Healthcare

The Growth of the Natural Care Market
The demand for natural, organic personal care products that are as good for consumers as they are for the earth are constantly on the rise. It seems that more than ever people are looking to spend their money with smaller companies that are making a difference. These small companies are creating a big stir, generating $3 billion a year and growing at an estimated rate of 15% a year-numbers that are causing big corporations to wake up and pay attention. Colgate-Palmolive caught on to the new ethics oriented business trend, and rather than seeing the growth of natural care products as a threat they viewed it as an opportunity, purchasing Tom's of Maine for $100 million dollars. Toms' of Maine is the #1 Oral Care Brand in the Natural category, selling products like natural toothpaste and mouthwash. None of their products contain artificial sweeteners, preservatives, colors, flavors, or animal ingredients, nor are they tested on animals. Everything Tom's of Maine makes from products to packaging is biodegradable and earth friendly.

Who Is Tom's of Maine?
Tom's of Maine has been dedicated to their mission of sticking to sustainable, responsible business practices for 35 years. They donate 10% of their profits to non-profit organizations, and encourage employees to allocate 5% of their work time for volunteer activities. The legacy of Tom's of Maine started in 1968 when Tom and Kate Chappell left corporate America to move to a more slow paced life in Maine. As part of their new lifestyle, Tom and Kate were dedicated to consuming only unprocessed foods and unadulterated products. Their search for a healthier lifestyle proved to be difficult as they were unable to find personal care products made from only natural ingredients. As any good entrepreneurial team would, they simply decided to create and distribute their own line of organic, earth friendly products. Tom's of Maine was started with a $5,000 loan and a phosphate liquid laundry detergent sold under the name Clearlake. They used refillable containers that included postage paid shipping so customers could continually reuse the same bottles for less money than it would cost to buy new ones. Over the course of the next five years, their product line grew to include personal natural care products, and in 1975 they launched their first natural toothpaste. Following the success of their toothpaste, Tom and Kate also developed all natural baby shampoo, deodorant, mouthwash, and shaving cream, and by 1983 this innocent startup was garnering annual sales of nearly $2 million. As the demand for Tom's of Maine products grew, Tom and Kate looked to sell their products in larger super market chains like Progressive Distributors and CVS. Even with all of their commercial success, Tom's of Maine hasn't lost sight of their original vision, and remain true to their promise of developing safe, all natural products for the masses. Tom's of Maine uses ingredients like sage, lemongrass, rosemary, and vitamin C instead of harsh chemicals and dyes like saccharin, alcohol, and EDTA.

Colgate's Newest Acquisition
Colgate is excited to be teaming up With Tom's of Maine explaining that, "We have great admiration for Tom and Kate Chappell and the values-based business they have created. The combination of Colgate, the global leader in Oral care, and Tom's of Maine, the leader in the Naturals category, is an exciting partnership with growth opportunities for both companies. And we're especially pleased that Tom Chappell will remain on to lead the company, which will continue to be based in Kennebunk, Maine." (Colgate.com) Colgate sees this as an opportunity to break into a new channel of business, and to create differentiation from other oral care companies, and expects that their global reach will enable the worldwide organic health industry to grow at a much faster pace than it has in the past. Tom and Kate Chappell are eager to be a part of Colgate, and are ready to see their brand launched to the next level. More importantly, Tom's of Maine sees Colgate as a company that's aligned with their own values, from their commitment to high quality products, to their relentless history of giving back to the community. Tom's of Maine is so confident in the Colgate brand that they sold 84% of their shares to Colgate, while retaining control of the remaining 16% of shares.

So What Does This Mean for Consumers?
By promoting the use of natural care products on a global level, consumers reap the benefits of better products at better prices. Are the days of over priced organic goods coming to an end as big corporations see the need to participate in alternative products? After all, if car companies are making more earth friendly vehicles and fuels, why shouldn't this model of doing what's right stretch to other categories as well? Companies are finally starting to realize that their customers want more than just a product, they want to be buying into a value system, an ideology that reflects their own personal wants and beliefs. Spending time with companies that care is always time well spent, and that's something that today's over stressed, over worked consumers can appreciate.

Everyone can recognize the need for convenient healthcare. Rick Krieger, founder of Minute Clinic, realized that although everyone needs reliable healthcare, many people don't have access to it. After waiting for hours in an urgent care center with a sick child, Krieger decided that he could make doctor visits better. Krieger teamed up with Douglas Smith, M.D., and Steve Pontius to create QuickMedx (which would become Minute Clinic in December 2002), opening their first location in May 2000. They focused on some of the most common ailments including Strep throat, mono, ear infections, sinus infections, female bladder infections, and pregnancy testing for much less than it would cost to go to a hospital or other traditional health care clinic. Minute Clinic provides an online estimate for what each consultation will cost (they base these costs off of zip codes) and offer consultations with physicians, prescriptions, and an on site pharmacy, making visits to the doctors convenient and less stressful than ever before.

