Page 33 - 2021 MHA Start-up Guide

To make sure both parties are clear on expectations, consider drawing up a memorandum of
understanding (MOU) each time you partner with a community organization . These documents
outline important elements of your relationship and can also include liability and indemnity lan-
guage to protect both sides of the partnership . Some areas you may wish to cover in an MOU
include:
• How often you expect to be at the partner site and for how long
• Where you plan to park
• Personnel to be contributed by both sides
• Personnel training, certification and/or licensing
• Definition of personnel roles and for how long
• The name of your liaison at the organization
• Access to partner spaces and services, like bathrooms, on or near your setup site
• Expectations around standard service level and service expectations in the event of a ve-
hicle breakdown or other emergency
• Regularly scheduled meetings to check in
• Use and storage of supplies
• Waste and bio-hazard disposal
• Insurance and indemnity

The most successful partnerships are based on trust and transparency . No matter what, always
be sure to keep up a steady line of communication with your partner organizations throughout
your mutual engagement .

Risk 3: Funding
Any grant-based funding plan is always a risk . The grant could disappear, a funding organiza-
tion’s mission could change, or you might realize that the healthcare needs of the community are
not what you thought they were, and thus your new mission is no longer aligned with the funder’s .

For example, if your program operates in the United States and you plan to bill for your costs,
you may be unpleasantly surprised to find your Medicare reimbursement rates are lower than you
expected. Unless you’re part of a federally qualified health center (FQHC), you may not qualify for
the higher reimbursement rates those organizations receive .

While research and due diligence can help mitigate the first two, the last depends on the thor-
oughness of your needs assessment . So do the necessary due diligence before you set a budget .

Risk 5: Lack of Oversight and Governance
Focused as you’ll be on your community of clients, it will be all too easy to come to see your pro-
gram as an island, isolated from the rest of the healthcare system . But mobile programs, like any
other unit of healthcare, require oversight, guidance and governance. Otherwise clients are put at
risk . Create a network of advisors from multiple disciplines early on who can help you hone your
strategy and ensure that proper standards are being kept for the life of your program . That means
clinicians, yes, but also representatives from security, infection control, housekeeping and others .

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