The Blog

The evolution of healthcare continues and now it’s patient transportation that is being given a spin! With the introduction of Uber Health and Lyft for Healthcare, hospitals are using available technology to change both the ride as well as the destination. These services offer many benefits and present forward-thinking care delivery concepts that are being adopted across the industry. However, there are still the naysayers out there who continue to push back against the non-traditional.

With personnel expense making up more than half of the total operating expense of most hospitals and health systems, understanding how many FTEs your organization actually needs to run efficiently is a priority. A Full-Time Equivalent, or FTE, is the sum of all worked or paid hours divided by the total hours in a pay period. For most organizations, that’s 80 hours per pay or 2080 hours per year.

Fall is a season of change; changing leaves, changing temperatures, and lately the change of all regular-flavored food/drinks to some variation of pumpkin! As we enjoy the beautiful foliage or our first pumpkin-spice latte, we should think about the importance of another type of change: change management. The healthcare industry is constantly undergoing significant change due to shifts in reimbursements and compliance requirements. In addition, the shortage of skilled workers and low unemployment rates are driving personnel costs higher.

Successful budgets should not just exist in a galaxy far, far away or once upon a time! Budget numbers are only meaningful if they can be achieved and maintained. As organizations draft and finalize the budgets for the 2019 fiscal year, it is important that the focus not just be on fixed, annual numbers, but on flexible, volume-based staffing goals as well. This will ensure alignment with performance improvement strategies and real-time control over labor costs.

Mediocrity is never a goal. No one ever aspires to be ordinary nor does any business strive to be average. Yet it is often the case as it becomes harder and harder to stand out and separate oneself from the ever-growing pack.

In today’s environment, it is safe to say that the majority of people would agree that personal health and fitness are key elements to living a long and happy life. However, for a large portion of the population, clean-eating and frequent exercise are not part of their current routine. In an effort to “battle the bulge” and get healthier, people turn to fad diets or quick fixes for immediate gratification.

What does “Best Practice” mean in the healthcare environment? Just as in any other field, “Best Practice” is the commitment to using all the knowledge, processes, data and technology at one’s disposal to ensure success. However, let’s take that one step further and note that this success must be realized in the most efficient manner possible in order to make a difference to your organization’s bottom line. Controlling costs through the proper utilization of resources and minimization of waste are ways that hospitals and health systems are achieving “Best Practice” status.