St. Vincent Hospital, Management Plan - Final Submission [BCOR 2300]
1. The University of Colorado at Boulder
Leeds School of Business
Introduction to Operations Management and Technology
Final Project Submission
Spring 2014
Caleb Britt, Hannah Chandler, Taylor Craven, Katherine McManus
2. Table of Contents
I. Executive Summary 1
II. Introduction 5
III. Physical Location and Financing Plan 16
IV. Medical Services Plan 20
V. Medical Service Demand Forecast 30
VI. E-Commerce Plan 42
VII. Equipment Plan 56
VIII. Supply Chain and Inventory Management 61
IX. Human Resources Staffing Plan and Cost Analysis 69
X. Revenue Analysis 91
XI. Simple Three Year Financial Analysis 93
XII. Process Maps 98
XIII. Final Summary 109
XIV. References 115
3. I. Executive Summary
The Problem: St. Vincent Hospital has a history of providing health services to the
citizens of Leadville, CO and the surrounding towns in Lake County, Colorado for over 125
years, a proud tradition that the doctors and practitioners of St. Vincent continue to uphold.
However, due to the ever changing healthcare market - in conjunction with technological and
medical advancements that are not only assisting the healthcare business, but increasing
competition between hospitals and healthcare providers - St. Vincent stands at the precipice of
possibly being left behind in the wake of necessary, sustaining change. In the first four months of
2013, more than nine major hospitals from around the United States were forced to close due to
financial reasons and “the pressures of the new healthcare environment” [1]. This included
Stewart-Webster Hospital in Richland, Georgia, which - like St. Vincent - had a history of
healthcare provider-ship with the local community, serving the region for over 60 years [2].
Vincent Hospital currently lacks any differentiating factors that would enable it to compete with
surrounding general hospitals in not only Lake County, but in comparison to nearby population
hubs such as Aspen, Breckenridge and Vail.
The Solution: St. Vincent needs to adapt to the technological and medical changes
occurring, in order to adapt to an increasingly competitive industry with an increasingly tech-
savvy patient base, while also keeping prices low to continue to appeal to the current Lake
County population and bring in new patients from surrounding regions.
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4. Due to its isolation and a slow, steady declining number of patients per-year (attributed to
the decline of Leadville as a tourist location in favor of Aspen, Breckenridge and Vail), St.
Vincent will have to adopt a certain number of competitive differentiators to not only avoid
closure, but to thrive and compete. There are several specific obstacles that must be addressed in
order to achieve the compelling vision for St. Vincent, the most important of which are the
following:
The integration of a specialized sports therapy and rehabilitation center, which will
become the new focus of St. Vincent on a level that extends beyond the local community and
draw in a national attention and clientele.
The assimilation of advanced medical technology to increase patient output, patient
success rates, while simultaneously decreasing expenditures.
The incorporation of e-commerce and e-business strategies into St. Vincent’s day-to-day
activities to appeal to an increasingly tech-savvy clientele, while simultaneously decreasing
expenditures and increasing hospital efficiency.
Improving upon the current human resources and staffing plan, supply chain and
inventory management plan, equipment plan and medical services plans to decrease spending
and increase efficiency, as well as economic and environmental sustainability.
St. Vincent will become one of the premiere sports therapy and rehabilitation centres in
not only Colorado, but the rest of the United States, as well, taking advantage of some of the
state’s greatest resources - such as the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs - in
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5. combination to the incredibly active lifestyle that Colorado has to offer. Adapted from some of
the most successful hospitals in the country, and combining research and studies from hospitals
that have successfully adapted to fit the current medical market, St. Vincent will provide state-of-
the-line medical care one both a sports and general level, while also bringing business, attention
and vitality to Leadville.
St. Vincent will bring premiere sports therapy and health services to a potentially ideal
market. Leadville, Colorado, stands in the midst of one of the most “active” locations in the
country; Colorado being one in the top five healthiest and most active states in the United States
[3]. Though Leadville, Colorado remains in a relatively isolated region of the Rocky Mountains
(comparatively to surrounding settlements), with a lower than average yearly income per resident
than most Coloradans ($38,491 against Colorado’s $55,387), and yet a younger average age per
resident (36.7 to Colorado’s 40.6), the possibilities for growth are endless [4]. Hospitals in
Aspen, Breckenridge and Vail have sports therapy and rehabilitation centers, but nothing as
extensive or medically and technologically advanced as what St. Vincent will have - St. Vincent
will be the first hospital of its kind on the region. St. Vincent will capitalize on this unique and
promising market, offering value beyond an annual checkup. St. Vincent is also committed to its
partnerships in the community; aware of the impact that these changes will have on the
environment as well as the citizens of Leadville. The hospital’s operations will move towards
sustainability, both economically and environmentally.
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6. Key decisions at all levels of St. Vincent’s move towards sustainability and premier,
competitive healthcare fall under St. Vincent’s current “Mission Statement”:
“The mission of St. Vincent General Hospital is to provide the best possible continuum of
healthcare services to meet the health needs of persons in Lake County and surrounding
areas. These services will be provided in a quality, cost-effective and accessible basis,
and achieve a balance between community needs and available resources. We will reflect
the caring and noble nature of this mission in all that we do.” [5]
In addition, St. Vincent will adopt a new platform for its sports therapy and rehabilitation
center - that of “We’re pros with the pros!” St. Vincent will be professional in every aspect of our
sports therapy and rehabilitation program, to offer expert care to professional, competing athletes
from around the United States. St. Vincent hopes to become the premier sports rehabilitation
center for any athlete competing at the next level.
Sustainability - combined with economic and environmental awareness -requires prudent
financial decisions that allow St. Vincent to serve the community (and beyond) on a long-term
basis. Our team of financial analysts meticulously researched the best products, methods,
advancements and equipment for the best value. From this, they have developed and projected a
budget that forecasts long-term solvency.
Additionally, an updated human resource plan ensures employees will perform at a level
befitting St. Vincent’s current and future mission, and also ensures that they will be compensated
fairly for their service. This will work in conjunction with the implementation of medical
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7. technology (e-business and e-commerce) that will increase patient output and success, decrease
confusion and streamline the patient-seeing process; this process will decrease spending and
increase productivity. St. Vincent sees profitability in the future and anticipates continuous
growth.
The following report is a comprehensive guide to St. Vincent and its current and future
operations. The guide outlines the various ways that St. Vincent plans to serve Leadville, Co and
the surrounding Lake County community, deliver superior services at a competitive and general
level, and grow sustainably into the future to become a competitive medical provider in the
Colorado Rocky Mountains.
II. Introduction
1. General Introduction of the Project to the Investor
The vision for the future of St. Vincent’s Hospital - in beautiful and accessible Leadville,
Colorado - is ambitious, yet practical, economic, and entirely profitable. Our team can expand
and improve upon St. Vincent, with faithful capital support, into a profitable business through
sensible and knowledgeable models, core values, and key decisions. This “General Introduction
of the Project” will serve as a thorough overview of the information provided to our stakeholders
in the following comprehensive report.
Currently, St. Vincent’s is a 25-bed, critical access hospital that “provides general medical
services for a wide variety of acute illnesses, as well as post-operative surgical care, long term
care, home health care and emergency services (1).” St. Vincent provides these services to a
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8. variety of patients from not only Leadville, but the surrounding cities, as well. We have no
intentions of completely remodeling St. Vincent’s into an entirely different medical facility, or
acquiring the hospital to merely destroy and remodel its medical and community foundations.
Instead, we will expand and transform St. Vincent’s into a multi-faceted facility, specializing in
sports therapy and emergency care, whilst also retaining the basic medical capabilities that have
been provided to the various communities of Lake County, Colorado since St. Vincent’s
establishment in 1879.
First and foremost, we will offer emergency services to Leadville just as St. Vincent’s
always has. Emergency room services give our hospital a large target market and a lot of
opportunities for profit. Because there are so many types of illnesses and injuries that lead people
into the ER, we want this to be the largest and most central aspect of our hospital. We will
purchase St. Vincent’s Hospital as it currently stands, and both incorporate and expand its current
facilities and lands into a hub for the highest-quality professional sports medicine and therapy,
targeted at a market of professional winter-sport and summer-sport athletes training in the Rocky
Mountains. St. Vincent’s is located between three foremost locations for sports training -
Breckenridge, Vail and Aspen - and will, therefore, find potential patients with incredible ease.
Leadville is easily accessible from these three locations.
Furthermore, the expansion and refitting of St. Vincent’s into a specialized athletic
therapy facility will not only expand St. Vincent’s as an upstanding medical establishment - both
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9. economically and professionally - but will simultaneously expand and enhance the city of
Leadville, Colorado’s commercial and economic appeal and opportunity.
2. Chosen Approach to the Market
a. Target Market
St. Vincent’s Hospital will target elite athletes, primarily professional skiers and
snowboarders. Since our hospital is in a town close to major ski resorts, we are creating a
hospital that can treat accidents that happen on the slopes. We can also target cyclists, hikers,
rock climbers, and other outdoor enthusiasts who encounter injuries requiring our services on a
constant basis. The focus of our practice is to give professional athletes the specialized
treatments they need to continue to train and compete. In order to provide adequate care for the
professional athletes, St. Vincent’s will focus primarily on an emergency room service, as well as
a physical sports therapy and recovery center. Our goal is to get each citizen taken care of and
moved on to their daily lives, and each athlete back to the sport they love. We do not want our
patients to feel discouraged about their injury. Our team will provide quality professional health
care to get our patients back to optimal performance.
b. General Overview of Services Provided
St. Vincent’s will contain an emergency center, physical therapy rehabilitation center,
flight for life and cafeteria service. As a specialty hospital our mission is to provide the top sports
therapy, rehabilitation center in the nation. Humans have roughly 206 bones in their body and
more than 660 muscles in the body and we provide treatments to almost all of them (2). The
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10. cafeteria will provide patients and guests meals from the hours of 7am to 7pm. All staff will have
access to the cafeteria at any time of the day in case of emergencies and vending machines will
be place around the hospital as well. Also, our flight for life service will provide our patients will
quick transfers from the scene of their accident to the ER. Our hospital will be equipped with a
helipad, which in turn, will create an efficient way of traveling to and from the accidents
occurring in the mountains and elsewhere. We strive to create the best possible services for our
patients.
