HCMG 101 Health Care Systems

Question: Case Study: In Need of Improvement You are an administrative staff specialist newly employed by the hospital to act as a management engineer and address a number of issues relating to operating efficiency. Your first assignment is to analyze work methods and staffing in the central sterile supply division of materials management. The department was singled out for study because: The manager, a registered nurse who has held the job for more than 25 years, has requested two more processing aides although her staff is already one person larger than that of another area hospital of equivalent size. There has been a recent, seemingly unexplainable, upturn in the consumption of disposables. A number of storage shelves appear to be stocked to overflowing with infrequently used items. The department issues frequent rush orders to obtain needed items that have completely run out. Observed conditions in the department include an overcrowded storage area, a seemingly inadequate decontamination area, and a grossly over-sized processing area referred to by most employees as “the ballroom.” On your initial visit to the department the first thing the manager says to you is: “So you’re the one who’s going to tell us what we’re doing wrong?” Her tone is none too friendly. Instructions: Develop a proposed approach to a complete study of the department, including the “sales pitch” you would use to try winning the manager’s cooperation and support, specifying what should be done, why it should be done, and how you propose to address the inevitable resistance of both manager and staff. Answer: The healthcare field is probably one of the most complex areas to manage especially in situations where there are many activities. It is so complex that it needs a committed team of employees who work together for a common goal (Levy & Ho, 2017). For the case study at hand, operational efficiency has become an issue that need to be addressed in order to reduce wastages, and to enable the management to know which areas need adjustment in terms of additional items. It has been realized that the department has recorded a high percentage of consumption of disposables, wastages, overcrowded working area among others. These have certainly prompted the manager to add in the workforce, someone who would presumably change the appearance of the department and bring it to light again. The sales pitch has been realized to be very low, although the shelves seem to be full. A close study indicates that these shelves are filled with infrequently used items. This requires that these items, that are frequently used, should be in large numbers compared to dormant items. As the newly appointed administrative staff, I want to put strategies to ensure that the department stuns ahead of other departments. The following steps will be mandatory: 1. Improving transparency. It is important to ensure that the health records are organized, and accuracy is improved. This can be encouraged in all the departments because all these departments are believed to be working together. If the records are clear and transparent, follow up can be easier if there is a problem (Stokes, 2012). This means that every staff member should be made aware of the importance of integrity and ethics. 2. Ensuring that there is a receipt for every transaction made. This will help in accounting and even knowing the balance in the stores. It also improves accountability and transparency. 3. When only necessary stores are stocked, it will create more space within the store that can be used for other activities. Decongesting the rooms will be one of my main concerns because even the space for decontamination is lacking. This will be possible if proper arrangement is made within the stores to create more space. For instance, some equipment and materials may be removed from decontamination area and placed in the processing area so that more space can be created in the decontamination area. 4. Automation and ensuring that the systems are computerised will always speed up the work at the stores. Lastly, taking inventory of all the consumables and non-consumable materials will be the most appropriate undertaking (Simeone, 2015). Our department will work handy with the supplies department to ensure that those materials that are frequently needed are delivered in time to avoid the last minute rush was witnessed before. It is important to note that this department is one with a lot of activities, and keenness is one of the characters that must be possessed by an individual working in it (Cooke, 2016). Among my first tasks is to ensure that teamwork is upheld among those working in the department. References Cooke, M. (2016). Teamsteps for health care risk managers: Improving teamwork and communication. Journal Of Healthcare Risk Management, 36(1), 35-45. doi: 10.1002/jhrm.21233 Levy, A., & Ho, P. (2017). Nonadherence in the Learning Healthcare System. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality And Outcomes, 10(10). doi: 10.1161/circoutcomes.117.004283 Simeone, C. (2015). Business resilience: Reframing healthcare risk management. Journal Of Healthcare Risk Management, 35(2), 31-37. doi: 10.1002/jhrm.21199 Stokes, C. (2012). Practitioner Application: Promoting Employee Voice and Upward Communication in Healthcare: The CEO?s Influence. Journal Of Healthcare Management, 57(2), 147-148. doi: 10.1097/00115514-201203000-00010

HCMG 101 Health Care Systems

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