Healthcare Patient Experience Consulting Healthcare Management Consulting Group Remarkable Patient
Experience
by Design.
Based in Northern Virginia and serving medical practices nationwide, HMCG helps healthcare organizations transform operations, improve patient satisfaction, and build lasting trust through our proprietary Nine Pillars of Patient Experience Framework.
We help practices identify experience breakdowns, optimize operations, and build the infrastructure for long-term patient loyalty.
Proprietary Nine
Pillars
Framework
A proven methodology covering every stage of the patient journey — from first impression to long-term loyalty.
Deep Healthcare
Operations Expertise
Led by a principal with 18 years of hands-on experience across multiple levels of healthcare operations in diverse care settings.
Patient-Centered
Strategy
Every engagement is grounded in accountability, compassion, empathy, and collaboration — our Culture of Care values.
Why Many Practices Struggle with Patient Experience
Healthcare practices invest heavily in clinical excellence, staffing, and technology — yet patients still leave dissatisfied. The issue is rarely the quality of care itself. It is the quality of the experience surrounding that care.
Every touchpoint a patient encounters — from discovering your practice online to receiving a bill — shapes how they perceive your brand. Yet most practices manage these moments in isolation, without a unified framework connecting them.
Fragmented patient journeys, inconsistent front-office interactions, and unclear post-visit follow-up erode trust and weaken retention. Without intentional design across every touchpoint, even exceptional clinical care is undermined by the experience around it.
“A remarkable patient experience doesn’t happen
by accident — it happens by design.”
Empathy and compassion connect us to others, accountability grounds us in integrity, and collaboration turns shared vision into lasting impact.
Our Culture of Care is the foundation of everything we do — built on Accountability, Compassion, Empathy, and Collaboration. These aren’t just values; they’re the operating principles that shape every client engagement.
When workflows are streamlined with patient experience in mind, the results aren’t just measurable — they’re transformational. We partner with healthcare organizations to enhance patient satisfaction and build lasting trust across every touchpoint.
A Culture of Care doesn’t just improve patient experience — it transforms the teams delivering it. When your people lead with empathy and act with accountability, the entire organization elevates.
Melissa Gilkes-Smith
Founder & Principal
Services designed around your
patients
Nine Pillars Patient Experience Audit
A comprehensive evaluation of operations and patient experience to uncover high-impact opportunities for growth and performance improvement.
Fractional COO Services
Executive-level operational leadership without the full-time cost. Streamline processes, close gaps, and scale with clarity and efficiency.
Coaching
One-on-one executive coaching for healthcare leaders and practice managers — building the clarity, confidence, and capabilities to lead with purpose and measurable impact.
Team & Group Training
Custom training and facilitation for healthcare teams — strengthening communication, culture, and patient experience across every role and touchpoint.
Practice Leadership Placement
Recruitment and placement for practice managers and operations leaders, plus a 90-day Focused Leader Accelerator so your new hire is ready to lead.
Who We Work With
HMCG works with independent medical practices, multi-provider and multi-location groups, and specialty clinics across the United States. We are based in Northern Virginia and work on-site with practices throughout the DC region, travel to clients across the country, and deliver many engagements remotely.
Our clients are practice owners, administrators and practice managers who want a better patient experience and smoother operations without adding a full-time executive. Whether you are fixing a front desk that can’t keep up, preparing for growth, or hiring your next practice leader, we meet you where your practice is today.
How an Engagement Works
- Free consultation. A 30-minute call to talk through what is happening in your practice and where you want to go.
- Assessment. Start with the free PX360 assessment or a full Nine Pillars audit to find the gaps that matter most.
- Prioritized plan. Clear recommendations ranked by impact, so your team knows what to fix first.
- Implementation support. Advisory, coaching, team training or leadership placement to put the plan into practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a healthcare consulting firm like HMCG do?
HMCG helps medical practices improve patient experience and operations. We assess every touchpoint in the patient journey using our Nine Pillars framework, then help your team close the gaps through advisory support, coaching, training and leadership placement.
Do you work with practices outside Virginia?
Yes. HMCG is based in Springfield, Virginia, and works with medical practices across the United States. We offer remote engagements and travel on-site to clients nationwide, as well as throughout Northern Virginia and the DC region.
What is a fractional COO for a medical practice?
A fractional COO provides executive-level operations guidance part-time, without the cost of a full-time hire. HMCG’s fractional COO service is an advisory role: we help you set priorities, fix processes and keep the plan on track while your team carries out the work.
How do I get started?
Schedule a free 30-minute consultation, or take the free PX360 assessment to see how your practice scores across the Nine Pillars.
Ready to transform your patient experience?
A 30-minute conversation could be the start of something remarkable.