From the outset, M Health recognized a need to balance aspiration and cost. Our design team took inspiration from IKEA’s product development strategy of determining the price tag first, then designing the product’s specifications to meet the target cost. Every square foot of the building was challenged and reimagined through immersive engagement with more than 37 clinical departments.

This approach yielded several unexpected and novel design solutions. For example, traditional reception desks were replaced by personal greeters with mobile check-in stations, and wireless tracking technology provides patients with a choice of open seating environments. Since opening, M Health notes that patient experience is yielding more than three times as many compliments as complaints. Ten of the center’s clinics are exceeding the 90th percentile for “would you recommend” in Press Ganey surveys of similar organizations.

Our team applied Lean principles throughout the design process to maximize workflow efficiency and cut underutilized square footage. Through a series of optimization studies, the number of exam rooms was reduced by 45 percent after simulation models demonstrated an ability to accommodate double the patients by adjusting room utilization practices. Resourcefulness was also brought to staff spaces. There are no private offices for clinicians—instead, flexible workstations stretch across large window banks. A three-story, open-air lounge allows staff to socialize and relax in their own way. In total, Lean operational and design improvements drove more than $67 million in capital costs savings as well as millions in future operating expenses.