While everyone wants affordable healthcare, they also want safe and accurate information; this is why Minute Clinic has instituted a number of innovations and safeguards to keep patients well informed. Minute Clinic uses focused treatment, qualified clinicians, quality control, and adherence to national clinical practice guidelines to make sure that their patients have the best possible experience. Minute Clinic employs "masters prepared nurse practitioners and physician assistants [who] possess the licenses, certifications and clinical experience that ensure effective treatment of your common illnesses." To further ensure top notch care they also use an Electronic Medical Records system that establishes guidelines for how each procedure should be done.

Today Minute Clinic boasts more than 350,000 patients with a customer satisfaction rating of 99%, and they continue to work towards making healthcare affordable for the uninsured, self employed, and major health insurance providers. Thanks to booming business, Minute Clinic was able to add health care centers in Target stores and corporate offices in the Twin Cities (Minnesota) area in 2002. A year and a half later they expanded again, this time reaching Target stores in Baltimore and CVS/pharmacies in Minnesota and Maryland. Minute Clinic was so popular at CVS/pharmacy locations that they added more care centers in Tennessee, Indiana, North Carolina, and Washington D.C.

Minute Clinic saves time and money (with the average procedure lasting about fifteen minutes) and is disrupting the traditionally expensive health care market by offering affordable treatment and convenience, two things that any sick patient can appreciate. Their understanding of sick people who want timely care has the potential to reinvent the world of healthcare, as they have created a successful model others will no doubt want to copy.

A lot of people don't like hospitals. In general they feel frightening, sterile, and foreign - not nice things to encounter when you or a loved one is sick. The Mayo Clinic knows that patients don't get better when they feel afraid or uncomfortable, and decided that they could provide a better, more familiar experience. The Mayo Clinic is famous for their patient oriented healthcare and endlessly innovative approaches to curing severe illness. At each of the three Mayo Clinics, doctors, surgeons, and nurses work together to create a skillful team that always keeps the patient's best interest in mind. While Mayo is a world-renowned health clinic, they still wanted to offer better service, and teamed up with IDEO to institute a better "patient-provider experience." Mayo calls this project the SPARC Innovation Program, an acronym for See, Plan, Act, Refine, and Communicate.

IDEO started by watching patients interact in various parts of the clinic, focusing on waiting and exam rooms. They also payed attention to how patients interacted with doctors and nurses during different healthcare processes. IDEO worked to provide the Mayo Clinic with a format for creating "service delivery innovation" that includes elements such as rapid prototyping and patient observation to help refine proposed patient-physician solutions. Mayo and IDEO collaborated on designing an internal medicine corridor that's informative and comfortable for patients as well as staff. The corridor ended up being a four-stop journey through which patients proceed.

Patients begin at the Service Home Base where they plan their stay with Mayo. This area uses sectioned waiting spaces to provide privacy for individuals and families, and is proposed to also become an information hub that offers literature pertaining to the clinic. From there patients travel to the Visitor-Facing Hub where they choose the kinds of service they need including check in, drop off, and pick up. The Visitor-Facing Hub also has a translucent glass wall that shows patients what's going on behind the scenes, another factor in generating a dialogue that improves patient-physician communication. In the Preparation Service Area, Mayo staff takes vitals and offers consultations prior to the actual physician meeting. In this area Mayo uses half-rooms, soft light, and transclusent dividers that provide flexibility and intimacy. The last step is Innovation Central, a futuristc exam space that uses outside walls as storyboards to convey patient information. The moveable interior walls, furniture, and space are all designed to accommodate collaboration and large group meetings.

This internal medicine corridor is to remain a part of the clinic where new service delivery processes can constantly be explored. Mayo hopes that their SPARC program will continue to benefit patient satisfaction and make more efficient use of physician time - two things that will greatly benefit the hospital visit experience for years to come. This project illustrates the joys of collaboration, and shows how already successful organizations can further the innovative practices they're so well known for.

Medtronic has been a revolutionary force in medical care, putting the power to manage illness back into the hands of patients. In the 1960's they developed the first pacemaker, and are constantly reinventing the medical industry with electronic diagnostic products that help patients manage their care, rather than having to rely on expensive doctors. Their success rate is phenomenal - saving a life every six seconds (Medtronic.com).

