As healthcare leaders focus on improving their operations, they must understand the systems in which change resides… taking a broad systems view can improve the effectiveness of change.
Operational Responses to Organizational Change
As healthcare leaders focus on improving their operations, they must understand the systems in which change resides… taking a broad systems view can improve the effectiveness of change.
—Daniel B. McLaughlin and John R. Olson
An old truism is that change is a constant, and this is certainly applicable not only to the health care industry, but to most modern institutions. Every industry and every organization has experienced change at some level, whether impelled by an internal drive for change or in response to an external event. The effectiveness of an adaptive change depends in part on the effectiveness of the operational and communication systems within an organization.
Note: For this Discussion, you are required to complete your initial post before you will be able to view and respond to your colleagues’ postings. Begin by selecting the “Post to Discussion” link and then select “Create Thread” to complete your initial post. Remember, once you click submit, you cannot delete or edit your own posts, and cannot post anonymously. Please check your post carefully before selecting Submit!
To prepare for this Discussion:
Identify one example of an event that has changed the operations of your organization or an organization with which you are familiar. If you are not currently working in a health care organization (HCO), you may choose a case study from a reliable source from which to work.
By Day 3
Post a cohesive response to the following:
Describe the organization you have chosen in terms of its industry; number of employees; and whether it is a local, regional, national, or international enterprise. How was the event which changed operations in this organization assessed and managed? Was this change addressed and communicated throughout the organization? Was that communication effective? Justify your conclusion.
Support your response by identifying and explaining key points and/or examples presented in the Learning Resources.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings. Consider how your colleagues’ postings relate to the information presented in the Learning Resources and to your own posting.
By Day 5
Respond to at least two of your colleagues’ postings and continue the Discussion through Day 7. Based on what you know, were the actions taken appropriate to the event? Provide a rationale for your assessment.
MMHA6700 Healthcare Operations Management
Week 2 Discussion
Transitions in Health Care Delivery
At the core of the value transformation is changing the way clinicians are organized to deliver care. The first principle in structuring any organization or business is to organize around the customer and the need. In health care, that requires a shift from today’s siloed organization by specialty department and discrete service to organizing around the patient’s medical condition. We call such a structure an integrated practice unit (IPU). In an IPU, a dedicated team made up of both clinical and nonclinical personnel provides the full care cycle for the patient’s condition.
—Michael Porter and Thomas Lee
The impact on value of IPUs is striking. With a dramatic contrast compared to regional averages, patients at Virginia Mason’s Spine Clinic miss fewer days of work (4.3 versus 9 per episode) and need fewer physical therapy visits (4.4 versus 8.8).
The shift to value-based health care delivery represents an opportunity to create a more patient-centered organization as well as a more efficient one. Resource limitations and other pressures place a strain on an organization’s ability to change, and organizations respond to these pressures of change differently.
Note: For this Discussion, you are required to complete your initial post before you will be able to view and respond to your colleagues’ postings. Begin by selecting the “Post to Discussion” link and then select “Create Thread” to complete your initial post. Remember, once you click submit, you cannot delete or edit your own posts, and cannot post anonymously. Please check your post carefully before selecting Submit!
To prepare for this Discussion:
Consider the impact of the transition from volume- to value-based health care delivery in your organization or one with which you are familiar.
Potential transitions to consider may be examples such as the shift from inpatient to ambulatory care, the Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) initiative, or the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) initiative.
With this in mind, read the Porter and Lee article published in the Harvard Business Review, and compare their strategic proposal with the transition you are considering.
By Day 3
Post a cohesive response to the following:
Describe the nature of the transition in the organization. Discuss and assess how this transition affected operations, based on the organization’s operational resources and limitations. How did the organization respond to the changes? Was the response effective? How does the IPU approach compare to the transition response? Justify your conclusion. Recommend an alternative course of action.
Support your response by identifying and explaining key points and/or examples presented in the Learning Resources.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings. Consider how your colleagues’ postings relate to the information presented in the Learning Resources and to your own posting.
