A fascinating Harvard Business Case recently published about
5 great ways to do healthcare has caught the attention of many healthcare
professionals. The ‘5 Great Ways’ (or examples) are listed in the publication
as follows:
1. Transparency at University of Utah Health Care
2. Culture of shared responsibility at Mayo Clinic
3. Teamwork at Northwestern’s Integrated Pelvic Health
Program
4. Addressing socioeconomic issues at Contra Costa
5. Consolidating care with the London Stroke Initiative
As may be able to tell from the titles of these 5 great
examples, the author has chosen to focus on the accountability that hospital
facilities and healthcare companies have to their employees and their
communities. Of these 5 the one that, personally stuck out the most was
probably number two. Number two from the article was featured as follows:
… “I was amazed by how well everyone worked together to give
patients first-rate, coordinated care. For example, if a patient is referred to
a heart failure specialist because of shortness of breath, but the real problem
turns out to be lung disease, the patient will be sent to a pulmonologist – but
that initial heart failure specialist continues to play to role of doctor to
the patient, making sure all the loose ends are tied up during and after the
consultation. It’s wonderful for the patients, but not the way most specialists
in U.S. health care work.
I asked some Mayo physicians why they were willing to do
this “extra work” beyond their specialty expertise. One said, ‘Look, we think
we are pretty good, but we know that these patients did not come here for us as
individuals. They came because we’re the Mayo Clinic. So we all know that they
are not really my patients – they are
our patients.’”
I am amazed that even though Mayo Clinic has one of the most
sought after medical facilities, and their physicians are top of the line, they
still take the time to coordinate their patients care and go the ‘extra mile’
with their healthcare management.
It is my ambition as a future healthcare manager to create
some of my own “great ways to do healthcare.”
Sources:
http://www.liberty.edu/media/9932/academic_programs/Master-of-Business-Administration-Healthcare-Management.jpg
