Process Assessment and Redesign for a Maine-Based Hospital

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Challenge

Lack of operational efficiency due to inconsistent processes and procedures across five facilities serving patients.

Solution

Standardize operational, management and automated processes and procedures with emphasis on critical control points across the organization.

HOW WE HELPED

The Client was experiencing significant issues with cash flow and administrative costs due to inefficiencies and lack of synergy across its facilities when performing the same processes. We worked with them to identify the key stakeholders who would need to be involved in this engagement from two perspectives, the first being management roles that could relay the process and assist in identifying pain points, and the second being those who would have to adapt and/or train others on any changes in the future based on the results of the work.

After we completed a series of discovery sessions and documented details of all nine current-state processes that spanned across the five facilities, the pain points came to the surface. We asked hospital stakeholders to discuss what these pain points’ effects had been on the organization and how they could be mitigated in the future. We identified multiple solutions for all their pain points through a “boots on the ground” approach that involved working closely with key hospital stakeholders. The key was using all ideas to come up with the best possible solution at both the macro and micro level.

Recommendations were documented according to one of the four following categories:

  1. Control introduction to mitigate a specific risk
  2. Process re-design to streamline or increase efficiency
  3. Role/Responsibility change to optimize skill sets
  4. Automate a process that had been previously manual

Once all risk mitigating recommendations were identified, all future state processes were agreed-upon, documented and adapted by the organization. The engagement increased efficiency across the organization with emphasis on optimizing employees and systems resulting in controls that mitigate risks and processes that optimized skill sets and reduced overall costs.

Disclaimer of Liability: This publication is intended to provide general information to our clients and friends. It does not constitute accounting, tax, investment, or legal advice; nor is it intended to convey a thorough treatment of the subject matter.