Our emergency center with our top surgeons will provide services including:
• Surgeries
• Transplants
• Cardiac care
• Emergency center includes x-rays, ambulance service, helicopter service,
paramedic service, first aid squad, and emergency squad
• Flight for life - helipad
• Basic emergency room services such as flu and strep testing and treatment of acute
illness and injuries
Our sports therapy center will include treatments involving:
• Neurological and orthopedic injuries and pain.
• Sports injuries.
• Injuries including writs, head/face, shoulder, knee, ankle, spine and back
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11. • Treatment of fracture, laceration, sprain, joint injury, contusion, concussion
• Post-surgical rehabilitation
Our focus on post-surgical rehabilitation will work with patients to quickly recover.
The post-surgical rehab will include:
• Treatment of post surgeries
• Working with patients on total joint replacements
• Ligament and tendon repairs
• Amputations
• Nerve compression release
• Tendon transfers
• Joint fusion
• Post-surgical ACL/MCL
c. Details - “Why This Market?” and “Why These Services?”
There are multiple ski and snowboarding injuries occurring in the Unites States today and
many people suffer severe consequences when their injuries are not getting the right treatment.
According to the National Ski Areas Association, in 2011/2012 there were 510 serious injuries.
Serious injuries include paralysis, as well as head and spine and injuries (3). We want to offer our
physical therapy services to seasonal skiers and snowboarders and we feel that our close
proximity to the mountain resorts of Colorado will give people the view that we are the best
place to go. We also want to attract professional athletes who are competing in the Olympics and
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12. X-Games. These athletes often train in the mountains of Colorado where Leadville is centered.
With our specialized hospital equipped with a helipad, athletes will have close, fast access to the
care they need. Having a hospital that specializes in sports therapy and recovery creates an area
of specialty and difference within the marketplace. Our specialists will provide the athletes with
the acute and chronic treatments that other local hospitals cannot provide.
We decided to purchase St. Vincent’s because we wanted to expand on a location that did
not provide medical options in the area. Our focus on Sports Therapy was inspired by the
multiple injuries of elite athletes in their training and competing stages. In order to create a
hospital that had a point of difference we wanted to focus on not only the emergency center but
also a specialized practice where elite skiers and snowboarders could be treated with the best
rehabilitation services. Not only can St. Vincent’s hospital treat normal emergency cases but also
it can treat injuries such as fracture, sprains, concussions and joint injuries. After the injuries are
treated in the emergency room, our sport specialists will work closely with the patient to help
them recover quickly in physical therapy as needed.
3. Competitive Differentiators from Current Hospital
There are several different hospitals in the Lake and Summit Counties of Colorado, all
within throwing distance of popular sports training hubs. Each of these hospitals offers
emergency services, along with specialized and high quality surgery services and basic medical
care. Our acquisition of St. Vincent’s would not affect these particular services - it would expand
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13. and improve upon them, providing crucial medical care to Leadville and Lake County as a whole
to a general population of patients.
Currently, St. Vincent’s Hospital remains the only hospital of any kind in Leadville,
Colorado. Additionally, Colorado is home to one of the largest facilities aimed towards training
American winter sports Olympians (located in Colorado Springs, Colorado). These factors
provide a unique and incredible opportunity for the state of Colorado, and for St. Vincent’s as a
potential epicenter for advanced medical research and sports rehabilitation.
St. Vincent’s can expand its current market and utilize its easily accessible, prime location
to not only continue with its current daily functions, but also expand to include a specialized,
world-class sports rehabilitation program that is both technologically and medically advanced.
This particular aspect of St. Vincent’s would be specifically unique to the area, targeted towards
a distinct market of professional athletes and trainers. And, by hiring the best and the brightest -
and providing resources to allow for constant technological and medical innovation - St.
Vincent’s could become one of the premier sports medicine specialists in the nation. As of 2012,
the population of Leadville is approximately 2,594 (4), which is equivalent to the current
hospital’s market size. As we transform St. Vincent’s into a physical therapy and recovery center,
we can begin including the surrounding cities and areas into that market size since the appeal of
having a general hospital combined with physical therapy services is immense. Adding the
expanded market gives the new and improved St. Vincent’s 19,091 (4) possible patients on an
annual basis, not including the excess population that the surrounding areas face during peak
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14. athletic seasons (summer/spring for hikers, rock climbers, and cyclists; winter for skiers and
snowboarders).
Although St. Vincent currently provides exceptional care to its customers, we plan to
more effectively and efficiently serve the St. Vincent community by constantly measuring a
specific set of Key Performance Indicators. We believe that staying up to date on the data that
our KPI’s can provide to us will give us a better understanding on how the hospital is operating
on a daily basis. We can easily look at problems or glitches in our functional areas and solve
them to the best of our abilities. Our current KPI’s are as follows (5):
Figure 1:
From the operational point of view, we need to measure the daily occupancy rate of
patients so that we can better forecast traffic on each day of the week. It is easy to suspect that
some days will be busier than others and once we get some solid data about which days are our
Functional Areas Key Performance Indicators
Operations *daily occupancy rate
*average length of stay
*machine deficiency rate
*bed turnover
*current ER occupancy
Marketing/Customer Support *inpatient satisfaction
*re-admission rate
*average cost per patient visit
*yearly endorsements
Management *staff discrepancies
*employee turnover
*department performance
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15. busiest, we can then prepare the hospital staff for certain days of the week based on traffic. This
will help us with staffing and analyzing rather we have enough rooms and space in our hospital
to meet demand. Measuring the average length of a patient’s stay can help us in many
operational ways as well. If we can get a good grip on how long our patients are staying in the
hospital, it will help us determine waiting times and rather we need to experiment with ways to
speed up the time of our patient visits or elongate them by putting further analysis into their
injuries and symptoms. The machine deficiency rate will allow us to keep a closer eye on how
our various medical machines throughout the hospital are performing. If we can see a trend in
how often some of our machines are having malfunctions, it can help us determine when we
should schedule routine maintenance check-ups and hopefully decrease the amount of errors we
are seeing. Bed turnover is one of our key performance indicators because it allows us to
examine how long (on average) it is taking us to get our patients feeling better and ready to go
home. Hospital patients are not interested in hanging around for days or even hours, waiting to
see results. We want our patients to come back and see us because they know we have their best
interests in mind and are doing everything possible to make their stays short and as enjoyable as
possible, encouraging them to come back again and generate more profit for St. Vincent’s.
Current ER occupancy is one of our only KPI’s that will be looked at on a constant basis.
Keeping up on how many patients are visiting the ER at all times of the day will allow staff to
determine waiting times, how fast they need to be moving through patients, and if we are lagging
in occupancy - what can we do to fill free time to improve the hospital or figure out ways to draw
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16. in more patients. The average cost per patient visit is a way for our marketing team to examine
how the hospital is doing from a financial aspect. We need to look at how much our patients are
paying us to perform our services and rather we are bringing in enough profit to keep the
business going.
From a marketing and customer service standpoint, inpatient satisfaction is the most
important KPI on this list. Our number one goal in opening this hospital is to satisfy patients and
make them want to come back to St. Vincent’s for all of their medical needs. If we can track
which patients are not liking the services we are providing and which ones are, it will allow us to
look at what we are doing wrong and correct it, as well as what we are doing good and make it
even better. Measuring readmission rate is also a really good way to look at how we are doing as
a hospital overall. If the same people keep coming back to us for their medical needs, we must be
someone they can trust. It is also a good way to measure the health of our patients. If a patient is
being admitted several times a month or even several times a year, it is an indicator that there
may be more that our medical staff needs to be looking at in order to help these patients.
Endorsements are one of our biggest marketing strategies. We want elite athletes such as Shaun
White and Lindsey Vonn to be advocates for how great of a medical center St. Vincent’s truly is.
Our team needs to be sure that we are always bringing in new endorsements as well as renewing
old ones. This is why we have chosen to measure our yearly endorsements and how much they
are boosting our profits.
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17. The management KPI’s mostly focus on our staff. We want to measure staff discrepancies
so that we know how often our team is getting off course. A hospital is supposed to be a place
full of trustworthy people, after all our patients are entrusting us with their health and wellness. If
there is an employee who is having recurring problems, or even a department in which
discrepancies keep happening, we know that actions need to be taken to fix the situation.
Employee turnover is a great way to measure not only the success of our HR team, but also the
environment of the hospital. If the turnover rate is high, it either means that our HR team is doing
a poor job of hiring and selection, or our workplace environment is unfriendly. Department
performance is a critical KPI. We want each of our departments to excel in the jobs they are
performing so that we can be sure our patients are receiving top-notch service. Departments, as
separate functional areas of the hospital, need to be running with a unanimous understanding of
what is expected of them and how they are to perform day to day functions. Once this general
understanding starts to disappear, the department will not function efficiently and effectively.
In tandem with our team’s dedication towards technological and medical advancement,
St. Vincent will also differentiate itself from surrounding competitors by dedicating itself to eco-
friendly practices that are not only environmentally beneficial, but sustainable on a business and
professional level. Being environmentally aware and sustainable has become a top priority for
businesses - and even hospitals - globally, and St. Vincent will continue along that same path by
adopting environmentally responsible and sustainable practices, such as 1) a reduced use of
chemical pollutants, 2) efficient energy generation, 3) reduced fuel consumption and 4) safer
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18. waste disposal. These practices are easily implemented with the assistance and expertise of a
“green team,” and will by no means disrupt daily hospital operations and practices. These
practices are not only environmentally friendly, but economically wise and beneficial in the long
run, and promote a sustainable business and working environment.