By Day 5
Respond to at least two of your colleagues’ postings and continue the Discussion through Day 7. Compare the response of your organization’s to those posted by your colleagues’. How and why do they differ? How and why are they similar?
MMHA6700 Healthcare Operations Management
Week 4 Discussion
Requirements for High Reliability
Since the mid-twentieth century, much patient care delivery has moved from the inpatient setting to the ambulatory clinic. Because this trend is likely to continue, matching clinic capacity to patient demand becomes a critical operating skill.
—Daniel B. McLaughlin and John R. Olson
Becoming and sustaining the ability to be a highly reliable organization has developed into a critical focus for not only patient care, but also regulatory agencies and managed care organizations. Depending on an organization’s state of readiness, meeting the criteria for high reliability can be a challenging transition.
Note: For this Discussion, you are required to complete your initial post before you will be able to view and respond to your colleagues’ postings. Begin by selecting the “Post to Discussion” link and then select “Create Thread” to complete your initial post. Remember, once you click submit, you cannot delete or edit your own posts, and cannot post anonymously. Please check your post carefully before selecting Submit!
To prepare for this Discussion:
Read Chapter 12 of the course text and this week’s Learning Resources, then reflect on how your health care organization, or a health care organization with which you are familiar, meets the criteria for high reliability. If you are currently working in a health care organization, what has been your experience in preparing for this transition to become a highly reliable organization?
By Day 3
Post a cohesive response to the following:
Assess the health organization in which you work or one with which you are familiar, and describe how staffing and scheduling processes in particular make your organization a high-reliability organization. Then, evaluate any areas that may need improvement, and recommend steps for improvement.
In your evaluation and recommendation, consider the requirements and standards in becoming a highly reliable organization. Do these standards hinder or improve the quality of care? Justify your rationale.
Support your response by identifying and explaining key points and/or examples presented in the Learning Resources.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings. Consider how your colleagues’ postings relate to the information presented in the Learning Resources and to your own posting.
By Day 5
Respond to at least two of your colleagues’ postings and continue the Discussion through Day 7. Provide additional recommendations and consider if regulatory agencies control an organization’s ability to develop new health care delivery models.
MMHA6700 Healthcare Operations Management
Week 5 Discussion
Health Care Reform Initiatives
Healthy People 2020 can be viewed as a strategic approach for improving the health of the US population over a ten-year timeline, applicable nationally, regionally, and in states, counties, cities and towns. … The Healthy People strategy was designed to define and promote a common sense of purpose and goals, with specific targets.
—JonathanFielding, Shiriki Kumanyika, & Ronald Manderscheid
The effects of the continuous effort of various health care reform initiatives to improve a population’s health are difficult to track, measure, sustain, and analyze, but evaluating the impact of changing guidelines and requirements is part of effective operational management. How are improvements aligned with an appropriate return on investment, and how can this be measured?
Note: For this Discussion, you are required to complete your initial post before you will be able to view and respond to your colleagues’ postings. Begin by selecting the “Post to Discussion” link and then select “Create Thread” to complete your initial post. Remember, once you click submit, you cannot delete or edit your own posts, and cannot post anonymously. Please check your post carefully before selecting Submit!
To prepare for this Discussion:
Read the three articles provided this week, and reflect on how these initiatives have impacted health care organizations.
By Day 3
Post a cohesive response to the following:
Describe how health care reform initiatives and mandates have impacted your organization. What changes in operations have been made in response to these initiatives? How well-organized were these changes? How have they offered measureable improvements in both clinical practice and performance? Explain how these improvements were a result of the reform initiative.
Support your response by identifying and explaining key points and/or examples presented in the Learning Resources.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings. Consider how your colleagues’ postings relate to the information presented in the Learning Resources and to your own posting.
By Day 5
Respond to at least two of your colleagues’ postings and continue the Discussion through Day 7. Provide an alternative to the changes which have been made in your organization. How can improvements be measured?
