In 2008, AAR was the largest private health care company in East Africa, operating 18 health centers in three countries and providing preventative and curative health care to close to 10,000 clients in all income brackets.
Improving information management for a large provider. The first MIT student team mapped document and data flow, creating detailed core process maps that AAR used to improve process efficiency within the organization’s corporate functions. Over the next two years, AAR used these materials to streamline staff recruitment and training and to eliminate inefficiencies in staffing.
Better document flow to improve efficiency. In 2009, a second MIT student team targeted document flow interruptions and losses, developed detailed staff manuals, and researched potential models for offering AAR services in the lowest-income areas of Nairobi. The team’s staff manuals played a significant role in making AAR’s claims department more efficient. The team’s models for increasing service access in low-income areas helped to kick-start a pilot health insurance program for small farmers.