Creating households at Samaritan Bethany, Inc., in Rochester, MN, demanded tough, sometimes painful choices that could have led the organization to settle for less. But instead, an Integrated Prefeasibility Analysis (IPA) led in 2008 by consultants and Meadowlark Household Services (now known as Action Pact Development) kept stakeholders focused on priorities so they could achieve what they really wanted.

Experience with (and without) Action Pact Development (APD) has confirmed for Shawn Sullivan and Matthew Bogner the value of an integrated, all-inclusive approach at every step of organizational transformation -- from conception to development of the Household Model.

“I’ve worked with large financial-planning firms and boutique ones, and the work we did with Steve, Martin and the Action Pact Development team is as good as any I’ve ever done.  Having the financial and architectural pieces on the screen while Steve facilitated made complex issues understandable and was a really effective way to engage people.”

Gavin Kerr, President and CEO, Inglis Foundation

“Action Pact played a crucial and vital role in assisting us with our transition to the Household Model. They helped up develop our vision and communicate it to our community in a way that articulated the new model’s benefit and possibilities and encouraged high involvement. Action Pact's staff are experts in what they do and provided our facility with the skills and tools that helped us through our journey.”

Mike Karel, Administrator, Episcopal Church Home, St. Paul, MN

“I truly believe Pennybyrn would not have been able to completely transform from an institution without the direct involvement of Action Pact. I often see organizations that get some bits and pieces of information regarding culture change jump in blind. They don't have the resources or the support to create deep and meaningful change. Action Pact guided us not only in transforming our physical design but, more importantly in our organizational design. They were a strategic partner throughout: from guiding us toward creating our visions for a resident-directed household model led by an empowered staff, to the actual details of policies and procedures. Beyond this, Action Pact was instrumental in assisting key leaders through personal transformation. Attempting significant transformation without Action Pact would have been like walking through the forest with a blindfold. Our success is greatly due to our alliance with Action Pact.”

Vonda Hollingsworth, Healthcare Administrator, Pennybyrn at Maryfield, High Point, NC

“Leading our organizations these days takes a lot of focus, even in a traditional institution.  It’s hard to keep a 24/7 operation going and to have good service, regulatory and financial outcomes. We all agree that we want to change our cultures and environments to become home, to be centered on the person living there, and to learn about shared leadership, but those things are so foreign to us as leaders, let alone the rest of our stakeholders, to embrace without help. We require a catalyst. Action Pact has been the catalyst for us, for the last 14 years. Every time we need to go a level deeper in transforming our culture, or even when we need a recharging, or a refresher, we lean on Action Pact. We greatly value the partnership we've held with them and would recommend them to everyone."

Willie Novotny, CEO, Meadowlark Hills, Manhattan, KS

“We found Action Pact to be invaluable in our journey. They were the guide that led us along the way. They not only understand the benefit of “community” but, were able to take this fairly ambiguous concept and break it into components that could be easily learned and absorbed by all members of the team. Those “teachable moments” were reinforced throughout the process, and because there was an emphasis placed on high involvement by everyone who would interact with the households, it produced real results. We would never have reached this point without their wisdom, and the facilitation and education they provided.”

Steve Lindsey, CEO, Garden Spot Village, New Holland, PA