MMHA6700 Healthcare Operations Management
Week 7 Discussion
Logistic Efficiency
Given the complex interplay between incentive program designs, provider characteristics, and other external factors, evaluations of VBP programs need to consider an array of factors that potentially contribute to observed effects.
—Damberg et al., 2014
As you compose your response to the questions posed below, reflect on how facility design, logistics, and value purchasing represent some of the array of factors that contribute to logistic efficiency.
Note: For this Discussion, you are required to complete your initial post before you will be able to view and respond to your colleagues’ postings. Begin by selecting the “Post to Discussion” link and then select “Create Thread” to complete your initial post. Remember, once you click submit, you cannot delete or edit your own posts, and cannot post anonymously. Please check your post carefully before selecting Submit!
To prepare for this Discussion:
To prepare, read the case studies provided in this week’s Learning Resources and consider the application of these ideas to your organization or an organization with which you are familiar.
By Day 3
Post a cohesive response to the following:
Based on the readings and case studies on facility design, what are some of the advantages and disadvantages of these changes? How do these facility design concepts impact patient care? Does it offer an advantage in improving quality outcomes?
What logistical operational processes exist in your organization that enhance efficiency and performance? Describe them briefly.
What advantage does value-based purchasing offer to a health care organization? Is there a downside to this strategy?
Support your response by identifying and explaining key points and/or examples presented in the Learning Resources.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings. Consider how your colleagues’ postings relate to the information presented in the Learning Resources and to your own posting.
By Day 5
Respond to at least two of your colleagues’ postings and continue the Discussion through Day 7. Compare logistical processes within your organization with those posted by one of your colleagues. Offer any suggestions that may improve their processes.
MMHA6700 Healthcare Operations Management
Week 8 Discussion
The Impact of Information Technology on Operations
The mobile technology revolution has impacted nearly every industry, and revolutionized communication and connection. Mobile technology has made an appearance in many health care organizations. From mobile health apps to learning via video, electronic health records, and “big data” analysis, mobile health technology is poised to have a continuous impact on health care for some time to come. Some facilities use tablets to access patient information on the spot, tools for patient monitoring have increased, and improved data gathering can result in better outcomes.
Note: For this Discussion, you are required to complete your initial post before you will be able to view and respond to your colleagues’ postings. Begin by selecting the “Post to Discussion” link and then select “Create Thread” to complete your initial post. Remember, once you click submit, you cannot delete or edit your own posts, and cannot post anonymously. Please check your post carefully before selecting Submit!
To prepare for this Discussion:
Read the articles provided this week and reflect on the use of information technology in your health care organization or an organization with which you are familiar. Also, consider the recent trend in the implementation of mobile technology in health care organizations. Conduct an online search to find information about mobile IT implementation in other industries.
By Day 3
Post a cohesive response to the following:
Write an assessment of the logistical, financial, and any other considerations of implementing eMobile/eHealth information technology in your organization. If mobile technology is in use in your organization, give a brief description of the technology in use, and assess the impact this has had on operations.
Support your response by identifying and explaining key points and/or examples presented in the Learning Resources.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings. Consider how your colleagues’ postings relate to the information presented in the Learning Resources and to your own posting.
By Day 5
Respond to at least two of your colleagues’ postings and continue the Discussion through Day 7. Recommend best practices from other industries that can help health care organizations achieve an optimal outcome.
MMHA6700 Healthcare Operations Management
Week 10 Discussion
Performance Improvement
Clearly the criteria, discipline, and focus that underlie the Baldrige process have been key contributors to our daily improvements. The feedback we received … has been instrumental in providing a clear road map for the journey.
—Michael Murphy, CEO, 2007 Baldrige Award recipient, Sharp HealthCare
Incremental change is how a culture of continuous improvement creates a pattern of success. In the Discussion for Week 4, you examined an organization’s actions in relation to criteria of high reliability and recommended steps for improvement. This week, you will revisit your recommendations.
