From a Leadership Perspective
Healthcare reform, meaningful use, value based purchasing, quality care with effective cost control are just about daily topics of discussion in the health care industry. How do we select, test, implement and evaluate as quickly as possible, to keep up with what seems to be the ever changing demands. There is no doubt that we have had to change and adapt quickly to the "new" culture of health care. More with less seems to be the common trend. In order to accomplish our objectives, we have had to change practices. For example with technology there is the elimination of paper and the introduction of EMRs and universal access to medical records; we have automated appointment reminders and self check in kiosks at hospital registration departments, which allows a representative to register twice as many patients per day as they normally would be able to. Hence the need to change recruitment tactics. Computer literacy now means more than being able to type 35 wpm. There also now has to to be a greater acceptance of cross functional disciplines, as now you may have a Registrar who is also a Phlebotomist. As LEAN teaches us, we must find ways to eliminate waste and that means that job functions may change in order to increase the level of efficiency and decrease periods of waiting (i.e. waste).
The introduction of new technology also serves to offset the decreases in reimbursement from insurance payors. In order to avoid layoffs, staff hours are flexed down, but with the use of technology they should be able to maintain their performance. Organizations must find methods to ensure their financial stability over the coming years as there is a prediction of further decreases in reimbursement. So while juggling all of this, they have to ensure that their customer service delivery is not impacted. Patients now have a voice that is heard louder than it ever has been. HCAHPS, hospital compare, Press Ganey - how do patients rate their care at the facility? This is now very common, public knowledge and and just as you would shop around for a new car, patients can shop around for the best facility to provide care. The reporting of Core Measures drives Value Based Purchasing, which in turn impacts how the government remits payment. Finally, with more of the cost sharing being transferred to patients, facilities are forced to practice more assertive upfront collections from patients, at the time they are scheduled to receive services.
Trying to understand and dissect governmental rules and regulations, provide high quality care with no fallouts, implementing cost control measures, while exceeding the expectation of the consumer. The daunting task of juggling all these different factors and not dropping one of them has become the challenge for many health care providers.