Consistent with previous hospital goals and views held by St. Vincent and the community
of Leadville, CO, the new St. Vincent is a reliable resource and business in the community,
working with individual patients and the community as a whole to create an environment of
togetherness and trust. Thus, our customer-oriented strategy will be the second major
differentiator. Our medical services will not only be consistent with those held by St. Vincent in
the past, but will go further by reaching out to the community by means of fundraisers, volunteer
and outreach opportunities that all members of the community can participate in. St. Vincent
wants to give back to the community in every way possible, and is committed to being a positive
partner in the Leadville, Colorado community by dedicating ourselves to engaging in a variety of
social responsibility efforts.
III. Physical Location and Financing Plan
1. Financing Plan
St. Vincent’s is being priced at $10,000,000. This number was found by averaging the
per sq. ft. cost of hospitals in Colorado at $200 (6). We are looking to split this cost 60/40 with
the Venture Capitalists. We would like $4,000,000 to be paid back in full from the investors. For
the other $6,000,000 we will take out a mortgage for 30 years at 5% (7).
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19. Figure 2:
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2. Space Requirements:
Emergency Room: St. Vincent’s is a 50,000 sq. ft. hospital. This number is found by
multiplying the total number of beds the hospital currently has by 2,000 sq. ft. per bed needed
(6). St. Vincent’s had 2,497 emergency room visits over the past year (8). This number
correlates to 7 ER visits per day. Given this number we will delegate 25 of our 35 beds to the ER
specifically. The rooms will be 13x10, with a 40 sq. ft. bathroom. As a rule of thumb we are
going to delegate 400 sq. ft. per room, which will result in the ER accounting for a measly
10,000 sq. ft. of our hospital (6). This 400 sq. ft. number is higher than the size of the room
because of nurse’s stations, the lobby and the check in area.
Operating Room: We will have 5 operating rooms, at 600 sq. ft. each. These will be not
only for life flights, but for the citizens of Leadville as well. The operating rooms will be
conveniently located near the exits of the hospitals for direct access of the arriving ambulances,
and will include a waiting room and check in desk. They will be in a straight, wide hallway for
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20. maximum flow and speed to get patients where they need to be. Because of the other
components of the rooms, such as the supply and break room, we will delegate 1000 sq. ft. per
room to this area, to total 5000 sq. ft.
Inpatient Rooms: The other 10 of our beds will be dedicated to inpatient stays. As
medical procedure quality has risen, the amount of inpatient stays has lowered significantly (9).
Last year St. Vincent’s had 1 inpatient (8). Given only 7.6% of hospital visits are inpatient stays
and the low volume of inpatient stays in the previous years, 10 rooms will be adequate at any
point (8). 5 of these 10 rooms will be slightly bigger than the ER rooms, at 20x15, also including
a 40 sq. ft. bathroom. The overnight rooms are first and foremost for patients undergoing serious
surgeries that simply cannot leave that night. These rooms will also be open for use by the
patients participating in physical therapy, who may want to stay for longer periods of time. The
other 5 rooms will be suite style, and used to incentivize the elite professional athletes we are
seeking. These rooms will all be roughly 1000 sq. ft. The athlete or patient’s family and friends
are encouraged to stay with them in these suites rather than travel to a nearby hotel. Given that
we are doing life flights, we also see the number of inpatient stays rising a bit from previous
years, where this wasn’t previously an option. Given how close in proximity these rooms are to
the ER, they will use the same waiting room and check in area. The inpatient rooms will account
for 6,700 sq. ft.
Physical Therapy Rooms: Because we are focusing on physical therapy, we will have 6
rooms dedicated strictly to it. This number was chosen because of the possibility of high volume
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21. periods when there are events in the neighboring resorts. Each room will have its own massage/
stretching table, small free weights, a treadmill, weight machines and a stationary bicycle. We
need plenty of room for the patient and trainer to move about, so each room will be 40x25. We
will also include a men’s and women’s changing room located close to the PT rooms, each will
have multiple changing cabanas and be 50x20. We will delegate 1800 sq. ft. per room to this
area for hallways and a trainer’s office. This area will account for 12,800 sq. ft.
Aquatic Center: We will also have an aquatic center/pool, which will be used in the
physical therapy process. The pool will be 65.6x35.8 with 7.5 feet to spare on every side as a
safety precaution (10). This will account for 4,095 sq. ft. of our hospital.
Simulation Rooms: We will have 2 snowboarding and skiing simulation programs in very
close proximity to the physical therapy rooms. These machines are roughly 8x4, and need to be
3 feet from a projector (11). We will put all of the simulators in 16x8. We will put them all 5 feet
away from each other to keep a comfortable atmosphere, where the trainer can direct you from
the side. This room will be 13x55 to give them adequate space. We will delegate 1250 sq. ft. to
this area.
Cafeteria: At St. Vincent’s we will be putting in a full size cafeteria and kitchen for the
patients and families. The cafeteria, including the kitchen, will be 100x75. The kitchen will be
30x10 to give the cooks sufficient space to work. We will also have a 20x20 pantry/storage room
for the food. This area will make up 7900 sq. ft.
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22. Offices: The final areas of our hospital will be made up of 2 conference rooms and offices
for the doctors and surgeons. The conference rooms will be 30x15 which will account for 900
sq. ft. We also will have 8 offices at 10x8 sq. ft. which will account for another 640 sq. ft. This
will account for 1540 sq. ft. We will leave about 1000 sq. ft. of space free to use as storage for
now and as a possible addition later in time.
IV. Medical Services Plan
1. Detailed Service Menu:
Emergency Room: We are planning to offer the residents of Leadville and surrounding
areas an emergency room service. St. Vincent’s is one of the only major hospitals in this area,
giving us a strong competitive advantage. An ER service will give us year round business for an
abundant number of injuries and illnesses. We plan to offer X-ray services, overnight stays,
illness testing (flu, strep, bronchitis, etc.) and other basic services - for full list see: General
Overview of Services Provided section. Last year St. Vincent’s had 2,497 ER visits in total. On
average, your typical ER visit costs around $2000. That amounts to around $5,000,000 in
revenue coming from emergency visits alone.
Physical Sports Therapy and Recovery: Leadville is a town surrounded by three of the
most popular ski and snowboarding resorts in the country. Besides the emergency room
offerings, the rest of the hospital building will be dedicated to a physical therapy and recovery
service for elite athletes who have been injured during their time at one of these resorts. We have
an infinite number of customers who are waiting to receive treatment from some of the best
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23. physical therapists in the country, all specializing in outdoor sports therapy. Outdoor enthusiasts
hate to be put down, and they don’t like taking time off from the activities that they love. St.
Vincent’s is here to make sure that these athletes are on their way to a speedy recovery in no time
at all. With in-house therapy rooms and plenty of overnight recovery rooms, St. Vincent’s can be
the place for these athletes and outdoor enthusiasts to take care of all their recovery needs. Elite
athletes such as Shaun White train in the snowy Colorado Mountains all the time! If they
experience an injury during their training, they do not have to quit early and give up. They can
come to St. Vincent’s for the best physical therapy and personalized recovery plans that will get
them back to the slopes. We want to appeal to these elite athletes to potentially gain
endorsements and put value towards St. Vincent’s. Each of our 6 therapy rooms includes a
massage/examination table, a treadmill, free weights, select weight machines, and a stationary
bicycle. Recovering athletes can have their own private space every day to start feeling better
without the pressures of your average gym. Another appeal that our hospital can offer to these
athletes is spending their recovery time at our in-house pool and aquatic center. Swim therapy is
the number one recommended treatment for several injuries in which it makes it difficult for
people to exercise on hard-padded surfaces or while standing. Some of these injuries include
lower back and neck pain, and muscle strains or tears (12). For our athletes who chose to be
inpatients, we will be offering two types of living areas. We have 5 suites and 5 general rooms.
The suites are designed for our patients who may be having family members staying with them,
or just want to upgrade their space during their time at St. Vincent’s. Our general rooms are a
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24. little bit smaller but still provide all the aspects of a comfortable living space. Both suites and
general rooms with have basic cable and WIFI access. We want St. Vincent’s to become a one-
stop-shop for skiers, snowboarders, and other outdoor athletes in the Rocky Mountains. If we
become the only place they need to go, we can earn loyal patients and in turn, profit to help us
grow and become even bigger and better.
Flight for Life: Every good mountain town hospital needs a helicopter service. In the
Rocky Mountains of Colorado, it can often be difficult to travel to a town that is even 20 miles
away. This can cause people to not want to come all the way to St. Vincent’s if the time it takes
to get there is too long. With a helicopter service, all of those troubles disappear. By having a
helipad, Helicopter Emergency Medical Services can get to the victim 3 to 5 times faster than
road units (13). This provides patients with quicker treatment and transportation to other
hospitals if further treatment is needed. Having a hospital-based helipad will not only reduce the
time it takes to transport patients, but will also minimize complications associated with the
transporting process. Transportation to a hospital by helicopter is linked to a 1.5 percent
increased rate of survival compared to transporting by ambulance or other ground vehicles (14).
The flight for life service is a huge advantage for those athletes needing medical attention out on
the slopes. We can pick them up right on the mountain, bring them to our ER for an initial
examination, and send them on their way to the physical therapy and recovery department if
necessary and desired.
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25. Cafeteria Service: Since the nature of our physical therapy and recovery services
sometimes require patients to stay several nights in the hospital, we will offer a full cafeteria
service. Also, this will be good for patients in both the ER and the physical therapy and recovery
who may be having visitors (friends, family).
a. Requirements for Each Service:
Below is a table explaining the types and amounts of equipment we will need for each service
area of the hospital.
Figure 3:
Hospital Service Area Equipment Type Amount
Emergency Room Ambulance Vehicle 4
Patient bed 75
X-Ray Machine 5
Bed Linens Set 100
Patient Gowns 100
Oxygen Machine 30
Electrocardiograph Monitor 25
Defibrillator 29
Operation Room Anesthetic Machine 7
Surgical Tool Set 9
Cardioplegic Machine 7
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26. X-Ray Viewing Board 5
Operating Table 5
Airflow and Temperature
Controller
5
Neurophysiologic Monitor 3
Vital Signs Monitor 7
Defibrillator 6
Physical Sports Therapy and
Recovery
Snowboarding Simulation
Program
1
Skiing Simulation Program 1
Massage Table 6
Free Weight Set 6
Stationary Bike 6
Bed Linen Set 15
Futon 5
Queen Sized Bed 15
Trigger Point Dry Needling Set 6
Hot Stone Set 6
Heating Pad 6
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27.
