Enhancing Health and Well-Being Services at a Large State University
An ACHA Consulting Case Study
A renowned land-grant university with a strong tradition of promoting health and well-being recognized the need to better meet the evolving needs of students and staff while ensuring financial sustainability.
To tackle these challenges, the university partnered with the ACHA Consulting Program. This collaboration provided fresh insights and innovative strategies to reimagine their health and well-being initiatives—building on the strengths and contributions of their dedicated community.
ACHA's Consulting Team conducted discovery calls, reviewed data, and interviewed over 40 stakeholders during an on-site visit to identify the client’s strengths, areas for improvement, and strategic opportunities.
The Challenges
Despite strong student and staff engagement, committed leadership and solid institutional financial support, the university’s health center was
- struggling to clarify its mission, purpose, and role within the institution
- looking for ways to optimize integration of health and counseling services
- interested in ideas of how to better communicate health center leadership decisions to staff and faculty
- looking for a clear path towards a more sustainable financial and staffing structure
The Key Findings
- Neither staff, student ambassadors, nor campus partners could articulate the mission of the student health and well-being center
- The organizational chart lacked clarity and did not reflect an integrated model, creating inefficiencies in communication and reporting
- Restrictive appointment policies, limited insurance acceptance, and insufficient marketing were resulting in declining patient utilization in medical services
- Leadership turnover created challenges in optimizing reporting lines and operational efficiency
- Staff and students expressed frustration with the shared services model due to inadequate communication and transparency
- Space constraints in the facility were creating operational challenges and inefficiencies
The Recommendations
The findings highlighted critical gaps in mission clarity, leadership structure, operational efficiency, service accessibility, and space management. To address these issues, the consultants delivered a comprehensive report to the university. Key recommendations included:
- Clarify mission and strategic goals: through a series of recommended execises, refine the center’s mission and strategic priorities, enabling staff to effectively communicate their purpose and “why.”
- Leverage data for re-alignment: take advantage of utilization, insurance, and student satisfaction data to gain insight and restructure services and organizational frameworks, ensuring they align with and prioritize student needs.
- Enhance communication and collaboration: identify and implement strategies to strengthen integration, communication and engagement between health and counseling services.
- Optimize facility utilization: collaborate with the center’s teams to explore innovative ways to maximize the use of the existing facility, enhancing operational efficiency and promoting sustainability.
Client Feedback
"The consultancy process can be challenging, often revealing critical deficiencies that organizations may find difficult to confront.
However, ACHA and its team of consultants fostered an atmosphere of trust, enabling us to embrace feedback that is both meaningful and actionable. This supportive environment has accelerated our ability to transform insights into impactful change."
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