The Research, Engagement and Applied Consulting in Healthcare (REACH) program is designed to maximize the strategic value delivered to the partner organization while providing graduate students with a structured, mentored opportunity to apply consulting methodologies in real-world healthcare settings.
Overview
Through this engagement, partner organizations gain data-driven strategic insights while playing a vital role in mentoring the next generation of healthcare leaders. Moreover, students gain practical experience in managing real-world consulting projects, strengthening their analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities. The REACH program ensures that organizational needs are effectively addressed throughout the project lifecycle by aligning with the partner’s perspective and the organization’s objectives.
Project framework
This protocol establishes a standardized framework for project initiation and management within the REACH program.
1. Project Initiation
- During the Summer between May and early August, a partner submits an application form to the REACH program via the application platform.
- A program director (“Dr. Jo”) will review the application and schedule a meeting with the potential partner to further understand needs and assess qualifications. Additionally, both will thoroughly discuss goals and desired outcomes.
- If the case aligns with REACH’s scope, the faculty and client formalize the agreement by signing a contract.
- By the first week of the Fall semester, REACH assembles a student consulting team.
- The partner will meet our consulting team, including the project lead, who will be the primary point of contact to develop a comprehensive study protocol.
- During this meeting, the partner is expected to provide all necessary data access information required to initiate and advance the project. Any restrictions or conditions regarding data use should be clearly communicated in advance to ensure compliance and facilitate an effective workflow.
2. Timeline and Milestones
The consulting typically spans 8-16 weeks, with pre-work taking place in the preceding months. The timeline is flexible and can be adjusted based on the urgency and the complexity of the challenge.
Key Checkpoints:
- Kick-off meeting to align on objectives and methodology
- Weekly progress reviews to keep a partner informed and involved
- Mid-point recalibration to ensure we’re on track with the partner’s expectations
- Final presentation of findings and recommendations, or final outcomes
- Pre-work (Before Week 1): Kick-off meeting including introductions and a short orientation with a program director and the partner. The case will be distributed at this milestone.
- A comprehensive study protocol, outlining data sources, methodologies, and expected outcomes or deliverables, will be developed following the kick-off meeting and submitted to the partner for review.
- Ramp-Up (Weeks 1–2): Conduct stakeholder interviews, gather initial data, and refine hypotheses.
- Research & Analysis (Weeks 3–final day): Deep dive into market trends, competitive dynamics, customer insights, and financial modeling.
- Regular communication will be maintained with the partner through regular meetings to provide ongoing updates on findings.
- Solution Development (Weeks 8–14): Synthesize findings into actionable recommendations.
- Final Presentation (Weeks 15–16): Deliver a comprehensive report and executive presentation with clear implementation steps.
3. Stakeholder Engagement and Communication
- Stakeholder Engagement: The partner will introduce key stakeholders to the team if needed.
- Communication and reporting
- Weekly check-ins with the partner to review progress and recalibrate as needed.
- (If needed) Use dashboards or project management tools for real-time updates on milestones.
- Feedback Loop: Regular opportunities for the partner to provide feedback and course-correct through weekly meetings.
4. Data Access and Security
- A partner’s assistance in providing necessary data and facilitating internal interviews will be crucial for the analysis. The data accessibility will be reviewed by the partner and the faculty advisor in the pre-work week.
- The REACH team will save the data and conduct the analysis using the encrypted institutional server for enhanced security. Deliverables will be stored in a UF-secured folder (e.g., UF OneDrive or UF Dropbox), accessible only through a UF account.
5. Confidentiality and IP Protection
- Both the partner and the team will strictly adhere to non-disclosure agreements before the beginning of the project. They are required to submit the confidentiality and IP protection form to Dr.Jo.
- All project outputs will be your intellectual property
6. Post-Project Debrief
The faculty advisor will have a debriefing meeting to collect the feedback from the REACH team and the partner, respectively.