This article was originally published on the blog of Medelita Scrubs & Lab Coats.

For many of us patients, we make our way to the doctor when we need an annual physical or have a seasonal cold. On those rare occasions, we have come to expect that these visits will be short, impersonal, and exhaustive of our time and resources. The clinician-patient encounter is fraught. The standard 15-minute visit has led to many unsatisfactory interactions between patients and clinicians – often leaving patients feeling unheard, disheartened, and frustrated about their inability to fully engage in their personal health plan.

Would it be an understatement to call healthcare in the United States an imperfect system?

These pinch-points, or challenges, that negatively affect the daily lives of patients and clinicians led to the creation of Flip the Clinic, a project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that seeks to dramatically improve medical visits in the United States through a community-driven reimagining of health and health care.

The clinician-patient interaction is a powerful part of modern medicine and is at the heart of healthcare, and ought to mean a whole lot more.

Flip the Clinic is a concept powered by community participation. It functions as a hub for addressing challenges and exchanging ideas between those with a stake in the future of healthcare – patients, clinicians…everyone! Through multiple community events, called Labs, and the Flip the Clinic website, everyone from patients and caregivers to healthcare providers have submitted ideas, called ‘Flips,’ relating to any aspect of the medical encounter. The community is encouraged to engage in discussions around these potential Flips, and take action by launching a Flip as an individual or pilot practice.

Although it is not a clinic or traditional healthcare practice, Medelita is a prime example of a ‘Flipped Clinic.’ After encountering unsatisfactory and unflattering options for every day work wear in the clinic setting, the founder of Medelita, Lara Francisco, launched a collection of tailored medical apparel that not only restored confidence in clinic staff, but also created a safer and healthier clinic environment. What began as a nagging pinch-point resulted in the creation of the standard in modern, professional medical uniforms.

At the heart of Flip the Clinic is you. Whether you are a patient, physician, nurse, hospital administrator, or anybody involved in healthcare, your voice matters. As evidenced by the creation of Medelita, your ideas and your experiences are what will help ‘Flip’ the clinic and create lasting change.

Flip the Clinic is excited to partner with Medelita for an ongoing blog series launching today. Interested in learning more? Sign up for Flip the Clinic updates at the bottom of our home page. We look forward to working together to spark innovative conversations to advance health and healthcare.