In the emergency room service area, we have chosen to put patient beds in all 25 of the
rooms. The extra 50 will be placed in storage and used in case an emergency were to occur, or
for any reason we ended up needing extra beds. Linen sets for each bed have been accounted for
as well as 75 extra sets to be accessible when sets become dirty after patient visits. We have used
a similar method in determining how many patient gowns we will need (25 for each room and an
extra 75 for laundry purposes). We will be placing oxygen machines in 10 of the emergency
patient rooms and will put an extra 20 in storage for emergency purposes or technical failures.
Because there are many patients who do not need the services provided by an oxygen machine,
we do not feel it is necessary to put one in each room. Defibrillators will need to go into all 25 of
the emergency patient rooms. According the Emergency Care Programs’ website, defibrillation
machines are one of the most important machines in an operating hospital. They can help in any
type of cardiac arrest problems or failure - which can be brought on by a vast number of things
Flight for Life Helipad 1
Cafeteria Service Food N/A
Cooking Utensils N/A
Cookware 30
Dishes 250
Trays 250
Tables and Chairs 20
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28. (15). For this reason, we need one for each room as well as 4 extra for each ambulance vehicle.
We want to ensure our patients are constantly taking care of and our teams have access to the
medical machines that will help them be successful in any situation.
Each operating room will need an anesthetic machine. As mentioned on the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality website, anesthesia is used in nearly every operation so that
surgery can be performed without unnecessary pain (16). This is why every room will need
access to these machines. We will also put 2 extra in storage for emergencies or technical
failures. We will also have surgical tool sets, cardioplegic machines, and vital signs monitors in
each room with extras of each placed in storage.
In our physical sports therapy and recovery service area, as previously mentioned, will
have 5 general rooms as well as 5 suites. The general rooms will have one queen sized bed for
the patient and a futon for any guests. The suites will each have 2 queen sized beds (15 in total).
The snowboarding and skiing simulation programs are special machines that allow our
snowboarding inpatients to get their groove back before hitting the slopes again; they can
practice their moves and make sure they have a really good hold on their discipline from the
comfort of our simulation room; this will also give our therapists a chance to examine the
athletes while they are practicing to determine if they are getting any better or need
improvements. Dry needling has become one of the fastest growing forms of physical therapy in
the world. TDN is aimed to release the tension that builds up from muscular tightness and
spasms. The technique uses small thin needles that get inserted into the muscles at the trigger
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29. points causing a replication of the pain referral (pattern). The muscles then contract and release.
This contracting and releasing improves muscle flexibility, removes the source of irritation,
promotes healing (produces local inflammation which is necessary to produce healing), and
decreases the spontaneous electrical activity at the trigger points (17).
b. Labor Hours:
Below is a table taken from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care’s
website. It shows the average peak wait times in the ER by day and hour. The results are based
on October 2013 - December 2013 visits. As you can see at any given day of the week, the
highest wait times occur in the middle of the night from midnight to 3 in the morning. Even
throughout the day, hospitals still experience decent patient volume and higher wait times. It is
never completely dead (18).
Figure 4: (Per Hour Wait Time)
Based on the information given above, our emergency and operating rooms will be
open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We want to be able to maximize our profits and there is no
Time Gap Sun. Monday Tuesday Wed. Thursday Friday Saturday
12:00-2:59am 4.8 4.7 5.1 4.8 4.9 4.8 5.0
3:00-5:59am 4.8 4.4 4.5 4.1 4.5 4.4 4.5
6:00-8:59am 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.8 3.7 3.5
9:00-11:59am 3.6 4.1 3.9 4.0 4.0 4.1 3.5
12:00-2:59pm 3.9 4.4 4.1 4.0 4.1 4.2 3.8
3:00-5:59pm 3.9 4.2 3.8 3.9 4.0 4.1 3.7
6:00-8:59pm 3.7 3.9 3.8 3.8 3.8 4.0 3.7
9:00-11:59pm 3.9 4.1 3.9 4.0 4.1 4.2 3.8
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30. simpler way to do this than making sure we are available to serve any patient, with any
emergency, at any time.
The physical sports therapy and recovery operating hours will be from 9am-5pm,
Monday through Friday and Saturdays by special appointment. During this time, inpatients and
outpatients can come into our therapy rooms and aquatic center to get their kinks worked out.
Nobody really wants to spend their weekend in physical therapy, and we want to be able
to give both our patients and doctors time off to get collected and relax. Sometimes, however,
we realize that a patient may need to schedule an extra Saturday session for various reasons.
Inpatients will have access to their rooms and suites at all times of the day.
The cafeteria will be open from 7am-7pm, 7 days a week to serve patients and guests
breakfast, lunch, and dinner throughout the day. Nurses will have kitchen access at all times of
the day in case patient needs any kind of food or hydration accommodations.
c. Expenses:
Figure 5:
Item Cost Amount Total Cost
Anesthesia Machine $5,000.00 7 $35,000.00
Defibrillator $1,000.00 6 $6,000.00
Vital Signs Monitor $2,000.00 7 $14,000.00
Airflow and temperature Controller $2,000.00 5 $10,000.00
Operating Tables $7,000.00 5 $35,000.00
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32.
V. Medical Service Demand Forecast
Forecasting demand is a very crucial step for the proper running of St. Vincent’s hospital.
Estimating future demand will allow a company to increase overall efficiency and take the
necessary precautions to be successful. St. Vincent’s will use demand forecasting to purchase the
proper amount of equipment, and to staff the right amount of people at the right times. The
forecast will make sure enough inventory is on hand to sustain daily activities, while not
exceeding the inputs necessary for day-to-day activities. Without this forecast St Vincent’s
would also risk having too few or too many employees, both potential revenue risks. These are
both risks that are unnecessary to take and can be avoided by accurately forecasting demand.
Queen Sized bed $400.00 15 $6,000.00
Trigger Point dry needles $150.00 5 $750.00
Towels $2.00 100 $200.00
Total Cost
$16,440.00
Item Cost Amount Total Cost
Cafeteria Tables $600.00 20 $12,000.00
Trays $1.50 250 $375.00
Silverware set $2.00 250 $500.00
Dish Sets $10.00 250 $2,500.00
Cookware $40.00 30 $1,200.00
Total Costs
$16,575.00
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33. St. Vincent’s will use qualitative methods to predict future demand. This is done by
anticipating growth of Leadville and the surrounding areas, and the HealthCare industry. By
looking at this data historical comparisons can be made. The Health Care industry is ever
growing, and is only predicted to grow more. From 2000-2009 hospital admissions went up
almost 2.5 million, and with a rapidly growing population that number is ever rising (19).
Figure 8: (2010 Health Care)
The first step taken in forecasting demand was to determine population growth over the
next 3 years. While Leadville has had a very stagnant population over the last 20 years, the
surrounding areas are always growing. The population of Leadville has been slowly declining at
a rate of -.3711% per year. While Vail, Aspen, and Breckenridge have all experienced positive
growth rates over the past 10 years (20). These positive growth rates will foster St. Vincent’s
having an increased admission although the population of Leadville is declining.
Figure 9: (Annual Population Growth)
Amount
Number of Hospitals 5723
Number of Admissions 34422071
Employment Growth (2000-2010) 2.6%
Hospital Care Expenditures $7.59B
City Population Growth
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34.
Leadville currently has a population of 2584 (20). Through US News, we found that last
year St. Vincent’s had 268 inpatient admissions, 16,582 outpatient visits, and 2,497 ER visits (8).
Given these numbers it was very easy to calculate the demand for Leadville only. By dividing
each of these numbers by the total population, the average number of visits per person is given.
For example, to find average number of inpatient visits per person the calculation is 268/2594.
Multiplying the growth rate by the population gives next years population. Then multiplying the
population by the average number gives the demand per year.
Figure 10: (Annual Estimated Demand from Leadville)
Leadville -0.3711%
Aspen 1.4697%
Vail 0.9630%
Breckenridge 3.0600%
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Population of Leadville 2584 2574 2564 2555 2545
Average number of inpatient visits per
person 0.10177 0.10177 0.10177 0.10177 0.10177
Average number of ER visits per person 0.9626 0.9626 0.9626 0.9626 0.9626
Average number of outpatient visits per
person 6.3924 6.3924 6.3924 6.3924 6.3924
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35. Although this does give the total demand of Leadville, St. Vincent’s is expecting
admissions from injuries at the surrounding resorts. In 2013 51 million people snowboarded,
20% of which did in a major resort in Colorado (21). This means that roughly 10.2 million
people snowboarded in Colorado last year. 3 out of every 1000 skiers and snowboarders receive
an injury serious enough to require medical treatment (21). This correlates to 30600 injuries in
Colorado alone per year. If St. Vincent’s can get a measly 10% of these people to come in, that is
3060 people in the first year strictly from injuries. After the first year St. Vincent’s believe this
number will grow 1% annually because of recognition and word of mouth. This number is then
multiplied by 15%, which is the amount of people predicted to go to physical therapy after the
ER or OR. This number was decided simply by assuming that some injuries do not require
physical therapy, and some patients may prefer another provider.
Figure 11: (Annual Admissions from Ski Injuries)
Total estimated Demand from Leadville 19268 19194 19119 19052 18977
Year Admissions from Injuries at Colorado Resorts Physical Therapy
2014 3366 505
2015 3672 551
2016 3978 597
2017 4284 643
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36.