Note: For this Discussion, you are required to complete your initial post before you will be able to view and respond to your colleagues’ postings. Begin by selecting the “Post to Discussion” link and then select “Create Thread” to complete your initial post. Remember, once you click submit, you cannot delete or edit your own posts, and cannot post anonymously. Please check your post carefully before selecting Submit
To prepare for this Discussion:
Read this week’s articles on the standards for high reliability, then review the Week 4 Discussion. Draw comparisons between your organization and others, and examine any feedback provided by your peers.
By Day 3
Post a cohesive response to the following:
With the feedback and this week’s readings in mind, reexamine the steps for improvement of high reliability which you suggested for your organization. Would you change your recommendations in light of what you have learned in this course? Could your recommended steps be expanded or refined?
Support your response by identifying and explaining key points and/or examples presented in the Learning Resources.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings. Consider how your colleagues’ postings relate to the information presented in the Learning Resources and to your own posting.
By Day 5
Respond to at least two of your colleagues’ postings and continue the Discussion through Day 7. Provide feedback for your colleagues on their revised and improved recommendations.
MMHA6700 Healthcare Operations Management
Week 11 Discussion
Future Implications
High energy is usually present when a new initiative is introduced, at the start of a large project, or at the beginning of an effort to solve a problem. However, as time passes, new priorities emerge, team members change, and operations can drift back to unsatisfactory levels.
—Daniel B. McLaughlin and John R. Olson
As you reflect on what you have learned in this course about the changes in health care delivery and their impacts, about tools for project management, decision making, and performance improvement, and the operational implications for these trends and tools, consider how any of the projects or changes taking place can be sustained over the long term, and how change and growth in a health care organization can be managed.
Note: For this Discussion, you are required to complete your initial post before you will be able to view and respond to your colleagues’ postings. Begin by selecting the “Post to Discussion” link and then select “Create Thread” to complete your initial post. Remember, once you click submit, you cannot delete or edit your own posts, and cannot post anonymously. Please check your post carefully before selecting Submit!
To prepare for this Discussion:
Consider the range of topics covered in this course and the implications they hold for the future. Identify your three most important takeaways.
By Day 3
Post a cohesive response to the following:
Describe the three takeaways which are the most important and relevant for you in your current role. How can this information impact the long-term viability of your organization? If you are not working in a health care organization, name three takeaways from this course that you can apply in your current situation.
Consider what changes or considerations could be sustainable and still in place nine months from now. Which changes will still be in place in 18 months? Which will be still in place two years from now?
Support your response by identifying and explaining key points and/or examples presented in the Learning Resources.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings. Consider how your colleagues’ postings relate to the information presented in the Learning Resources and to your own posting.
By Day 5
Respond to at least two of your colleagues’ postings and continue the Discussion through Day 7. List and describe three examples of practices in other organizations that you could present to your current organization as operational improvements. How would these practices affect the long-term viability of your current organization?
MMHA6700 Healthcare Operations Management
Week 2 Assignment
Adjustments to Transitions in Health Care Delivery
Consider what you’ve learned so far about the transition from volume- to value-based reimbursement. Different organizations will respond to the impact of this change in various ways. Based on its actions, an organization may flourish, or it may fail as its reimbursement decreases. As reimbursement methodology changes, institutions must adapt.
To prepare for this Assignment:
Read Case 5: Middleboro Community Hospital in this week’s Learning Resources, and consider the actions taken by this organization. Review data tables regarding their case mix (top DRGs), Patient Days, and CMS Core Measures. These metrics address both qualitative and quantitative measures in this organization.
The Assignment:
Write a brief, 2-page executive summary of the impact of the transition from volume-based to value-based health care. Specifically, address how this change in reimbursement methodology impacts operational requirements and how it can be implemented. Recommend at least two adjustments to operations which may position the organization for success under value-based health care.
