Kaiser Permanente · Healthcare · Oakland, CA · 11 weeks
14 regional definitions of patient encounter unified in 11 weeks
Previous efforts failed because teams couldn’t agree on definitions. We approached the problem by focusing on governance before technology. We built a certified metric layer spanning 14 regions that maintained consistency without interrupting ongoing clinical reporting.
Challenge
Kaiser had 14 regional data teams, each tracking patient encounters differently. Finance, clinical operations, and compliance couldn’t agree on encounter counts for the same period. This mismatch caused $2.1 million in yearly reconciliation costs and stalled their AI readiness project. Two previous attempts to fix this internally had failed.
Approach
In week one, we gathered all 14 regional leads to align on a single metric definition, explicitly documenting edge cases. Next, we created a certified metric layer on the existing EDW, adding automated lineage tracking. We set up a governance council to resolve future disputes. We kept the current platform intact throughout.
Outcome
The certified metric layer launched in week 11, cutting reconciliation costs from $2.1M a year to under $180K. We enabled the AI readiness initiative, which kicked off six weeks after delivery. Throughout the project, clinical reporting stayed fully operational without any interruptions.
Frankly, the tech wasn’t the problem. It was how we framed the whole thing from day one.
Over eight years, every region was basically doing its own thing with encounter logic. Same data, but what counted as an encounter? Totally different depending on where you looked. The big problem? No one could agree on what an encounter actually meant. So, we pulled everyone into a workshop, hashed out clear definitions everyone could get behind, and made sure to write them down before even touching the code.
We put together a certified metric layer so we could keep using the same platform without any hassle.
We added a semantic layer on top of the existing EDW. Why? To let the 14 regional teams keep doing their thing without any headaches. They stayed with their usual tools but now had one reliable source for consistent, certified numbers. Plus, we kicked off monthly governance meetings to spot and squash any data issues before they got messy.
Our AI project had been stuck for months. So, we rolled up our sleeves, zeroed in on the problem, and finally got it moving again.
The client was stuck because their metrics didn’t match up. So, we created a certified data layer to clear things up. Six weeks after we delivered it, they picked things back up and launched the project the following quarter.
Results
- $2.1M Annual reconciliation labor eliminated
- 11 wks Delivery, zero disruptions
- 14 Regions on a single metric definition
- $180K Residual annual governance cost
We tried to handle it ourselves twice and couldn’t get it done. Thinklytics stepped in, helped us reach an agreement in the first week, and wrapped up the project in eleven weeks. The quarterly reconciliation work we used to do is pretty much eliminated now.