Through the earlier given population growth numbers, St. Vincent’s then found the total
increase in population in Leadville, Vail, Aspen, and Breckenridge. This number is shown by
285 in Figure: 12. The increase in population was then multiplied by the average number of
visits to give additional demand per year because of an increase in population. The additional
demand per year was then added to the total estimated demand from Leadville show by Figure:
12 and admissions from injuries in Figure: 11 to reach St. Vincent’s Total Estimated Demand.
Figure 12: (Annual Total Demand)
The next step St. Vincent’s took was to demand forecast on a month-by-month basis. It is
assumed that on a year-by-year basis demand per month will not be uniform, but this is not
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Number of people by which population
will increase
N/A 285 291 293 305
Average number of inpatient visits per
person
0.10177 0.10177 0.10177 0.10177 0.10177
Average number of ER visits per person 0.9626 0.9626 0.9626 0.9626 0.9626
Average number of outpatient visits per
person
6.3924 6.3924 6.3924 6.3924 6.3924
Additional Total Demand per year N/A 2125 2170 2185 2274
Total estimated Demand 23552 24685 24961 25215 25536
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37. predictable. St. Vincent’s did the months demand based on a nurse’s blog, allnurses.com, and a
table given by scielo.org. Each month was delegated a base percentage of demand for the year
by dividing 100%/12 months. A small percentage was then added or subtracted based on the
findings from the references. It was very unanimous that March is the busiest month of the year
because of people working out for the summer and an increase in vehicle accidents. The same
goes for the rest of the spring, but not to the same extent. The summer has a much lower demand
and most admissions are related to the heat. The winter also has a very high admission rate.
During winter everyone is in much closer quarters and everyone transfers sicknesses much
easier. Most of the admissions are respiratory related. The fall has many of the same injuries as
the spring on a lower scale, and is the lowest demand season of the year (22)(23). The first
year’s admissions are shown by Figure: 13. To find the demand for the following years St.
Vincent’s will simply multiply the total estimated demand by the percentage per month.
Figure 13:
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38. Figure 14: (2014 Total Admissions)
The next step to take in forecasting demand is to forecast by day of the week, and time of
the day. For both of these forecasts the table from scielo.org will be used (22). Some minor
trends were also found in the allnurses.org blog. “Medical Monday” was found to be the busiest
day of the week. Saturday night and Sunday morning are busy from party and bar admissions.
Midnight to 3 was also found to be the busiest time for almost any day of the week. Tuesday
through Thursday was found to have a pretty uniform demand. Figure: 4 was also used, as wait
times directly correlate to how many patients are being admitted. To find the per day demand
the wait time per hour was added up to find the total wait time per day. That wait time per hour
was then divided by the total wait time per day to find the percentage that each day accounts for.
The total demand was then divided by 52 weeks per year and multiplied by the percentage per
hour.
Figure 15: (2014 Percentage of total weekly demand)
Month January February March April May June
Total Admissions 2715 2469 2962 2222 1975 1728
Month July August September October November December
Total Admissions 1481 1234 1728 1975 1975 2222
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
14.02% 14.59% 14.32% 14.20% 14.50% 14.63% 13.76%
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39.
Figure 16: (2014 Demand per day)
To find the hour-by-hour demand St. Vincent’s took the hourly wait time and divided it
by the total wait time from that day. That gave the percentage of the day that each time frame
took up. This was done with Figure: 4 given in the detailed service menu section.
Figure 17: (2014 Demand per hour of day)
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Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
66.55 69.26 67.98 67.41 68.83 69.45 65.32
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40. Figure 18: (2014 Demand per hour of day)
!
Figure 19: (2014 Demand per hour of day)
!
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41. Figure 20: (2014 Demand per hour of day)
!
Figure 21: (2014 Demand per hour of day)
!
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42. Figure 22: (2014 Demand per hour of day)
!
Figure 23: (2014 Demand per hour of day)
!
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43. Using historical data from health.usnews.com the demand can be projected on a
department-by-department basis. St. Vincent’s 2013 admissions are given by Figure 24.
Figure 24: (St. Vincent’s 2013 Admissions)
St. Vincent’s is expecting a very large change in how many visits we see per department
given the specialization. There is an expected demand of 3366 from Skiing injuries in Colorado
alone, 15% of which will do rehab, which is shown by Figure 11. To find the demand per day the
calculation is 3366/365, and to find per month the calculation is 3366/12. Physical Therapy will
account for 14% of admissions. Outpatient visits previously consumed 85.7% of all demand; St.
Vincent’s is expecting that number stay about the same, while the percentage of total demand
falls to 65% because of the specialized services. In 2013 ER patients were 12.1% of the total
demand. St. Vincent’s is expecting an increase in this number because of recognition as a top tier
hospital. ER Visits will be assumed at 18% of admissions in 2014. Operation Room demand
will rise because of the increase in ski injuries seen, and will account for the remaining 3% of St.
Vincent’s demand. The calculations to find per day and per month were the same as previously
done.
Admissions Inpatient Surgeries Outpatient Visits ER Visits
268 1 16582 2497
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44. Figure 25: (2014 Demand per Department)
VI. E-Commerce Plan
1. E-Commerce/E-Business Strategy
In the current world of evolving technology and rapidly expanding technological
globalization - where the Internet now stands as the premier resource for information - the
importance of e-commerce and e-business in the corporate business environment remains crucial.
Business owners can no longer afford to ignore the numerous benefits of have an online
presence, which has become a critical business and operational factor in the twenty-first century
globalized environment (24). In regards to hospitals,
medical providers are “losing valuable revenue by
failing to implement low-cost and valuable resources
to optimize the health care experience for an
increasingly tech-savvy, Internet-oriented consumer
Operating
Department
Emergency
Department
Physical Therapy/
Recovery
Outpatient
Visits
Demand Per
Year 831 4443 3366 16045
Demand Per
Month 69 370 281 1337
Demand Per
Day 2 12 65 44
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45. base.” Additionally, research demonstrates that 83% of consumers are visiting hospital websites
prior to converting into patients, and “poorly optimized hospital websites may be losing up to
$34,000 in annual patient revenue opportunity cost every day or approximately $1,020,000 per
month (25).” Therefore, it remains absolutely critical that St. Vincent create a positive, effective
and technologically savvy internet presence. “... The future will belong to the [medical]
institutions that aggressively direct their services and products at consumers who are
technologically and Internet savvy (26).”
Though e-commerce originated as a means to sell retail products online, it has since
evolved to offer services such as healthcare to the general public. St. Vincent will improve upon
its current website to create a functional, easily navigated platform that effectively communicates
our central mission, customer service experience and services offered. Additionally, the St.
Vincent website will implement a platform to offer select healthcare services to the public, while
also implementing strategies to increase current (and future) customer satisfaction, streamline
hospital information into an easy-to-manage and easily understood and accessible format,
increase hospital revenue and decrease operating expenses.
By utilizing e-commerce and e-business methods, and adapting them into a medical and
healthcare-service-provider atmosphere, we anticipate St. Vincent will experience (1) increased
patient satisfaction, (2) boosted hospital revenue and profits for providers and investors, (3)
heightened operating efficiency, (4) remissions prevention and overall patient quality (4) a
potential 200% increase in potential patient conversion (25). “Making medicine accessible online
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46. not only benefits doctors and their patients, it could also improve relationships between
hospitals, clinics, suppliers and customers” (54).
2. E-Business / E-Commerce Development and Operating Costs
First and foremost, St. Vincent will improve the quality of its website’s layout and
navigation. Primarily, a full breakdown of the various St. Vincent medical services will be
provided in detail in an easily accessible location. Services will also include biographies for the
head of each Department, along with contact information for each department if necessary (i.e.
the Emergency Room would not have specific contact information, as any potential patients
should call 911), in case any potential patient would want to call St. Vincent for further
information. A SWOT Analysis of the current St. Vincent website emphasizes certain key areas
whereupon the St. Vincent website currently excels, and can be improved further:
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47. St. Vincent Current Website / E-Commerce / E-Business Strategy - Basic SWOT Analysis:
Figure 26:
Strengths
• Incredibly simple layout, easy to navigate.
• Emphasizes the community and volunteer
opportunities for Leadville, CO; great
connections with surrounding communities
and Lake County.
• Visitors often chose to view this site as
returning customers / patients, who have no
doubt of St. Vincent’s services offered; St.
Vincent already has a strong base of patients
who visit regularly.
• Biographies and contact information for all
practitioners and doctors are offered under the
Services Section, and can be accessed through
a search database. Easy and informative.
• A Search Tab at the top of every web page
makes everything easy to search and find.
• Updated News Section, to keep patients up to
date with Foundation board meetings, events,
etc.
• Contact information is easily accessible and
simple.
• They have a frequently updated Facebook
page and presence, mostly posting in regards
to seasonal shots, doctor retirements, and St.
Vincent Foundation events (volunteering).
Weaknesses
• “Boring” layout; not “eye-catching” -
slightly outdated logo and website
design.
• Website is not completely compatible
with mobile devices (tested using an
iPhone 4).
• Too little information in regards to
services offered; service descriptions
are analytical enough - require a more
clinical, straightforward explanations
for services provided, along with
(perhaps) statistics that support
• The website in its current form does not
attract new patients; its layout and
description has much to be desired for a
new, tech savvy patient crowd with low
attention spans.
• No platform for current / returning
patients to “login” to schedule
appointments, pay medical bills, or
view past appointments, etc.
o No option for payment online.
o No online scheduling platform for
patients to schedule appointments.
o No option / application to view
Emergency Care / Urgent Care
times.
o No option to purchase and facilitate
pharmaceutical needs through the
website.
• No articles or lectures by current
practitioners or doctors / from outside
sources for returning patients to return
to (semi-common on other hospital
websites) - can be on a separate forum.
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48.
Through the SWOT analysis, it is strikingly apparent that an emphasis on technological
innovation is necessary in the future of St. Vincent, especially in regards to its e-business and e-
commerce strategy. St. Vincent, while currently a stable business with a returning and satisfied
clientele base, needs to turn towards technological innovation in order to be able to compete with
surrounding, more advances hospitals - especially taking into consideration St. Vincent’s
proposed, specialized Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation program. Online appointment
scheduling - for general medical health, check-ups, drop-in appointments and continuing
physical / sports therapy - is crucial to the development of St. Vincent’s e-commerce and e-
Opportunities
• With a tech- and Internet-savvy clientele, an
updated logo and web design will attract the
interest of current and potential patients.
o The website should also be able to be
accessed through any and all mobile
devices.
