Part 1
What I need to know...
How do hospitals use money and implementation processes to compete with one another? I need to know how companies use having more money and a smoother operation than their competitors make them more successful, not only in hospitals but in any kind of company. I think this will be benefit my life by having a deeper understanding of how businesses work. If I choose to work for one or run one of my own I need to know the operation process. Normally, companies with a smoother operation attract more customers, I know as a consumer I like to shop at stores that have very good customer service and an efficient check out and return policy. Part 3
My Search
There have been countless studies done about the effectiveness of huddles in hospital departments. Thousands of people die in hospitals because of poor communication and teamwork between health care team members. Standardized tools and strategies such as huddles help increase the amount and quality of communication. Data was gathered from 32 nurses and 2 nurse practitioners using structured observations of their huddles. They found that preforming huddles have the potential to enhance efficiency by reducing redundancy, as well as to improve patient safety through the use of structured communication techniques. There has always been competition and hospital CEOs have always worried about finances. Unless a hospital is the only community provider or a large prestigious academic system with low competition, failure to compete can lead to bankruptcy or acquisition by a competitor. Dynamic capabilities are uncommon competencies, resulting from a difficult collection/configuration of organizational routines, structures, and assets, which confer sustainable competitive advantage. There has also been extensive research regarding the two bin system that has been implemented at NGMC. The two bin system is shaped by the nature of medical supply, usage and storage capacity limitations of health care facilities. The system links demand, service provided at the clinic, health care service, inventory storage data and decision support tools into an integrated information system that keeps hospital spending to a minimum. Agwunobi, Andrew, and Paul Osborne. "Dynamic Capabilities And Healthcare: AFRAMEWORK FOR ENHANCING THE COMPETITIVEADVANTAGE OFHOSPITALS." California Management Review 58.4 (2016): 141-161. Business Source Complete. Web. 6 Nov. 2016. Martin, Heather A. "Journal of Emergency Nursing." Journal of Emergency Nursing. Science Direct, n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2017. Wu, Eric. "Development of an Integrated Medical Supply Information System." Development of an Integrated Medical Supply Information System. Taylor and Francis Online, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017. |
Part 2
What I know or assume
In my mentorship I work at a hospital with three different locations in three different counties, and it takes a lot of people to make it a smooth operation. They obviously employ nurses and doctors and all kinds of medical personnel, but they also employ a lot of people who work behind the scenes. At Northeast Georgia Medical Center these people are called the Department of Operational Excellence, and the name explains it all. They have many different jobs in tis department but they have implementation team that go to every department in the hospital to implement huddles. Huddles are a strategy that includes a white board, magnets, and ideas of the staff. Each department has a huddle every morning where they address problems occurring, and strides made, also included are "Good Catches" which are used to help employees feel that they are useful and that the work they're doing is valuable to others around them. They record this on the board for all to see, including their bosses who then take the problems not addressed to their huddle and this process continues until the CEO must address the very pressing problems. There are also money saving strategies made by the DMS team. They implemented a process called "Two Bin", which basically saves medical supplies from being wasted. Medical supplies is very expensive and all that is ordered and bought must be used. The team has done countless research to project exactly how ,much of each supply the hospital uses per week, that number of each supply is placed in a blue box. The supplies for the week after is placed behind that one, so that when the first box is empty, the person who uses the last of the first box simply moves the empty box up to the top shelf and pulls the full box forward. At the end of each week there is a certain "orderer" in each department who scans each empty box, this automatically orders more and the supplies are shipped with the exact amount needed the next day. Part 4
What I discovered
I discovered that it takes a ton of processes to make the hospital run efficiently. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to see both of them first hand. The huddle system makes sure each department saves lives and runs smoothly without problems. it also makes sure each staff member feels valued like their work is making a difference to others, and that's important in a company. I also learned that the two bin system saves time and money by having exactly what the staff needs when they need it. The supplies are placed in the same spot with the exact amount needed. This saves the hospital money also, they are only spending money where its needed. Medical supplies is only ordered when its needed with the amount needed so nothing goes to waste. |