25A - What's Next

Existing Market:

·        For my next venture, I’m looking into the expansion of offering in-patient services to do those suffering from severe mental illness and need to be admitted.

o   Interview #1—Patient:

§  My first interview was a low-income patient that didn’t know there were institutions that existed similar to my venture. He mentioned that in addition to my services, I should offer in-patient care. While I was already considering this idea, I’m glad to receive further that this should be my next step.

o   Interview #2—Patient:

§  My second interview was a bit more interesting because she felt that I should operate a free clinic. Her reasoning behind it, was that even though my sliding scale can be affordable for some, it possibly will still be expensive for others, such as, homeless patients. In addition, she mentioned that there aren’t any clinics in the area that offer free services, and would most likely be more beneficial for the low-income communities.

o   Interview #3—Patient:

§  My last interview was a bit more enlightening. She stated that my ideas were great in terms of offering services to both adults and children, in addition to, the rehabilitation center, but she felt that I was doing too much. She suggested holding off on the rehabilitation center, and use my surrounding resources instead. She explained that if I try to operate everything at once, I might not be able to meet the need which in turn will create patient dissatisfaction.

Reflection:

·        After conducting the interviews, I was actually surprised at how different each interview was. With the first interview, I was pleased to know that my thought process for the next venture is headed in the right direction. At first, I wasn’t sure how offering in-patient services would interfere or partner well with out-patient services, but I think this will be more beneficial in the long run. With my second interview, I could not believe she said I should offer free services. To explain, it’s not that I don’t believe what she is saying or am against it, but I am not sure how I would successfully operate without attempting to generate some revenue. In an effort to refrain from closed-mindedness, I considered maybe I can offer certain services free of charge, but most definitely not all. Lastly, my last patient made a great point about my venture being overly ambitious. While I would still like to move forward with all of my plans, I don’t think it will do any harm to take steps one at a time, and not try to launch a huge practice without working through the quirks first.

New Market:

·        Although my services aren’t specifically meant to target low-income communities only, I decided to interview some of our higher income patients to determine how my services will benefit them. Most patients with higher incomes are able to see any specialist they want and usually don’t have to wait too long because they’re practices are privately ran. However, with most insurances, certain services must be authorized in advance which can delay treatment.

o   Interview #1—Patient:

§  With my first patient, she has a commercial insurance plan with United Healthcare. She states that she wouldn’t really need to switch her services unless her provider stopped accepting her insurance. Also, because she pays a lot for her insurance, she mentioned that she rarely has any issues with her services.

o   Interview #2—Patient:

§  My second interviewee mentioned that she is actually intrigued by the services I plan to offer. One of the main reasons, is because she mentioned that she can no longer afford health coverage and is seeking an institution where she can pay based on her income. Lastly, she mentioned that she also has family members that do not have insurance and are in need of a facility like mine.

Reflection:

·        With this second set of interviews, I feel like I gained a new perspective that I didn’t have before. To elaborate, I’ve always known that most wealthy individuals don’t really struggle with receiving healthcare because most are covered by insurance. What I’ve always been blinded to is the fact that even though they are wealthy, that doesn’t necessarily mean their family is or they don’t have friends or colleagues that need help. This is helpful because there are plenty of people that may not directly benefit from my services, but they can point others to my direction.