• First and foremost, an emphasis on online-
payment, scheduling, wait-time applications
and pharmaceutical facilitation needs to be
made. These aspects are essential to the future
of not only St. Vincent, but the medical field
at large.
o Telemedicine is crucial, especially in
regards to the future of St. Vincent as a
center for high quality, premier sports
therapy.
o As much as possible, St. Vincent needs to
apply itself to adapt to the technologically
evolving medical environment, by
providing certain, necessary services
online.
• Long-term, we hope to not only keep our
current clientele by continuing to offer
services and information regarding St.
Vincent, but we hope to attract a wider variety
of clientele by utilizing technology using
effective and universal methods.
Threats
• St. Vincent has a history steeped in
traditional medical methods; the small
Leadville community might be resistant
to certain technological changes
implemented.
• St. Vincent’s competitions from
surrounding town hospitals (Aspen,
Breckenridge, Vail, etc.) have already
implemented many of these methods,
which are being used (successfully) at
large.
• Changing technology isn’t threatening
the St. Vincent website, but the website
itself cannot remain as simple and
unimaginative as it currently stands.
• Certain monetary concerns face some of
the e-commerce and e-business
strategies, especially in regards to the
implementation of telemedicine - and
taking into consideration the massive
task of creating a Sports Therapy center.
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49. business strategy. A national survey conducted in 2012 reported that patient satisfaction with
hospital websites has dropped to 74 out of 100 in 2012, showing patients have “growing
expectations” regarding the types of resources that are made available on hospital websites that
are not being met. Likewise, most hospital websites “read like brochures” by advertising
facilities and practitioners rather than actually facilitating online appointments so patients can
efficiently access transactional care (26). Therefore, appointments at St. Vincent be scheduled
online, adding flexibility and customer convenience to schedule appointments outside of
operating business hours. Online calendars - specifically tailored to each patient’s practitioner -
will be available through the St. Vincent website, offering an easy and efficient platform for
flexible scheduling. A system of prioritization will ensure that patients with more pressing
ailments or injuries will receive medical attention first from any particular practitioner.
Appointments made online will automatically be saved into the St. Vincent schedule database,
accessible by all doctors and practitioners. Customers that make appointments online will receive
an immediate confirmation e-mail, text-
message and/or voicemail to eliminate
any uncertainty. St. Vincent will
implement this appointment and
scheduling planning through a popular
medical appointment-scheduling
database, Appointment-Plus. On the
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50. right is an example of the login page and online server that patients will use once the St. Vincent
online appointment scheduling system is fully implemented. By implementing the My Health
Connection scheduling database, hospital productivity and patient satisfaction is expected to
increase exponentially.
An on-the-phone consultation with an Appointment-Plus representative informed us that
an “Enterprise Level Solution” would be necessary to handle an appointment stream of this
magnitude. The payment method for a hospital the size of St. Vincent could vary from $30,000 -
$150,000 per year. We estimate that, with the size of St. Vincent and inconsideration with its
“Medical Demand Forecast,” an annual contract (entitled to monthly professional services) of
$100,000 would be paid up front every year - an average of $8,333.33 per month.
Additionally, St. Vincent will implement an online waiting service, which will provide
potential Urgent Care and Emergency Room patients (with non-threatening medical conditions)
with wait-time estimations, based upon previously gathered data. “Patients can view available
estimated treatment times, check-in online, and provide visitor information to begin waiting from
an environment other than the waiting room,”
thus increasing patient satisfaction (25).
Additionally, this strategy will increase St.
Vincent’s service zone, thereby bringing in
more potential patients and increasing hospital
revenue. Urgent Care and the Emergency
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51. Room will also be able to find a balance of “flow” and manage patient loads with greater
efficiency, thus increasing St. Vincent’s productivity as an Emergency Services medical provider.
This service will be provided by the Emergency-Room Check-In company, InQuicker and will
be allocated to an easy-to-reach and easy on the St. Vincent website. On the right is an example
of an InQuicker application that will estimate treatment time. This program could also be utilized
with a smartphone “app”.
“Hospital officials agreed to pay $3,000 a month for the service. They charge patients
$14.99 and expect to recoup that money over time as appointments increase, said spokesman
Patrick Houston” (27).
Telemedicine is a “cost effective alternative” to traditional face-to-face medical treatment
the use of telecommunication and information technologies to provide clinical health care at a
distance while simultaneously decreasing St. Vincent’s medical cost, and increasing efficient
time- and patient-management (28). A relatively new medical invention, telemedicine “helps
eliminate distance barriers and can improve access to medical services that would often not be
consistently available in distant rural communities,” and can also be utilized to save lives in
urgent or emergency situations (28). “Telemedicine and telehealth have the potential to increase
access to care, improve quality of care and decrease costs” (29). Telemedicine also increases
access to health care, improves health outcomes, assists in addressing shortages and miss-
distribution of healthcare providers, improves organizational productivity and supports clinical
education programs (30). Telemedicine is split into three distinct categories, all of which can be
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52. easily utilized by St. Vincent by implementing the proper technological and administrative
modifications:
1. Store-and-Forward Telemedicine involves gathering medical data (like medical images,
biosignals, etc.) and transmitting this information to a medical specialist at a convenient
time for assessment.
2. Remote Monitoring Telemedicine enables medical professionals to monitor a patient
remotely using various technological devices; this is used primarily for chronic illnesses,
such as heart problems, blood pressure, diabetes or asthma.
3. Interactive Telemedicine provides real-time interactions between the patient and the
provider, which includes phone conversations, online communication and visits.
Telemedicine - while important - remains a complicated process, one that requires
planning and careful thought before proper implementation. According to Mark VanderWerf,
Vice President for eHealth and OEM, Nonin Medical, outlines ten essential steps to properly
execute telemedicine: (1) establish a vision, (2) build a long term financial plan, (3) create a
convenient and effective work environment, (4) mainstream telemedicine into the standard care
process, (5) plan and assure effective training, (6) make
sure you have a full-time coordinator(s) and an effective
leader and cheerleader, (7) a Project Plan = Manageable
Milestones = Reasonable Expectations, (8) valuate
horizontal v. vertical implementation, (9) “good
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53. marketing is critical”, and (10) publish or perish? More specific steps are necessary for
successful telemedicine implementation.
Telemedicine is not a separate medical specialty - it is often a part of a larger investment
by medical or healthcare institutions in either information technology or the delivery of clinical
care (31). Telemedicine is a long-term investment in St. Vincent’s future, which will be an
essential component to our e-business and e-commerce strategies.
Below are several estimated monthly costs related to telemedicine through a hospital.
This cost analysis - from the National Institute of Justice - is based on 100 internal specialist
encounters with telemedicine implementation costs around the country (32). While this study
was performed upon telemedicine practices in a prison, it is a somewhat related study that can be
applicable to hospitals such as St. Vincent. The telemedicine industry is universal.
Figure 27:
Number of Events
(per month)
Cost (per
month)
Total Monthly
Cost
Average Cost per
Encounter
Operational
Telemedicine
Equipment N/A $23,693
Coordinators N/A $10,939
Consultants 104 $10,229
Total Cost $44,861 $431
Conventional Care
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54.
“Excluding the costs of equipment but including savings on transfers and external
consultations, each telemedical encounter saves an average of $142. At this rate, 1,544
encounters would save an amount equal to the purchase cost of the telemedicine
equipment” (32).
St. Vincent will have an average of 1,625.166 visits per month (see “Medical Service
Demand Forecast”), which will result in an average of $230,773.57 savings per month. This will
more than make up for any expenses gathered from implementing telemedicine into the St.
Vincent medical program, and will save money exponentially in the future. Telemedicine is not
only technologically advanced, but is a sustainable initiative to promote St. Vincent’s future as a
medical institution.
The pharmaceutical e-commerce industry is one of the most rapidly growing online facets
of the medical world. In less than 20 years (from 1998 to 2003), online pharmaceutical sales
skyrocketed from less than $1 billion, to over $50 billion (33). Pharmaceutical e-commerce is
perceived as a research intensive industry on one hand and a prescription driven and dependent
retail medicine business on the other (34). St. Vincent will utilize both aspects, but most
Consultations Inside the
Hospital
100 $10,800
Avoidable External
Consultations
2.83 $2,274
Avoidable Transfers to
FMCs
1.17 $4,928
Total Cost $18,002 $173
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55. especially the one involving the retail medicine business. As a research facility in the
advancement of physical sports therapy and rehabilitation, St. Vincent will improve upon
relationships with local and national pharmacies in the study and improvement of sports therapy
and rehabilitation. Primarily, however, St. Vincent will improve upon its current Pharmacy
Department by applying certain e-business aspects to improve upon administrative and
organizational management of the in-hospital pharmacy, while simultaneously streamlining
pharmaceutical services for a growing, tech-savvy clientele.
“Deployment of e-commerce in the pharmaceutical industry centers around significant gains
in business transactions by utilizing e-commerce to circulate information in order to build an
integrated network for both the industry and the users by shrinking the geographical distances
and make timely access to medical information and latest biotech knowledge, thereby
providing better services to the users and to the pharmaceutical community as a whole” (34).
The pharmaceutical industry is amongst the most strictly controlled and regulated
industries in the world, especially in regards to legality; specialist layers and regulatory
professionals check every word or statement made online or offline, for any discrepancies that
might cause harm to the medical profession,
hospitals, and most especially the patients. Therefore,
there will be several components to St. Vincent’s
pharmaceutical e-commerce strategy (35):
1.Non-Prescription Medication will continue to be
sold through the St. Vincent Pharmacy; however,
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56. these are typically drugs that patients would want immediately. They can be bought
online through the St. Vincent Pharmacy. However, while delivery will be option, it will
probably not be utilized, as patients looking for these kinds of medications (i.e. Advil,
Tylenol, etc.) would probably walk in and get the medication themselves, rather than wait
for delivery.
