MHCD Solutions

April 30, 2018

Read The Full Prompt

(NOTE: The Open Knowledge site is, as its name suggests, open to be viewed by the public.  When completing this assignment, please be aware that–although only members of the group can post to this site–the content of the site is available to the general public.)

Part 1: Issue/Problem Identification (Due by Monday, April 30, 2018)

Now that we have completed our second module (Manage for Performance), we ask you to describe an issue or problem that has been particularly challenging for you or your organization.  What has been troubling you at work?  Are there any changes would you like to make but have been  struggling to figure out how, when, or where to start?  The issue or problem you propose can be drawn from a wide range of areas, such as operations (e.g., improving flow of patients through radiology or the ED), leadership (e.g., improving organizational or team performance), strategy (e.g., building a disease-specific clinical program), or any other discipline we have examined in the program.

The problem you propose should be one that you have not yet “solved” and that, in your view, could benefit from the input from your MHCD colleagues. Whatever you do, don’t let your current lack of an “answer” discourage you from proposing an issue; in fact, such issues are precisely the ones we would like you to bring forward. Perhaps your problem is one that others have experienced in a similar form within their own organizations.  You won’t know unless you offer up the challenge.

A paragraph or two (typically a 300-500 words) should be sufficient to describe your problem. Feel free to use any visuals (e.g., charts, exhibits, web links to video) that would help others grasp the nature of your challenge in a clear and concise manner.

This part of the assignment is due by Monday, April 30.

Part 2: Commenting on Problems (Due by Friday, May 11, 2018)

Using the commenting function in Open Knowledge, please provide your comments or advice on at least five (5) issues or problems proposed by others.  Are there examples that you might suggest they look to in trying to develop a solution?  Are there individuals that you might suggest they contact? Are there ways in which you might suggest that they refine the statement of their problem? Again, please remember that your comments are open to be viewed by the general public.

Please complete your five required comments by Friday, May 11.  Of course, we would like you to comment on as many proposals as possible, so please don’t see five as a limit.

Also, please use the site to engage in back-and-forth discussions (e.g., those who propose solutions should feel free to react to the comments and suggestions of others in the interest of getting a dialogue going). You never know who might get enticed to enter a given discussion. Your participation will ensure that as many participants as possible get helpful feedback on their problems.  In the process of helping others, we hope you might learn from them as well.

Submitted (72)

Reducing the number of non-urgent patients in the Emergency Department
Felicity MACHOKA
Posted on May 7, 2018 at 3:02 am
Reducing the number of non-urgent patients in the Emergency Department
How to design incentives at a non-profit academic medical center
Dreamer
Posted on April 30, 2018 at 6:43 am
Our hospital is a non-profit academic medical center. All the staff including medical doctors have fixed salaries. Clinical department or any unit of the department may apply for an annual bonus program where they can propose the objectives themselves. The [...]
Reducing Operating Cost in a Financially Stable Health System
Sharon K
Last modified on April 29, 2018 at 2:10 pm
Reducing Operating Cost in a Financially Stable Health System
Stepping Into a New Leadership Role to Change a Culture
Michael Emery
Posted on May 2, 2018 at 8:51 am
You have accepted a new position as Medical Director for a medical subspecialty service line for 2 suburban hospitals.  This is a new role for you and the position is newly created where there had been none before.  While familiar [...]
Oil and Water
KimH
Posted on April 30, 2018 at 4:09 pm
Trying to operate in a “fee for service” and “population heath” world can look like trying to mix oil and water.  What are integrated healthcare systems doing to be financially successful while advancing quality and service, as they take on more [...]
Price Transparency and Reference Pricing
Aldo Russo
Posted on April 8, 2018 at 4:52 pm
Our patients have no clue about cost and pricing in healthcare. Imitating other industries by creating pricing reference for different tests and procedures and maybe even creating charts with fluctuating prices depending on demand day/time of the week.
Strategic vs Operational Management
Jody Morris
Posted on May 2, 2018 at 3:31 pm
You are the leader of a service line in an organization that is structured in regional divisons. How would one optimally create an organizational structure to allow for accountability across the spectrum of strategy and management for both the divisions [...]
How to Build a Better Physical Therapy Referral-Management Process.
Cutuco77
Posted on April 29, 2018 at 2:04 pm
To see or not to see. Physical Therapy referrals, creating the right referral process.
Non Operating Room Procedural Efficiency
David Sumrall
Posted on April 25, 2018 at 9:49 am
Outside the OR Prcedural Efficiecy
Psychological Safety: How do we foster it and sustain it?
KarenB
Posted on April 29, 2018 at 7:02 pm
Some experts say psychological safety is essential in ensuring that teams thrive. But, how do we foster it and sustain it?
Absenteeism
Skier1999
Posted on April 30, 2018 at 10:07 pm
How to manage high absenteeism rates in a highly unionized tertiary health care institution?
Hiring for skills or organizational fit?
lwilt
Posted on May 2, 2018 at 10:26 pm
When leading a strategic project, should you overlook behavioral failures to ensure project execution? Do you hire for skills or organizational fit when you can't have both?
Department Growing Pains: Transparent or Not
CarpeDiem
Posted on April 30, 2018 at 7:57 am
How to grow and align a surgical department: Is transparency good or bad?
Blending cultures for excellence
Chalchisa
Posted on April 30, 2018 at 7:44 am
In a merger/acquisition situation, how do you identify the cultures, what is good and bad about them, and then lever the best of both for something even better when combined?
Creating a specialized therapy center for novel radiolabelled agent
Igor
Posted on April 29, 2018 at 1:23 pm
Finding the optimal structure for new, highly specialized, radiolabelled anti-cancer drug delivery
Real-time electronic scheduling, referrals & prior authorizations
Zing
Posted on April 24, 2018 at 4:54 pm
Prior Authorization - Industry Burnout
How to make the Healthcare System Sustainable (…and enjoyable)
Alvaro
Last modified on April 30, 2018 at 3:33 pm
My vision towards the Healthcare System and how we are involved in it to make it sustainable in an enjoyable way
Juggling “Business As Usual” with New Business Strategies
Nicola
Last modified on April 16, 2018 at 4:32 pm
How to effectively balance the importance of the day job, with implementing new business strategies
How to reduce no shows
Jan Berger
Posted on April 25, 2018 at 4:34 am
I am looking for strategies to decrease the no-show rate in our ambulatory physiotherapy department.
Increasing Length of Stay
HLHS
Posted on April 30, 2018 at 9:30 pm
Patients in our hospital have been experiencing increasing lengths of stay. The longer stay does not improve patient outcomes, and it contributes high occupancy and lower financial efficiency for our hospital. How can we improve efficiency around the discharge process [...]
Compensation Models
measuretwice
Last modified on April 29, 2018 at 2:25 pm
Making productivity a component of physician salary can be challenging.
How do you begin to create an organizational culture?
Ashley
Posted on April 30, 2018 at 1:02 am
In a 900 bed tertiary institution with over one million outpatient visits annually, you would assume that there is a well defined organizational culture. Unfortunately, that is not the case within my hospital system. The core goals, roles, processes, values, and [...]
Opioid Addiction Crisis
Paul
Posted on April 26, 2018 at 11:19 am
The Opioid Crisis has become a major dilemma in healthcare effecting all population groups.
How to make sense of advanced analytics ?
Matt
Posted on April 29, 2018 at 2:26 pm
How to use the brainpower of an academic hospital to prevent of becoming obsolete in 10 years
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