Overlake Medical Center
Gift Gallery
Overlake Medical Center is a national award-winning regional medical center in Bellevue, Washington. The Gift Gallery is Overlake’s busy and well-established gift shop serving patients, visitors, and staff, with proceeds earmarked for vital hospital programs. When a long term volunteer management team retired, Overlake Hospital Auxiliary called on us to guide the Gallery through its successful transition.
Challenge
Faced with the retirement of seasoned management staff, slow revenue generation, and potential loss of vital volunteers, Overlake Hospital Auxiliary embarked on an ambitious revitalization for their Gift Gallery. Maximizing revenue, retaining knowledgeable volunteers and replacing gallery leadership was to be essential components of this ultimately successful transition.
Solution
Works Consulting recruited and trained seasoned retail professionals to fill the leadership role for the gallery. We analyzed current inventory and sales volumes, then modernized the merchandise, incorporating the work of local artisans to supplement widely available products. Works Consulting brought in fresh products and display approaches, revised outdated procedures, developed budgets, hired and trained new managers, inspired volunteers to participate in this pivotal transition, and improved communication between gallery staff and the Auxiliary.
Results
The Gift Gallery saw an 18% increase in gross sales, a higher volume of gift shop visitors, and a volunteer staff that describes themselves as more fulfilled and positively directed than ever before.
“Miriam Works is a talented individual who sets high standards and achieves them. She takes pride in all she does and does it well. In her work for the Overlake Hospital Gift Gallery, Miriam developed an updated buying and merchandising approach, a budget system to control costs and inventory, a new management model, facilitated the hiring and training of a new management team, improved communication between Gallery management and the Auxiliary and created a supportive atmosphere for the Gallery’s volunteer staff. Miriam served as a very valuable force for change during a time of major transition for us. She would be an asset to any organization.”