2. Prescription Medication can and will not be sold online through the St. Vincent
Pharmacy; medical professional should assess the condition in full, making the decision
for the patient. However, patients who are currently using prescription medication will be
able to make payments online, as well as request refills for their prescription, which will
be verified online through signature and approval by the patient’s current medical
practitioner.
3. B2B (Business to Business): St. Vincent will continue to develop relationships with
wholesale pharmaceutical companies, such as A.F. Hauser Inc. through an e-commerce
and e-business strategy, to provide timely and frequent delivery of pharmaceutical goods
to the St. Vincent Pharmacy.
Summarily, patients will be able to (1) refill their prescriptions automatically online
(through the login also used to make medical payments and schedule appointments).
Prescriptions will be able to have (2) online, virtual verification by the patient’s current
practitioner and / or doctor, in order to protect and verify doctor-patient confidentiality and
ensure that the proper steps are taken to ensure proper and legal medicinal distribution. However,
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57. in order to ensure this, prescriptions will still be required to be picked up from the St. Vincent
pharmacy, until a safe and reliable system is invented and put into place to ensure that the
medicine only goes into the hands of the patient. Finally, (3) delivery services will be provided
for selected pharmaceutical - most especially non-prescription drugs.
While it is recommended that patients pay for medical services through St. Vincent
directly, certain services - such as general check ups, ongoing physical therapy - can be paid
through an online payment database and platform. To protect patient privacy and identity, and to
promote security, St. Vincent will not keep any method of payment stored on file. Confirmation
emails or phone messages will be sent to the patient to confirm payment. Payments can be made
through a secure St. Vincent’s server, which requires a login and password specific to each
patient - this ensures privacy and security, and also allows patients to personalize and monitor
their payments; this platform can also be the one used for patients to schedule appointments and
refill any of their prescriptions drugs. To the right is an example of the website platform wherein
patients will be able to login to the St. Vincent database to access payment methods.
Online payment will be offered
through Appointment-Plus, which offers a
“Payment Process” module in addition to
their Appointment Scheduling platform.
Appointment-Plus will “ask customers to
pay when they book, and process sales
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58. transactions through the POS module”(36). The cost for an online payment module, therefore,
will be taken into consideration under the cost for the program, Appointment-Plus. Payment for
certain medicinal means is also optional, and will be taken into consideration if Appointment-
Plus does not meet all of the necessary requirements for St. Vincent.
VII. Equipment Plan
Having an equipment plan is essential to the success of our hospital. In order to maintain
quality patient care, the equipment at St. Vincent’s will be managed and the staff will be
educated on the major operations. The staff will be educated about safety and proper handling of
each piece of equipment in order to reduce safety risks (37). The purpose of having an equipment
plan is to ensure that the equipment provides reliable information to the patients and that the
working environment is safe for both the patients and staff. The plan also makes sure that the
equipment is utilized to the highest capacity in order to optimize patient care (38).
The first step of the equipment plan is selection and acquisition of the highest quality
equipment. Choosing the right equipment is essential to the patient care and quality of our
services. St. Vincent will work closely with different suppliers of each department in order to
maximize our hospitals quality. The supply chain and inventory management team will
collaborate and research certain pieces of equipment looking at product recalls, monitoring
approved capital equipment, monitoring hazard alerts, equipment requests, and reactively
replacing equipment based on inability to further maintain (38). Assistance provided in the
selection process includes writing request proposals, reviewing bias, verifying performance of
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59. equipment, coordinating clinical trials and negotiating with vendors (38). Assistance that is
provided during the acquisition process includes preparing the hospital for the arrival of
equipment, installation, acceptance testing and providing training for the staff to learn about the
equipment (38).
The next step in the equipment plan is the evaluation of the purchased equipment. It is
important to make sure the equipment is up to standards and can be safely managed by the staff.
One evaluation method that St. Vincent will use to evaluate the equipment is the American
Hospital Association method that factors in equipment maintenance, patient and staff impact if
the equipment were to fail, clinical application and supplier and manufacturer recommended
preventive maintenance (38). Using this method the equipment can be assigned a risk category of
1 (high risk), 2 (less risk), 3 (no risk) (38). These methods can determine the physical risk and
hazards of the equipment if the utility were to fail.
After purchasing and evaluating the equipment the inspection process is the most
essential part of the equipment plan. All equipment within St. Vincent will be inspected before
use in order to insure less risk and high reward for the patients. Equipment is inspected to insure
physical condition, functionality, accuracy, patient/operator safety, electrical safety, and proper
documentation (38). After the inspection, the inventory is given an inspection label based on the
risk category and is registered back in the Virtual Item Master and the Enterprise Research
Planning system. For the large pieces of equipment in the emergency and operating room such as
the X-ray machine, oxygen machine, electrocardiograph monitor, anesthetic machine,
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60. cardioplegic machine, X-ray viewing board, operating table, airflow and temperature controller,
neurophysiologic monitor there will be an inspection upon purchase before use and an estimate
of two inspections per year afterwards. There will be two inspections per year for the Physical
Sports Therapy and Recovery department of the equipment’s including, massage table, stationary
bikes and treadmills.
Preventive maintenance inspections are needed along with incoming inspections. Most
preventive maintenance inspections are interval-based meaning that the inspections depend on
manufacturer recommendations, risk levels and past organizational experience (38). They are
usually generated on a monthly basis (38). Preventive maintenance is needed in order to correct
the initial stage of equipment problems before they become actual or major failures.
Lastly, repairs are performed on equipment when needed and in prioritized timely
manner. In order to prevent problems within the hospital, backup devices will be available incase
of an emergency. The backup devices will be located in each department for quick easy access to
ensure continuity of patient care if a piece of equipment fails. However, in order to prevent
system or equipment failures, a hazard alert will be sent to the computer system to inform the
staff of the problem before it becomes a major issue. (38) This will provide the hospital with
time to fix the problem or switch to a back up device without taking focus away from the patient.
Records will then be filed about the problem and stored for future reference (38).
When staff members are hired or start a new job they will be required to go through a
training/ orientation about equipment they will be working with. During the orientation,
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61. employees will learn how to operate or repair the equipment in their departments. Supervisors
will educate the employees and they will engage in cross training in order to develop certain
skills required for the operation of each piece of equipment (38).
The following list shows various equipment and inventory items that St. Vincent will
have in the different departments of the hospital (39). It is important that our employees are
trained to operate the equipment, inspections are made and the disposable inventory is accounted
for and kept up to date in order to provide quality care to our patients.
Emergency Room and Operation Room Equipment:
• Patient Bed
• X-Ray Machine
• Oxygen Machine
• Electrocardiograph Monitor
• Defibrillator
• Anesthetic Machine
• X-Ray Viewing Board
• Airflow and Temperature Controller
• Neurophysiologic Monitor
• Vital Signs Monitor
• Cardioplegic Machine
• Bed Linens Set
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62. • Patient Gowns
• Syringes, Cannulas, Needles- various sizes and kits
• Catheters
• Blood Pressure monitors, gauges, cuffs, aneroid
• Surgical Tool Set
• Operating Table
• IV sets, bags, and arm boards
• Medical penlights
• Stethoscopes
• Medical scissors
• Endoscopic devices
• Reflex hammers
• Otology sponges
• Splints
• Patient Wheelchairs, crutches
• Thermometers
Physical Sports Therapy and Recovery Equipment:
• Snowboarding Simulation Program
• Skiing Simulation Program
• Massage Table
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63. • Weight Set
• Stationary Bike
• Treadmill
• Trigger Point Dry Needling Set
• Hot Stone Set
• Heating Pad
• Parallel bars
• Balance pads
• Electrotherapy Machines
• Manipulation boards
VIII. Supply Chain and Inventory Management
Optimizing quality, costs and control begins and ends with a highly competent Supply
Chain Management team (SCM). The SCM is led by an Executive Vice President (EVP) or Vice
President. St. Vincent's EVP of Supply Chain Management is responsible for overlooking the
operations of the supply chain and inventory. They constantly report to the hospital CEO about
the ongoing activities. Their organization, or team, is responsible for all SCM activity. The
following graphic shows a functional overview of the SCM’s functions and activities within each
category (40).
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64.
Figure 28: (Supply Chain Management)
!
The department of goods and services planning are primarily responsible for creating a
forecast for the supply chain in regard to the inventory that will be needed to operate on the daily
basis. Demand Management uses a planning methodology to forecast and manage the future
products and services needed in St. Vincent. Lastly, the SCM team is used to establish priorities
of the hospital and recognize needs in order to enhance Supply Chain Management by using
collaborative planning.
The Procurement and Contracting department is in charge of the strategic sourcing and
product strategy, in order to optimize St. Vincent’s supply base and improve overall value of the
inventory used in the hospital. Contract and Pricing Strategy involves finding suppliers that
provide the best quality products and prices to ultimately create contracts with certain
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65. manufacturers. Operational procurement is designed to purchase and obtain the goods and
services within St. Vincent Hospital. It is important that all supplies purchased meet government
regulations and standards.
Once the inventory is purchased from the suppliers the materials management department
inventory management control is essential. Inventory management is the process of overseeing
the constant flow of units into and out of an existing inventory. The management of inventory
maintains a system that makes sure the inventory does not exceed (overstock) or dwindle (under
stock) to certain levels that will jeopardize the hospital. There needs to be warehouse and
inventory management along with in hospital materials management.
The last department of working capital management focuses on a managerial accounting
strategy to maintain good levels of both components of working capital, current assets and
current liabilities. Working capital management ensures that a company has sufficient cash flows
in order to meet its short-term debt obligations and operating expenses (41).
