Maximizing Impact: How St. Anthony’s Quality Improvement Initiative Transforms Every Dollar Into Greater Good

February 13, 2025

At St. Anthony Foundation, every dollar donated is a promise—a commitment to delivering the greatest possible impact for our guests. That’s why, under the leadership of Jake Mickelsen from Stanford Medicine, who spearheads the organization’s quality improvement (QI) initiatives, St. Anthony’s has embraced a culture of continuous learning and innovation to ensure that resources are used as effectively as possible.

“The teams at St. Anthony’s are driven to meet the needs of their guests in the best way possible,” said Mickelsen. “Working with them has shown me what a group of mission driven people can accomplish. There is a lot of heart here.”

What Is Quality Improvement?
QI is an evidence-based process that evaluates how work is done, identifies inefficiencies, and implements small, meaningful changes that drive big results. At a nonprofit like St. Anthony’s, where demand for services often exceeds available resources, QI ensures that programs squeeze the most value out of every dollar—making operations leaner, faster, and more responsive to guests’ needs. QI isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about stewardship.

Through the first cohort of QI projects, St. Anthony’s has proven that refining processes, eliminating waste, and focusing on what works leads to real, tangible change: more meals served, better guest experiences, improved health care access, and greater efficiency across programs.

With QI, St. Anthony’s isn’t just responding to needs—we’re anticipating them, adapting to them, and creating solutions that make lasting change.

Meeting Guests Where They Are
One of the greatest benefits of QI is that it gives our staff and volunteers the capacity to meet guests one-on-one, with the personalism that has always been at the heart of our work. Take the medical clinic, for example: With a national no-show rate of nearly 19% for primary care, missed appointments were a major issue. But thanks to a simple intervention—front desk staff calling nonconfirmed patients the morning of their appointments, offering rescheduling options, or switching visits to telehealth wherever possible—the results were immediate:

• Primary care no-show rates dropped from 19% to 16%.
• Pediatrics improved from 21% to 16%.
• If sustained over a year, this improvement translates to an additional 300-plus patients receiving care annually.

“I’ve noticed since we began calling patients the morning of their appointments, they’re more open about the obstacles they face,” said Maria M., a clinic staff member. “Now, we can assist with transportation or convert visits to telehealth when needed.”

These aren’t just numbers—they’re real people receiving care when they need it most.

Enhancing Digital Access for Families
Technology is often the bridge to opportunity, yet families reported that St. Anthony’s Tech Lab felt unwelcoming and difficult to navigate with children. Through QI, the team identified root causes—an inaccessible layout, a lack of family-friendly policies, and insufficient staff training—and took steps to transform the space.

• Projections estimate 260 to 520 additional family visits per year, fostering digital literacy and access to crucial online resources.

Stewarding Resources
The Path to Paperless initiative tackled a simple but powerful question: What if we could reallocate the money we spend on excessive printing? By adjusting printer settings, sending biweekly usage reports, and encouraging staff to reduce unnecessary printing, St. Anthony’s saved more than $26,000—

• Enough to provide 9,592 additional meals or 8,677 hygiene kits.

In the dining room, one of our most iconic programs, staff set out to improve the guest experience by optimizing volunteer roles and shifts. A simple tweak—introducing a shorter 1.5-hour shift—dramatically increased volunteer participation.

• This change alone could bring in more than 1,000 additional volunteers each year.
• It will result in a smoother, more dignified experience for guests, ensuring no one waits too long for a meal.

“I’ve been wanting to volunteer for a while, but a full shift seemed daunting,” said one volunteer. “This was a great way to get a feel for it.”

The Future of Quality at St. Anthony’s
QI isn’t just a one-time effort—it’s a mindset, a culture of continuous improvement. Thanks to Jake Mickelsen’s leadership, each project from this cohort has provided key learnings that will shape future initiatives. From increasing digital access for families to improving meeting efficiency across teams, St. Anthony’s is proving that being a learning organization doesn’t just make us more effective—it makes us better stewards of our mission.

Ultimately, QI allows us to deliver not just services, but transformation. It ensures that every meal, every appointment, and every resource reaches those who need it most. By leading with intention, innovation, and efficiency, St. Anthony’s is making the greatest possible impact with every dollar entrusted to us—because that’s what our donors, our staff, and, most importantly, our guests deserve.