experts in the field. Through these efforts we found that the planning and implementation of eConsult systems requires significant relationship development; leadership, clinical and operational engagement; structured project management; and technology selection and roll-out. IHQC created the agenda, supporting documentation, and coordinated the outreach and recruitment efforts for the Learning Roundtable. During the day, IHQC staff facilitated a lively discussion where more than 40 leaders from the field discussed the implementation stages for these systems (readiness assessments, prep and planning, implementing the systems, refining workflows, scale-up and spreading), considerations for sustainability, and evaluation frameworks and measuring impact. The findings from these discussions were summarized in a series of reports written by IHQC staff for BSCF.

  • "IHQC’s thoughtful design and facilitation of our eConsult Expert Roundtable cultivated relationships and practical wisdom that continue to impact our Foundation’s strategy to spread eConsult in the California safety net. IHQC’s subsequent work to provide technical assistance to local communities successfully translated this knowledge into action." - Rachel Wick, Senior Program Officer, Blue Shield of California Foundation

  • Increased preparedness for eConsult implementations, improved collaborative engagement by leadership, project management staff and key stakeholders, and structured and realistic work plans for system implementation.

Interested in partnering with IHQC?

Contact us!
IHQCConsulting