UAB Synopsis, Vol. 24, No. 18, May 16, 2005
The UAB Health System (UABHS) has instituted an organizational strategy to address fundamental goals that permeate the enterprise's operations. These include development and refinement of a care delivery model, providing quality care efficiently, analysis and improvement of the supply chain process, and exploration and refinement of medical record documentation and coding practices. The organizational strategy is focused on 29 strategic initiatives linked to viability within the major domains of supplies, labor, and volume.
Each initiative has an identified sponsor who leads a cross-functional team and ensures all aspects of the project are documented in E4IS, the Web-based application endorsed by UABHS for documentation, tracking, and reporting.
Project teams meet regularly to evaluate effectiveness, eliminate barriers to progress, and devise action plans to sustain successes. Project sponsors communicate results of the team's efforts each week to the UABHS Executive Steering Team, which oversees direction of the initiatives and ensures alignment with core organizational goals.
The strategic initiatives approach perpetuates the momentum toward understanding, communicating, and meeting the entire organization's primary needs. By capitalizing on organizational synergies identified within and among the initiatives, UABHS can maximize operational efficiencies and streamline shared processes. Each initiative is essential to the attainment of the Health System's mission and ongoing commitment to enhance the quality of care provided at UAB.
Selected Initiatives
Labor
Care Delivery Model (sponsors, Cynthia Barginere & Marilyn Henry)
Compensation and Benefits (Reba Belcher)
Workforce Development and Satisfaction (Hans Donkersloot)
Nursing Productivity (Cynthia Barginere)
Supplies
Supply Chain (Robert Cofield)
Surgery Cost Opportunities
Pharmacy Cost Opportunities (Mark Todd, PharmD)
Diagnostic and Invasive Cardiology Cost Opportunities (Marilyn Henry)
Volume
Ambulatory Visit Management
(Reid Jones, Mary Beth Briscoe, Nancy Dunlap, MD, PhD)
Bed Planning (Arpan Limdi)
Coding and Documentation (Joan Hicks)
Revenue Cycle/Patient Progression
(Robert Cofield)
Women and Infants Facility
All Others
Transplant Management Group
Outpatient Surgery at The Kirklin Clinic®
PIN Replacement (Cynthia Barginere, Michael Waldrum, MD)
During the next months, Synopsis will highlight two initiatives per issue, detailing the goals and progress of each.