Flavor of the day, or...which Kool Aid do I drink now?

It is possible to pick a strategic course in healthcare operations, but is it possible to stay on that course?The key to success is to pick a comprehensive, evidence based course that will stand the test of time.  It is possible to display short term financial success by going after labor costs, but should this be done without focus on revenue cycle?  If it is, than only half of the equation is being addressed.

I've seen too many opportunities pushed to the "too hard" pile. I've seen expert advice ignored due to the difficulty of comprehending and implementing the suggested change(s).

If the best  opportunities are slumbering in the too hard pile, what method can be employed to explore those opportunities?  The answer lies in a management system that is rigorously endorsed, and which consistently explores the "too hard" pile.

Removing Barriers

Hospital operations are dynamic and complicated.  Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.  Observation and understanding of the dynamics are essential.  Once understood, the barriers must be removed.  Removing barriers requires patience and timing.  Nothing is changed overnight.  Strategy is key.  Have a plan, remove the barriers, and be ready to change.

It's all about the order

It's 2129 Thursday night.  Do you know where your diagnostic or therapeutic orders are?  Are they sitting in a queue?  Which queue?  Are they resulted?  Has anyone viewed the results?  Has the test been performed?  Even if you do know, what are you doing about it?

Care Logistics and Mercy St. Vincent

An interesting interview about healthcare transformation.

Interview

How to fix healthcare...

Coming from the Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics industries to healthcare I was confident that fixing healthcare would just be another challenging re-engineering project.  I was right about it being a re-engineering project, but I did underestimate the scope.  The interdepartmental relationships and operational impacts of decision making are the most complicated that I have ever seen.

Now that I've been around healthcare for two years, I've learned that although it is complicated, one can apply standardized re-engineering tools to the problems.  For those tools to be successful, they must be utilized by skilled and experienced practitioners who take the time to understand the voice of the customer at the operational level.  

There is also a culture issue that is deeper than I've seen in other industries.  It makes sense.  People that have devoted their lives to healthcare are focused more on making people feel better than on the big picture of growing the business, reducing cost, improving service, and developing staff.  Changing the culture will only come through demonstration that the difficult path to change is rewarding and beneficial in the end.