Journal of healthcare resource management最新文献

As hospitals move more quickly toward managed care, the impact of industry changes is taking its toll. Networks and systems are rapidly being formed throughout the industry. One advantage of network formation is group purchasing and system-wide contract development. Bundling large volume contracts can produce lower prices for the individual hospitals. Now the challenge for individual hospitals is "where do we go from here?" In many cases, the "system" performs the contract function and the price of most product lines has already been reduced. This article looks at how Alta Bates Hospital in Berkley, CA, continues its efforts to reduce costs as an individual hospital within a larger system, using supply data base information.

Today's hospitals have invested a substantial portion of their capital budgets on the purchase of high-tech equipment--diagnostic imaging machinery, clinical laboratory apparatus, biomedical devices--and yet only half have developed strategies for taking care of that equipment as it ages. When do you replace it? When is it obsolete? How do you determine whether it is cost effective? Kenneth Halverson examines the steps to take to develop and implement a successful asset management program that will enable you to keep your high-tech equipment going.

In today's integrated healthcare environment, one component of financial management remains antiquated in many facilities--the budgeting process for capital equipment. Many institutions budget for capital equipment based upon individual departmental wish lists and hopeful dreams. These highly inefficient practices are being replaced with automated systems that create departmental data exchanges, utilization analyses, life-cycle cost justifications and enterprise-wide budget roll-ups. This article shows how automated capital budgeting systems help reduce capital spending by identifying utilization trends, providing for demand matching, and maintaining cost control data which enable the financial manager or asset steward to analyze and justify appropriate acquisitions.

When people complain about the escalating cost of health care, malpractice suits are often blamed. But the reality is that hospitals' biggest problem may lie in the storeroom, rather than the courtroom. According to a recent study, hospitals spend about $83 billion per year on supplies--$11 billion of which could be reduced through more efficient supply chain practices. In fact, one leading consultant was recently quoted as saying the supply chain may be the number one area where hospitals can reduce cost. While these statements may be ambitious, the sad truth is that the healthcare industry has been slower than others to adopt money-saving logistics practices like just-in-time (JIT) and continuous replenishment, as well as supporting technology like bar coding and radio frequency. As a result, it has been missing out on some significant cost advantages. This article takes a look at how St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City implemented a customized JIT inventory system, saving more than $3 million per year.

Historically, the healthcare industry has focused primarily on issues of quality. Today, cost is the primary concern of the public, politicians and healthcare providers. Healthcare providers are responding by questioning old assumptions about their roles in the industry. They are seeking new growth opportunities. Hospitals, for example, are taking on responsibilities once assumed by insurers and physicians. Healthcare providers also are developing strategies to consolidate resources, implement integrated information systems, and, in some cases, decentralize operations. This article uses examples from the experiences of the Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas to illustrate how healthcare systems are responding to the challenges of managed care by cutting costs while improving the quality of services.