MMHA6700 Healthcare Operations Management
Week 3 Assignment
High Reliability in Health Care – Long-Term Care
There are three imperative steps that need to be taken. The first is a strong commitment by leadership to this very high level of safety and quality. The leadership must set the goal and example for everyone in order to achieve high reliability. The second is to embed all of the principles and practice of a culture of safety throughout the organization which emphasizes trust, reporting of unsafe conditions, and highly effective improvement over time. The third step is to utilize powerful Robust Process Improvement tools like Six Sigma, Lean, and change management to create near perfect processes, similar to the tools that we see in industries like commercial aviation today, and sustain very high levels of safety over long periods of time.
—Dr. Mark R. Chassin
These three steps: commitment by leadership, development of a culture of safety, and the use of process improvement tools, are the core recommendations made by Dr. Chassin, the president of The Joint Commission and the president of the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare. A first step in identifying whether these recommendations are being met is to compare elements of an organization to criteria which have been identified as essential to high-reliability organizations.
To prepare for this Assignment:
Consider the three steps described by Dr. Chassin and the seven major criteria of the Baldridge Performance Excellence Program, and reflect on how these recommendations can apply to health care organizations, specifically to long-term care facilities.
The Assignment:
In this Assignment you will identify major elements of high-reliability organizations providing long-term care. According to the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program (MBNQA), the criteria are as follows:
Leadership
Strategic planning
Customer and market focus
Measurement, analysis, and knowledge management
Human resource focus
Process management
Business/organizational performance results
Using the Highly Reliable Organization Matrix located in this week’s Learning Resources, complete the matrix by typing in the elements which meet the criteria in rows and columns. Describe each element briefly, give an example as to how this can be met in a long-term care facility, and explain the expected impact on patient care.
Based on the results of the Highly Reliable Organization Matrix, write a 1- to 2-page executive summary to the board of directors of the long-term care organization, describing elements which meet the criteria from the matrix and how any missing elements of the criteria for excellence can be met.
MMHA6700 Healthcare Operations Management
Week 4 Assignment
Project Management Planning
Because many aspects of health care operations are changing, health care administrators oversee a wide variety of projects. These can include logistical projects such as moving a department to a new facility, technology-related projects such as introducing a new system or piece of equipment, or process-related projects such as initiating new procedures for patient discharge. If the project has any degree of complexity, it will benefit from a project management approach. Administrators and managers in health care need to have a working understanding of project management: why it is important, what it accomplishes, and the repercussions on the organization if its basic tenets are ignored or not followed. Within project management, the project plan is the cornerstone of successful execution of a project. The project plan is designed to guide the process and execution of a project.
For this Assignment, you will develop a project plan, using as your focus a work-related project you are doing now or will be doing in the future.
Part 1: Service Level Agreement
It is suggested that the project you select be manageable in scope and not overly complex. You will assume that the objectives and scope of the project you have selected have been vetted and approved. The next step is to develop a project plan. You will develop a project management plan that will walk through key steps of the project management process. The objective of this Assignment is not a deep dive into the full intricacies of project management. Rather, it is to ensure that as a health care administrator, you have a solid theory and practical knowledge of key aspects of the project management process.
For Part 1 of this Assignment, you will create a Service Level Agreement (3–5 pages) which includes the following:
Project Description, Purpose, and Objectives: The project description delineates key aspects of a project. In 1–2 pages, your project plan should:
Describe the project and explain the purpose and justification for the project.
Explain the goals and objectives of the project.
Describe the requirements for the project.
Explain the tangible measures for acceptance criteria used to achieve project success.
Project Scope: The project scope defines the scope of the project and how the scope will be managed. In 2–3 pages, your project plan should:
Summarize, in detail, the expected deliverables for the project.
Explain the acceptance criteria for the project.
Explain the project assumptions, risks, and constraints.
Roles and Responsibilities: By definition, a project is a unique undertaking with a beginning and an end point. One responsibility of management is to determine who will be a part of the project team (including designation of a project manager). Ask yourself, “Who needs to be on this team to ensure that project goals are successfully met?” Consider as well the importance of communication among team members. What communication needs will each individual have? With whom will they communicate and how?
