Experienced leaders know the turnaround time for hiring and orienting staff creates a greater vacancy burden than is typically seen on paper. When staff are unavailable to work, we rely on premium labor such as overtime or travelers to care for our patients, which can adversely impact our culture, outcomes, and hospital finances.
Hiring ahead is a strategy that allows us to quantify the true vacancy burden and hire the perfect number of FTEs and reduce avoidable premium pay.
Read MoreProductivity targets help hospitals balance resource requirements with financial goals by budgeting specific hours for the workload in each department. The process of setting productivity targets can present a challenge to both nursing and finance leaders as they work together to identify the ideal goal. By using zero based staffing models, industry leaders ensure that the right staff are in the right place at the right time.
Read MoreTop performing hospital leaders are always searching for innovative ways to reduce the cost of healthcare without adversely impacting care and services provided. Labor spend constitutes over half of total hospital expenses and is widely considered the most controllable expense. Daily productivity management can help hospitals reduce expenses without having to furlough or lay off staff members. A successful strategy includes two primary components: increased performance visibility through daily reporting and managing improvement through department action plans to remedy missed targets.
Read MoreHospitals across the country are faced with daily bed management challenges. With ED admissions typically peaking between 3:00pm to 7:00pm, PACU admissions between 12:00pm to 4:00pm, and inpatient discharges between 6:00pm to 8:00pm, it is easy to see why capacity challenges exist. Now, more than ever, capacity management requires thoughtful consideration to maximize appropriate utilization of beds, staff, and services. CCC team member, Susie Law shares key tactics for maximizing hospital capacity in this article.
Read MoreRevenue degradation experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting hospital finances across the country. Suspension of elective surgeries and procedures threatens the viability of many healthcare organizations. After decades of experience in the for-profit sector, our team has summarized some of the top impact expense management strategies. Continue reading for a high level view and check out our article for more details.
Read MoreExtended wait times, driven by throughput challenges, cause patients to leave the Emergency Room without being seen. Efficiency requires coordination among many departments and team members. Each department plays a vital role in ER throughput, contributing to patient experience. From lab and imaging results, to patient registration, to EVS room turnaround time, there are many components which impact department efficiency. Routine reviews of department metrics are necessary to identify throughput pain points that impact both patient and staff satisfaction.
Read MoreStaffing grids are planning tools that assign the appropriate amount of staff to care for the number of patients on the unit. Effective staffing grids support care guidelines and productivity by integrating with budget, hiring plans, and scheduling systems. Annual approval by the CFO and CNO is important, as the types of patients cared for on the unit can vary over time.
Read MoreAcross the country, Emergency Departments are actively working to manage both revenue and cost by reducing patients who leave without being seen, managing labor spend, and improving core measure performance. Aligning staff with volume by hour of day is challenging, but necessary to address these critical issues.
Read MoreMany organizations struggle to staff to monthly workload fluctuations. Flexing up and down is hard work, but proven strategies exist to proactively plan for changing workload to optimize labor spend. In Healthcare Business Today, Cara discusses high level strategies for seasonal staffing.
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