Question

• Describe how project management concepts are included in health care facility design.
• What is the health care manager's role in assuring the successful completion and opening of the new facility?

Answer 1

Healthcare projects are some of the most complex buildings to plan and manage, demanding specialised knowledge and skills, and strong technical capability. The challenges facing healthcare providers include increasing competition between healthcare facilities, the rising expectations of patients for high standards of comfort and convenience, state-of-the-art medical technology and, above all, the financial pressures involved in building and operating healthcare facilities. Healthcare providers must also adhere to numerous, complex rules and regulations that set guidelines and expectations for quality, finance, hygiene, legal issues, staffing and overall care delivery.

Project Management Activities

Applying project management techniques can reduce the costs of providing healthcare and also manage the myriad aspects that concern the above-mentioned stakeholders. A project is designed to deliver the right output (patient care) at the right time (now) with appropriate expenditures (optimal use of insurance funds). A project management team must be able to grasp all the problems faced in a hospital or other healthcare facility.

Project management in healthcare involves the main elements common to all industries, such as human resources management, communications, marketing, accounts and finance, risk management, and staying on top of project scope. Healthcare managers must also be concerned with the quality of care and patient outcomes. They must stay current on credentialing and continuing education of professional staff such as doctors, nurses, and lab techs. Outreach into the community is often stipulated by government-awarded grants or contracts. These and other projects set forth by a healthcare facility’s administrative board must be addressed by the project management team. As the administration identifies this portfolio of elements, the project manager orchestrates maximum progress in each area so that the concerns of the stakeholders can always be answered.

Role of health care managers

The role of the health care manger is to ensure that the delivery of the health care system is inplace. First impressions are lasting impressions so, to ensure that there is a return of patients than the health manger should make sure that everything is going according to plan. They should make sure that tasks are delegated to the right individuals and that everyone is sure of his or her job descriptions. They should make sure that the patient flow is running according to plan. They should also check the phones, lighting, faxes and computers. They should makesure that the receptionist and other medical records and office staff are in their respective places. They should also check to make sure that all paperwork is in order according to the health department and license and inspections. Mangers should ensure that the facility is safe and all major systems are in place along with emergency contact information.

In offices of individual doctors or small practices, managers may be the only non-medical worker. In larger concerns, they often oversee clerical and other administrative staff. In such cases, they maintain responsibility for interviewing, hiring and sometimes firing these workers. Managers determine salaries, assign work schedules and train staff, ensuring that they work well with existing staff. They may promote employees to supervisory or department head positions. Managers need excellent leadership skills to motivate their employees as well as good interpersonal abilities. The roles of managers vary according to their titles and the functions of their facilities. Hospital administrators are in charge of admissions, staff and upkeep of medical centers, making sure that patients receive the necessary services. In large facilities, clinical managers focus on a specific department, such as surgery or nursing. They set goals and procedures for their areas of responsibility after consulting with other clinical managers and the chief administrator. Health information managers ensure that sensitive medical data is safeguarded from casual and unauthorized access.