Using the Project Roles and Responsibilities Matrix template in the Learning Resources, list the names* and titles of all individuals or entities involved in the project. Indicate whether each stakeholder is internal or external to the project organization.
Note: For privacy purposes, please use pseudonyms.
Identify the internal and external stakeholders for a project.
Distinguish the roles and responsibilities of the project stakeholders.
Explain how to communicate with project stakeholders.
Part 2: Project Schedule
There are many different methodologies for planning and scheduling a project. For this Assignment, you will develop a Gantt chart that depicts key project activities, time allotted for each activity, and when each activity is scheduled to begin. To do so, you will need to consider dependencies. Some activities will be sequential, others may be simultaneous, and some may overlap.
Note: You may create your own Gantt chart using Excel, or search for and download a Gantt chart template.
Using a Gantt chart, construct a project schedule.
In 2–3 paragraphs of your project plan, explain the estimating techniques used to develop your project schedule. Provide rationale for why these techniques will be effective.
Part 3: Strategies for Maintaining the Project Budget
A project begins with an approved budget. Too often, however, unless the budget is meticulously managed, budget overruns occur. Health care administrators must ensure that the project management process includes careful oversight on spending. In 2–3 pages, describe the project budget key success factors including the following:
Analyze at least three strategies that can be applied for due diligence and maintaining oversight of the project budget.
Explain at least two challenges each of these strategies might present and identify opportunities for improvement.
Compare the positive outcomes that might result from each strategy.
Part 4: Risk Management, Quality Management, and Sustainability
Even the most straightforward and well-planned project can be impacted by unexpected circumstances. Anticipating risks is a key part of project management, and one that a health care administrator or manager must ensure is taken into consideration by the project team. Additionally, If not carefully monitored, budget and time constraints can take a toll on the quality of a project. Create a 2–4 page risk management and quality management plan, which includes the following:
Describe how you plan to manage risks for your project.
Analyze strategies for managing quality within your project.
Analyze strategies for sustainability of your project.
Describe at least two tools and/or techniques you plan to use to manage quality and defend why you chose those tools.
MMHA6700 Healthcare Operations Management
Week 5 Assignment
Productivity Metrics
Note: For the Weeks 5 and 6 Assignments you will use Case 3: Physician Care Services, Inc., from the Middleboro Casebook.
In the Middleboro Physician Care Services, Inc. case, you are asked to examine the operations of an ambulatory, non-emergent care clinic which treats private and occupational health patients and provides services which do not include continuing or specialized medical care. Physician Care Services, Inc. is currently facing a number of challenges and opportunities which will impact their profitability.
To prepare for this Assignment:
Read Case 3: Physician Care Services, Inc., including Tables 3.2 and 3.3. Review the issues that surround provider productivity, to evaluate whether the organization can be successful in the new era of health care reform.
The Assignment:
In 2–3 pages, describe the metric(s) you will use to evaluate the organization’s productivity. Explain how you will use the metric in evaluating productivity, and how the data will help measure the potential of the organization’s success in the new era of health care reform.
Note: You will use the metric in the Week 6 Assignment.
MMHA6700 Healthcare Operations Management
Week 6 Assignment
Productivity Recommendations
Last week, you familiarized yourself with the Physician Care Services, Inc. case and selected metrics that would help you to evaluate the organization’s productivity, with an eye to determining whether they could be successful in the current environment of health care reform. Based on your conclusions, you will have at least identified one or two areas of need which could benefit from change.
To prepare for this Assignment:
Review Case 3: Physician Care Services, Inc. from Week 5, and the Assignment you submitted at the end of that week.
Now, you will develop recommendations to improve productivity and patient satisfaction. Consider what you know of Lean Management and Six Sigma principles and practices. Based on this understanding, ask yourself: What would the president and medical director want to know before making any financial and organizational decisions?
The Assignment:
Based on the metrics you selected in Week 5, analyze opportunities for improvement using Lean Management and Six Sigma principles (2 pages).
Develop five measurable stretch goals (2 pages).
