In healthcare operations, the smallest misalignment can cascade into real-world consequences: missed appointments, delayed care, and frustrated patients. As a project manager, I’ve learned that solving these issues isn’t about heroics, it’s about structure, foresight, and cross-functional execution.
Long ago when I was working at the Atlanta VA, I noticed a recurring disruption: every few weeks, our systems experienced a server outage. The result? Roughly 30 patients, many of whom had waited weeks, were being rescheduled. Staff morale dipped. Patient trust eroded. And access to care was compromised.
This wasn’t just a scheduling glitch. It was a risk event hiding in plain sight.
📊 Risk Recognition and Root Cause Analysis
Leveraging my background in clinical care and PMP-aligned project delivery, I approached the issue like any operational risk:
- Identified the pattern through incident tracking and stakeholder feedback
- Performed root cause analysis, uncovering a misaligned automated server restart cycle
- Assessed impact quantifying patient reschedules, staff burden, and downstream delays
The restart was technically “working as intended,” but operationally, it was undermining care delivery.
🤝 Stakeholder Alignment and Process Optimization
I engaged our IT team with a clear problem statement, supporting data, and a proposed solution: shift the restart to midweek during off-hours. The change was simple, but the execution required alignment across departments and a shared understanding of patient impact.
Once implemented, the results were immediate:
✅ Zero downtime
✅ No more reschedules
✅ Continuity of care preserved
✅ Improved staff efficiency and patient satisfaction
🧠 Systems Thinking Meets Project Discipline
This wasn’t a dramatic overhaul it was a systems-level insight, executed through disciplined project management. It required:
- Operational vigilance to spot the pattern
- Cross-functional collaboration to drive resolution
- Change control to implement a low-risk, high-impact fix
- Continuous improvement mindset to prevent recurrence
💡 The Broader Lesson
In health-tech and clinical ops, we often chase big innovations AI, digital front doors, virtual care platforms. But sometimes, the most meaningful improvements come from noticing the friction points others overlook.
Project management isn’t just about Gantt charts and timelines. It’s about protecting the patient experience through structured problem-solving and scalable solutions.
If you’re scaling digital health or managing clinical ops, don’t underestimate the power of pattern recognition and stakeholder alignment. The dots are always there. You just have to connect them with intention.
Dr. White, AuD 