Medtronic's latest revolutionary product helps those suffering from chronic pain. They've done this by tapping into the most accurate source for pain alleviation: the patient. Their solution provides a more normal lifestyle for those enduring the hardships of pain, and also helps relieve the embarrassment resulting from a constant need to self-medicate. The Personal Therapy Manager (PTM) combines an implanted drug pump with a Palm handheld PDA device. A patient can use the PDA to wirelessly control the pump, streaming in the appropriate amount of medication in the most effective and discreet manner. And because pain is subjective, the patient knows best what they need. Doctor's have applauded this product for its ability to empower the patient in their pain-control, but also because of the way it provides aid for patients who are already feeling awkward and uncomfortable. The solution provides social relief as well as pain relief. Medtronic realizes that how people feel about their medical experience is almost as important as the treatment they get. Medtronic has got this right, we just wish more medical companies would as well.

Medtronic banked on a "patient-focused therapy" and is winning big. It is no wonder that they have been so successful, and continues to reap profits. Medtronic focuses on people rather than products, and has committed itself to a number of high-profile projects to help provide solutions to a number of worthwhile causes, mainly in the medical field. This approach has established them as one of the world's leading, disruptively innovative medical brands.

With problems on both ends, there is an obvious need for immediate improvement in the system, as patients and providers' frustrations begin to escalate. Frampton explains that, "Planetree and its affiliates are a part of the quarter century of commitment that honors the patient's perspective in healthcare. From its humble beginnings 25 years ago as a vision of a single patient, to its growing presence in over 80 hospitals, clinics, health resource centers and long-term care centers around the country, Planetree has truly changed the face of healthcare. By listening to what patients want in the health care environment and networking with Alliance members, Planetree affiliates have created some of the most healing hospitals in the country. They recognize that patients have a choice about where they will go for care, and that they are looking for more than just advanced technology and a good clinical outcome."

So what is there to healing? Give someone the drug and offer them a short stay in a stiff bed? That sounds more like a prison sentence. Planetree is about human beings caring for and serving other human beings. This involves not only the provision of nurturing, compassionate, personalized care to patients and families, but just as important, how staff members care for themselves and each other; and, how organizations create cultures which support and nurture their staff. Experiential staff retreats sensitize employees to the anatomy of a hospital experience from the patient's perspective and better enable them to holistically serve the patient. Healing partnerships between patients, family members and caregivers are encouraged by a care model which enables patients to be active participants in their health care.

In addition, Architectural Design Conducive to Health & Healing Planetree firmly believes that the physical environment is vital to the healing process of the patient. Facility design should include efficient layouts which support patient dignity and personhood. Domestic aesthetics, art and warm home-like, non-institutional designs which value humans, not just technology, are emphasized. Architectural barriers which inhibit patient control and privacy as well as interfere with family participation are removed. Awareness of the symbolic messages communicated by design is essential.

Designing and maintaining an uncluttered environment encourages patient mobility and a sense of "safe shelter." The design of Planetree facilities provide patients and families with spaces for both solitude and social activities, and include libraries, kitchens, lounges, activity rooms, chapels, and gardens. Comfortable space and accommodations are provided for families to stay overnight. Healing gardens, fountains, fish tanks and waterfalls are provided to connect patients, families and staff with the relaxing, invigorating, healing, and meditative aspects of nature.
It's just as essential to create healing environments for the staff as it is for patients. Physicians, nurses and ancillary staff are very much affected by their working environment. It is very hard to help patients heal and recover in inhospitable, cold and impersonal spaces. Lounges and sacred space for staff are an important component in the creation of a healing environment.

The Model's emphasis on patient and family education is carried out through strategies like customized information packets, collaborative care conferences and patient pathways. The open chart policy enables patients to read and write in their medical records. In the self-medication program patients who are able can keep their medications at the bedside and assume responsibility for their administration.
Planetree recognizes that the experience of illness has the potential to transform the patient. It can be a time of great personal growth for the patient as life goals and values are reevaluated, priorities are clarified, and inner resources are discovered. A variety of educational materials are made available to the patient, the family and the community through consumer-friendly health resource centers and satellite centers. The Planetree Classification System aids those in search of information as they review broad collections of medical texts and journals. Video and audiotapes, computer services, and more support patients increasing hunger for information about their health and medical care.

Finally, touch is an essential way of communicating caring and is unfortunately often omitted from the clinical setting. Therapeutic full body or chair massages are made available to patients, families and staff. Internship programs for massage therapists and training for volunteers who can give hand and foot rubs are also available, and help keep costs minimal. Families, as part of the Care Partner Program, can also be taught to give massages to loved ones while in the hospital and at home. Nurses, doctors and other staff find chair massage focusing on the neck, shoulders and back, a useful way to relieve stress and re-energize.

It's nice to know that there are organizations that are beginning to think hard about how the medical field can more adequately help people care for one another. By relieving the stress on both the patient and caregiver ends, Planetree hopes to provide a community of healthcare givers at their institutions. Wouldn't it be nice if their model was more universally adopted!