5 Great Ways to do Healthcare!

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.”

Share Your Thoughts:

Would you want to be a patient at a hospital that functioned like the Mayo Clinic? How do you think more Healthcare Management can improve their facilities and patient interaction? Are you satisfied with your healthcare experience? 

Thank you to Baylor Healthcare MBA for propelling their students to strive to be the best in healthcare management.  

Sources:

https://hbr.org/2014/11/5-examples-of-great-health-care-management

http://www.liberty.edu/media/9932/academic_programs/Master-of-Business-Administration-Healthcare-Management.jpg

Best Hopes for ACA

One of the “best hopes” that came out of the Affordable Care Act was a provision to enhance the role of primary care providers in decreasing the overall cost of healthcare.  The logic simply is that as individuals need more access to healthcare early on, before the issues become a problem, they would be able to receive that care in one of the more less expensive ways – a visit with their primary care physician. Other first world countries follow a similar approach, even taking it one step further by making it necessary to visit your primary care physician before being allowed to see a specialist.

Just today Reuters has reported that “this program has experienced significant success with reducing cost while increasing the quality of care by keeping patients out of hospitals. ” According to CareFirst, its medical home program, in its fourth year, also delivered high-quality care, measured by yardsticks such as whether doctors gave recommended cancer screenings and immunizations. The organization said it saved $130 million or 3.5 percent compared to projected spending under standard fee-for-service.

The savings reached a level "I wouldn't have thought possible," said CareFirst President Chet Burrell. The non-profit covers 3.4 million people in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia.”

This program has had other significant contributions towards modern healthcare management. Primary care physicians who have historically not made nearly as much money as other physicians, especially specialist, are now seeing upwards of $148 dollars for participating in the program as opposed to the $100 dollars they might have traditionally received.

This program is largely reliant on medial data, which compares specialists rates, and alerts patients and physicians when it’s time for a check ups, medications, etc.

Unfortunately not all organizations who have participated in this program have shown success. Certainly as these organizations continue to work out the ‘kinks’ there will be more success stories. 

Share your Thoughts:

Have these changes on healthcare management and the way healthcare is being distributed impacted you personally? What can we as consumers do to establish a more viable healthcare system? What can healthcare management do to increase the quality of care and decrease cost of care for patients?

Sources:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/10/us-healthcare-medicalhome-idUSKBN0FF0AI20140710

http://www.adp.com/~/media/RI/images/ACA-Compliance-Hero-1.ashx?h=557&w=1030

Thank you to Baylor University MBA in Healthcare for keeping their students engaged and aware of the changes in healthcare management and how we can impact patients and healthcare for the better.