Over the years MasterThink has provided service to clients in many areas of the healthcare industry: hospitals, clinics, family physicians, specialty physicians, and surgeons.

The healthcare industry is moving at warp speed. It is one of the most rapidly changing and most challenging types of client that we work with. Doctors and hospitals are under increasing government regulation and scrutiny. Because lives are at stake, nothing can be taken for granted, so making sure that everyone is operating at peak efficiency is vital. Careful tracking is a must. Precision is crucial.

Individual physician practices bring a number of issues to the consulting table. Patients’ expectations are high; they demand not only miraculous outcomes, but the perfect bedside manner, so MasterThink works to optimize the entire physician’s practice to provide the best patient experience possible while increasing staff productivity and efficiency.

Case Study

Challenge

One of the clients that we served for several years was a regional hospital that was owned by a large, publicly held corporation. The key challenge was to align everyone in the hospital, not only to its own goals and strategies, but to those handed down from corporate headquarters as well.

Hospitals are unique. Each department is like its own little city, with unique functions and outcomes, yet these distinctive departments must be synchronized under the umbrella of the whole. One problem MasterThink faced was how to optimize each of these individual departments to their highest function, while at the same time integrating their efforts for the benefit of the entire hospital.

Another major challenge we faced was how to improve the reputation of this hospital. Both patient and physician dissatisfaction with the quality of service and the overall operations had become a problem, and as a result, patients were choosing other facilities for their health-care needs.

There was a solid leadership team already in place, but they needed serious help in implementing best practices and holding people accountable to execute the desired results.

Solution

MasterThink’s first step was to conduct a thorough strategic analysis with the CEO and his leadership team. We identified both the general and the specific initiatives needed to improve overall performance.

From this strategic analysis, we developed a long-range strategic plan and then developed an annual plan for the entire hospital and for each individual department.

We measured performance, both financial and non-financial, through a well-designed dashboard for the hospital as a whole, and for the individual departments.

We then executed the plan with an accountability system to keep everyone focused—daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly. At the end of each quarter, we gathered all of the department heads for a celebration of successes, and to unify and focus everyone for the next quarter.

To strengthen the hospital’s reputation, we established special teams compromised of physicians, hospital leadership, and hospital employees to work on service delivery, patient satisfaction, and quality improvement throughout the hospital.

Impact

As a result of MasterThink’s intervention and direction, the hospital regained its standing as a top quality hospital. Statistics showed improved patient and physician engagement and satisfaction, and improved service delivery. Department heads were empowered to do their jobs even better. Revenue and profitability increased. Because of his outstanding leadership, the CEO was promoted to head a hospital in another state that needed the same kind of attention he had given to this facility.