Agile Principles in Action: The Sunstar Virtual Behavioral Solutions Model

Written by Manuel Antonio Pérez

Sunstar Virtual Behavioral Solutions demonstrates how agile thinking can create real, measurable change in health care delivery. Drawing from principles outlined in Agile: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review (Rigby, Sutherland, & Noble, 2020), Sunstar applied agility not as a buzzword but as a practical framework for solving one of emergency medicine’s toughest challenges; the shortage of behavioral health professionals and the overwhelming demand for mental health support in emergency departments (EDs).

One of Agile’s most powerful ideas is to start small, learn fast, and scale what works. Instead of attempting a large-scale rollout immediately, Sunstar began with a small group of hospitals, forming pilot teams of clinicians, IT staff, and administrators. These teams tested the telehealth platform in real time, gathered direct feedback from ED staff, and adjusted quickly to improve user experience and workflow efficiency. Once early results showed reduced patient wait times and improved staff satisfaction, Sunstar confidently expanded the model to more hospitals. This test-and-learn approach reflected the agile philosophy of experimenting safely, learning continuously, and growing strategically.

Another key agile principle is empowering cross-functional teams. Traditional health care systems often rely on rigid hierarchies, but Sunstar broke those barriers. Each implementation team had the authority to make operational decisions, whether adjusting triage protocols or optimizing technology interfaces. Leadership acted as a supportive coach rather than a controlling force, ensuring teams had the freedom and tools to innovate. This flexibility helped Sunstar respond quickly to technical and clinical challenges while keeping morale high.

Agile also emphasizes customer collaboration, and in Sunstar’s case, that meant keeping both patients and ED staff at the center of every decision. Through regular surveys and virtual feedback sessions, Sunstar learned what patients valued most, timely, empathetic behavioral health support, and what clinicians needed, simple, reliable integration into their workflows. Each update to the telehealth system reflected these insights, improving usability and patient outcomes.

Sunstar embodied Agile’s focus on adaptability. In an unpredictable environment shaped by staffing shortages and shifting telehealth regulations, Sunstar’s teams continuously adjusted procedures, schedules, and compliance measures without slowing down service delivery. Through its agile mindset, Sunstar turned a crisis in behavioral health access into an opportunity for innovation, proving that adaptability, collaboration, and rapid learning can transform patient care.

References

Rigby, D. K., Sutherland, J., & Noble, A. (2020). Agile at scale. In Agile: The insights you need from Harvard Business Review (pp. 1–28). Harvard Business Review Press.