The term supply chain can be divided into two areas: inventory management and
distribution. Recent studies show that tremendous cost saving and potential revenue can be
generated with the enhanced management of distribution and inventory. It was estimated that a
hospital could reduce its total expenses by at least two percent through better inventory
management and distribution of medical materials (42). To have efficient inventory management
St. Vincent will use a requisition framework from McKesson technology to manage the current
inventory and the delivery schedule. A Virtual Item Master (VIM) is an online sourcing website
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66. used in various organizations
including hospitals. The VIM is a
system that can track inventory
throughout the hospital, provide
accurate information on the current
number of each piece of inventory
and allows staff members of St. Vincent to purchase items from our suppliers at any given time.
“15% of the time, different price are paid for the same product, 12% overpayments are made on
costly PPI items. 24% of supply chain staff time is spent on fixing errors and 8.7% of nurses’
time is spent on searching for supplies” (40). By using the VIM system time and cost expenses
are greatly reduced. The VIM system exchanges information with an e-commerce marketplace,
an artificial intelligence engine that contains the industry data set. In this case, the marketplace is
our supplier. Since our suppliers are connected in the VIM system, we are able to repurchase
supplies when needed. The benefits of the VIM system include three factors: find, compare and
control (40). For people working in hospitals it is important that they can find what they need
quickly and easily. For the SCM team, it is important people select products from the pre-
selected manufacturers. This is critical for the management of cost and quality.
Along with the Virtual Item Master, the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system will
be used in the hospital. This is the “item master” software that keeps track of who is supplying,
what products are being supplied, what the product number and description is, how much it costs
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67. and how much inventory is on hand. Once the strategic sourcing team decides the specific
manufacturers and suppliers they prepare contracts with them for a specific number and payment
of inventory for the hospital. They are then entered into bother the ERP and VIM system. In
order to track the inventory throughout the hospital, barcodes will be used on the products. When
a barcode is scanned or the item number is searched the system will automatically bring up the
data of the specific inventory. The use
of ERP and VIM systems will
provide St. Vincent with an efficient
system of tracking inventory to avoid
overstocking and under stocking,
therefore reducing the costs (43).
This system creates a closer relationship with the suppliers. By being constantly
connected with the suppliers St. Vincent will have a competitive advantage in the medical field
because the system reduces the number of suppliers needed per hospital department. A good
relationship with suppliers creates an atmosphere with similar values and technological
similarities.
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68. Figure 29: (Suppliers per Department)
!
The supplies of St. Vincent will work with the hospital through the VIM and ERP system
to supply the best quality products. The supplier of the emergency department is Owens&Minor
is a head distributor of medical and surgical supplies. Owens&Minor will supply emergency
room and operation room equipment. Owens&Minor was selected to supply for our emergency
and operations inventory because they are a very reliable and high quality distributor. On their
website at www.owens-minor.com they state: “We have established a great reputation for
providing superior, world-class service and continually strive to exceed our customers’
expectations.” For the detailed list of the inventory they are supplying, see emergency and
operation room equipment list in appendix. The Physical Sports therapy and Recovery
department will get the equipment from ProMed Xpress. ProMed Xpress is a supplier that has
been providing physical therapy equipment supplies for almost 20 years. They strive to deliver
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69. high quality and competitively priced products to the hospital in a timely manner. Supplier for
computer software and Pyxis system will be Oracle and Care Fusion. Oracle is a highly
committed company using their resources to increase opportunity, protect the environment,
advance education and enrich community life. CareFusion is a medical technology corporation
that specializes in reducing medication errors and prevention of healthcare-associated infections.
Computer supplier is Dell. Dell is a very high functional computer supplier. They strive to create
a company based off of corporate responsibility and create the best service for their customers.
Herman Miller will supply the office furniture. Herman Miller provides a wide variety of
healthcare furniture and focuses their efforts on ensuring reliability. Sysco is the food supplier
while Food Service Resources will supply items such as trays, non-food items, mugs and storage.
Sysco Company strives to obtain and build on customer relationships in order to provide a
valued service. BH Medwear will supply clothing/laundry inventory such as the gowns, linens,
sheets, pillowcases, scrubs and socks. “HBmedware.com is the number 1 leader in high quality
healthcare and medical apparel” (www.HBmdewar.com). Lastly, Diversey Care will supply the
cleaning and laundry supplies. They are a company that is committed to a cleaner, healthier
future in healthcare organizations.
Receiving and Storing Process: With the use of the VIM and ERP system, the inventory
will be delivered to the hospitals address. The system will be able to alert the staff if low
quantities of certain items occur therefore instantly contacting the supplier to replace the item in
order to avoid under stocking and shortages. Since St. Vincent is located in a small town in the
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70. mountains, it is important that the hospital has a good amount of storage so more inventory can
be ordered and stored in case of an emergency. It might take more time for the inventory to get to
the hospital because of the location but we expect our inventory to arrive 24-72 hours of
ordering. That way our inventory will never reach zero.
Once the inventory has arrived, barcodes will be placed on the items and placed into the
VIM system. In order to create an efficient storing system with low error St. Vincent will use the
Pyxis inventory management systems to automate the center's logistics. Pyxis is a technology
dispersed throughout the hospital that combines automated, computer-linked inventory cabinets
and remote open-shelf technology in order to track the use, reorder, and issue of medical and
surgical supplies at the point of use (44). "The cabinets hold and manage the inventory. When
clinicians need a product, they access the system, identify the patient, select the item and
quantity, and remove the product. The Pyxis system keeps track of inventory and, when a
quantity on hand gets low, the system automatically reorders it when an extract is run" (44).
When cabinets become low they are replenished from the hospital stock room. The cabinets can
also send a signal to the VIM system to report a shortage of a certain item. This system reduces
the time cost of restocking by hand and the supplies are always being restocked so nurses and
physicians have supplies where and when they need them which improves patient care (44).
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71. IX. Human Resources Staffing Plan and Cost Analysis
1. Number and Type of Personnel Required by Shift and Time of Year
a. Service Providers
Personnel by Department, Job Title, Job Description
Figure 30:
Emergency/Operating
Room
Job Description Number of
Personnel to
be hired
Paramedics The paramedics of our hospital are going to be
responsible for providing immediate response to any
emergency 911 calls. They are the first healthcare
professionals to be on the scene and will need to asses
the conditions of the patients and provide treatment prior
to hospital admission (45).
16
MDs (Doctor of
Medicine)
Responsible for examining, diagnosing, and treating any
patient that may be referred to the hospital. They may be
required to refer patients to other doctors and/or
hospitals.
3
Nurses Must provide general care services for patients that have
been admitted to the hospital. They should be focusing
on the needs of the patient rather than the actual illness or
injury. They will often be the main point of contact for
patients during their visits. May also be responsible for
educating patients on good-health and wellness.
8
Physician Assistants Contributes to the effectiveness of the physician by
identifying long and short-term patient care issues. Often
determines the patient’s health status by conducting
interviews and examinations (46).
4
Radiologists The focus for a radiologist is medical imaging. They are
responsible for interpreting the results that come from an
X-Ray. They will never provide treatment, however they
work very closely with the surgeons and other doctors to
help determine a course of action (47).
3
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72.
Radiologist Technician The radiologist technician is the one who will be taking
the actual X-rays. They will then pass their results onto
the radiologist (47).
3
Surgeons Surgeons operate on patients to treat injuries, such as
broken bones; diseases, such as cancerous tumors; and
deformities, such as cleft palate. They are responsible for
ensuring the patient’s complete safety during any kind of
operation (48).
4
Pediatricians Pediatricians are responsible for the health of infants,
children, and teenagers. They specialize in the diagnosis
and treatment of young people (49).
2
Anesthesiologist The anesthesiologist will work very closely with the
surgeons. They will determine the dosage and type of
anesthesia that each patient will need when going into the
operating room. They should remain in the room for
procedures to be sure that the condition of the patient is
always good. Most importantly, they should make the
patient feel as comfortable as possible; educating them
on the anesthesia that will be given to them.
4
Cardiologist The cardiologist deals with treating and diagnosing
injuries and diseases of the heart (50).
4
Physical Sports
Therapy and
Recovery
Job Description Number of
Personnel to
be hired
Sports Physical
Therapist
Sports therapists give advice to sport and exercise participants
on how to train and compete safely, as well as treat injuries and
assist with rehabilitation (51).
4
Orthopedic PT Orthopedic physical therapists diagnose, manage, and treat
disorders and injuries of the musculoskeletal system as well as
rehabilitate patients after orthopedic surgery. They are trained in
the treatment of postoperative joints, acute sports injuries,
arthritis, and many other musculoskeletal system disorders.
1
Geriatric PT Geriatric physical therapists help elderly patients achieve or
maintain high levels of physical health as they age by focusing
on ailments like arthritis, osteoporosis, and joint soreness. They
evaluate each patient and design a custom activity and exercise
plan that will allow the patient to remain as physically fit and
active as possible (52).
1
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73. Personnel Shifts by Time of Year, Day, and Time: January - April
Figure 31:
Neurological PT Neurological physical therapists focus on working with
individuals who have a neurological disorder or disease; these
therapists work with patients to improve these areas of
dysfunction. These disorders or diseases include but are not
limited to brain injury, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, spinal
cord injury, and stroke; they can lead to multiple physical
problems such paralysis, vision impairment, poor balance,
inability to ambulate, and loss of functional independence.
1
Pediatric PT Pediatric physical therapists are physical therapists that
specialize in treating and caring for patients who are toddlers,
babies, children, teenagers and young adults. They treat
conditions related to genetic, neurological and orthopedic
disorders (53).
1
Sun. Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Sat.
Paramedics
Shift One 12:00am
-
12:00pm
12:00am
-
12:00pm
12:00am
-
12:00pm
12:00am
-
12:00pm
12:00am
-
12:00pm
12:00
am -
12:00
pm
12:00am
-
12:00pm
# of personnel 7 7 8 7 7 7 8
Shift Two 12:00pm
-
12:00am
12:00pm
-
12:00am
12:00pm
-
12:00am
12:00pm
-
12:00am
12:00pm
-
12:00am
12:00pm
-
12:00am
12:00pm
-
12:00am
# of personnel 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
MD
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