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Case Study: Implementing a Capacity Management Information System
Doctors’ Hospital is a 162-bed, acute care facility located in a small city in the southeastern United States. The organization had a major financial upheaval six years ago that resulted in the establishment of a new governing structure. The new governing body consists of an eleven-member authority board. The senior management of Doctors’ Hospital includes the CEO, three senior vice presidents, and one vice president. During the restructuring, the CIO was changed from a full-time staff position to a part-time contract position. The CIO spends two days every two weeks at Doctors’ Hospital.
Doctors’ Hospital is currently in Phase 1 of a three-phase construction project. In Phase 2 the hospital will build a new emergency department (ED) and surgical pavilion, which are scheduled to be completed in eleven months.
Information Systems Challenge
The current ED and outpatient surgery department have experienced tremendous growth in the past several years. ED visits have increased by 50 percent, and similar increases have been seen in outpatient surgery. Management has identified that inefficient patient flow processes, particularly patient transfers and discharges, have resulted in backlogs in the ED and outpatient areas. The new construction will only exacerbate the current problem.
Nearly a year ago Doctors’ Hospital made a commitment to purchase a capacity management software suite to reduce the inefficiencies that have been identified in patient flow processes. The original timeline was to have the new system pilot-tested prior to the opening of the new ED and surgical pavilion. However, with the competing priorities its members face as they deal with major construction, the original project steering committee has stalled. At its last meeting nearly six months ago, the steering committee identified the vendor and product suite. Budgets and timelines for implementation were proposed but not finalized. No other steps have been taken.
Discussion Questions
1- Do you think the absence of a full-time CIO has had an impact on this acquisition project? Why or why not?
2-What steps should the CIO take to ensure that the capacity management system will be purchased and implemented? What do you see as the critical first step in this process? Why?
3- Discuss who you think should serve on the project steering committee. Who should serve as chair? Why?
4- At this point, what do you think is a realistic time frame for implementation of the capacity management system? What steps can be taken to ensure the new timeline is met despite competing priorities