Create a presentation with speaker notes, 5–7 slides in length (200–400 words per slide), that defines a culture of accountability and quality excellence and recommends how to foster this in the emergency department.
MMHA6700 Healthcare Operations Management
Week 8 Assignment
How Is Information Technology Transforming Health Care?
How is information technology (IT) transforming health care? The impact of new initiatives which provide patient access to providers is enormous and potentially astronomical. Consider the ways in which initiatives such as patient portals, innovative care such as medical apps or tele-visits, and directives such as Meaningful Use improve patient health clinical outcomes. How do these initiatives impact the financial health of the company? Will these costly IT initiatives create a positive return on investment?
To prepare for this Assignment:
Read this week’s resources, then identify a new initiative utilizing new technology in your organization or a health care organization with which you are familiar. (Examples: online training for annual competency training, tele-visits, a move from traditional servers to cloud data management, operations systems in place in supply chain management, bar coding, inventory management, etc.) Once you have identified the initiative, conduct an online search to find information about IT implementation for similar initiatives in other industries.
The Assignment:
In 3–4 pages, describe the operational impacts of the new initiative you identified. Explain how the initiative transformed your organization. Apply your observations about other industries to your analysis of the initiatives in your organization. Assess how the common traits of a successful IT transformation apply to your organization.
MMHA6700 Healthcare Operations Management
Week 9 Assignment
Operational Process Flow
Process improvement requires the analysis of processes and of data. In this Assignment, you will develop a process flow for an operational activity that takes place in your organization, whether or not you work in the field of health care.
To prepare for this Assignment:
Read the articles and watch the videos on process mapping and critical path. Identify an operational activity within your organization, or an organization with which you are familiar. These activities could include business planning, staff training initiatives, changes in case management, etc.
The Assignment:
Using what you have learned about process mapping in this week’s resources, create a process mapping flowchart to measure operational data of the activity using Microsoft PowerPoint or Microsoft Visio. Identify the important measurements within your process which provide operational data. Then, based on the process map you have created, list and describe these measurements and the critical path within your process, utilizing any additional process improvement tools necessary. Your completed Assignment should include the flowchart, a description of process measurements, the critical path analysis, and a 1- to 2-page summary.
MMHA6700 Healthcare Operations Management
Week 11 Project
Operational Implications of Process Improvement
During this class, we examined a range of methods used in operations management to monitor, assess, and improve performance in health care organizations. In this final Assignment, you will review the Learning Resources made available throughout the class, and any additional external resources you may find. Then, you will synthesize your understanding of these resources, applying your knowledge to the Pediatric Hospital case study.
According to the case study, a kaizen event revealed that variability in operations performance and outcomes was the root cause of a bottleneck in scheduling MRIs. Three solutions were provided, including:
Modify the master schedule.
Streamline the insurance authorization process.
Implement standardized work instructions.
To prepare for this Assignment:
Read the Pediatric Hospital in Tough Market Pegs Growth to Lean Process Improvement case study by Tonya Vinas, located in the Learning Resources. Review the key metrics and current state of the organization before the interventions were conducted.
The Assignment:
In a 6- to 7-page report to the board of directors (not including title page or references):
Assess operations requirements and resources for Pediatric Hospital. Describe what is working and what is not working.
Conduct a quantitative and qualitative benchmark literature review and scan of operations best practices (from the health care industry or outside the health care industry) and provide and evaluate an example of an initiative that a high-reliability health care organization has implemented, and indicate how Pediatric Hospital can implement that initiative.
Evaluate Pediatric Hospital’s readiness for the transition of health care systems from a volume- to value-based delivery system. Using data provided in this case, provide relevant and practical recommendations to improve its readiness and how it might affect the implementation of the initiative.
Analyze the operational implications of 2–3 current health care reforms and mandates that might affect the implementation of the initiative.
Consider current and future trends and forces in operations management excellence and assess how these can help this Pediatric Hospital and other similar health care organizations to become a sustainable model for high-reliability organization.
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