A Simpler Lens to Transform Hospital Operations, Culture, and Care
Why Time?
In healthcare, complexity is often accepted as inevitable. But behind much of that complexity is a simple truth: time is the universal currency of care. It shapes operational performance, staff morale, and patient experience. The CGA Time Value Model™ is a practical framework to clarify priorities, align teams, and improve outcomes, starting with how we use time.
The Three Core Dimensions of Time Value
- Time Waiting
Reduce delays. Improve flow.- Measures how long patients and staff wait across access points, handoffs, and workflows.
- Acts as a forcing function to improve system efficiency, staffing alignment, and resource use.
- Real-world success: Focusing on "door-to-doctor" time in an ED transformed the entire operational system.
- Time With
Deepen relationships. Improve care.- Improves the quality, depth and needed time between caregivers and patients.
- Builds trust, improves diagnosis and adherence, and allows for compassion to surface.
- A critical factor in improving outcomes and caregiver satisfaction.
- Time Back
Give time where it matters most.- Identifies and eliminates redundant or low-value tasks (e.g., in-person visits for simple refills).
- Returns time to staff and patients for higher-impact activities or simply to breathe.
- Enables scalable well-being for both teams and patients.
Value Proposition for Health Systems
- Strategic Clarity – Shifts conversations from fragmented metrics to what matters most.
- Operational Simplicity – Easy for front-line teams to understand, act on, and rally around.
- Performance Insights – Reveals systemic inefficiencies and uncaptured value.
- Cultural Alignment – Makes compassion measurable, efficiency human-centered, and complexity manageable.
A Tool for Systemic Insight & Engagement
The Time Value Model is a mindset, not just a measurement tool. Leaders use it to:
- Uncover hidden bottlenecks
- Align staff around meaningful goals
- Design solutions that serve both patient experience and operational performance
- Evaluate the ROI of innovation through the lens of time saved, time improved, or time returned
A Simple Ask for a Complex System
When you ask, “Is this improving Time Waiting, Time With, or Time Back?” you invite teams to engage in practical, compassionate, and systemic thinking.
