The Blog

Healthcare is a difficult industry. There are a LOT of emotions associated with each experience, from the high highs of saving a life to the low lows of losing one. Healthcare professionals, especially doctors, nurses, and other direct care staff, are not only entrusted with safeguarding the physical health of the patient but their feelings as well.

Summer is ending, and school is back in session. The age-old routine of alarm clocks and homework is in full swing once more. However, for working adults, does learning ever really stop? There is no break from the day to day responsibilities surrounding one’s career, especially for those professionals in the ever-changing healthcare industry.

Productivity is a concept that has long been feared, like a dark shadow or something that goes bump in the night, and it is still a source of anxiety for many healthcare professionals. For most, their experience, or the tales of others’ experiences, with productivity have left them scarred. The popular Netflix show Stranger Things, set in the 1980's, is purposefully dated to elicit feelings of nostalgia among viewers and balance the suspense of its supernatural-thriller plot line.

The old adage “there is no I in TEAM” holds true in how healthcare should be delivered. While it seems like a pretty elementary concept, it is amazing how so many organizations allow for siloed operations to take root. Given the complexity of modern-day healthcare, it is necessary for a collaborative approach: the sharing of knowledge, talents, and resources to provide patients with a great experience and positive outcome.

Any healthcare consultant that focuses on productivity will tell you the unfortunate look received when sharing that your job is to improve performance. There is the obligatory head nod paired with the uncomfortable question “so, you fire people?” At that very instant, your body tenses, and you feel the need to defend the work that you do and the value that increased efficiency brings to hospitals and health systems. But why do we fear the word productivity and/or the reaction to it? Historically speaking, productivity was synonymously linked to a reduction in force, otherwise known as a layoff.

The value of great customer service transcends industries from retail to foodservice and everything in between. Most organizations rely heavily on reputation to drive revenue. Effective public interactions, media exposure, marketing strategies, and word-of-mouth communication are barometers from which customer satisfaction can be measured for any business.

When it comes to their health, the general public tends to put a great deal of trust in their local hospitals, doctors, surgeons, and medical staff. Why shouldn’t they? After all, they are highly educated, well-trained professionals that have gone through many years of schooling and hands-on experience to hone their unique set of skills. Hospitals and health systems worldwide are saving more lives than it was ever thought possible.

According to a recent study, the typical Emergency Department processes 64% of their daily volume from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.