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The majority of recent healthcare reform focus has been on cost, access and quality. Part of the cost aspect that has not been critiqued by anyone in the recent past is the certificate of need (CON) process. A certificate of need is an approval by a state that allows a healthcare project to be built. Originally a federal […]
June 27, 2011
If the idea of integrated design and construction procurement still has a funny ring to it, I can sympathize with the position: “I want the benefits and truth in black and white”. Let’s take a look inside the concept from the approach of a consultant. Pulling excerpts from Production and Operations Analysis, Fifth Edition by Steven Nahmias, a […]
June 24, 2011
Question: why all this fuss about lean in healthcare? Answer: there are three current industry preoccupations providing lean with interest and momentum. Healthcare Reform. The genesis of healthcare reform law is waste. On some level, the federal government believes 1/3 of all current patient care dollars spent are excess—duplication, unnecessary procedures, inefficient processes. Lean processes can fix this. ‘Do More with […]
June 22, 2011
Earlier this year, Kaiser Permanente put out a challenge to all healthcare designers: find a way to design a better small hospital model. KP was looking for creative solutions to increase quality and facilitate better outcomes through new technologies and patient-centered design research. Last week the three finalists were chosen: Mazzetti Nash Lipsey Burch, Aditazz, […]
June 20, 2011
Becker’s Hospital Review published a good summary of the evolution of non-profit hospital status by Steve Ronstrom, CEO of Hospital Sisters Health System, Western Wisconsin division. The article does a succinct job of differentiating non-profit and for-profit hospital management, and how each mission is different—in general, the trade of tax-free operation in exchange for offering care to […]
June 17, 2011
Commissioning is being pushed on hospitals a lot, and rightly so. It provides crucial data, knowledge, and adds rigor to the facilities management process to get the best performance out of your hospital, MOB or clinic. Commissioning is like voluntarily getting a health assessment done if nothing is wrong with you. You think, why do […]
June 15, 2011
Sometimes a good idea can be the wrong idea if addressed at the wrong scale. Modularity is a good example of this. Modularity, or the use of a repeatable piece or finite ‘kit of parts’ in the design and construction of something, has been discussed for decades as a possibility for major time and cost […]
June 29, 2011
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