Performance Management Through Benchmarking Simulation - Essay Example

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT THROUGH BENCHMARKING SIMULATION ROOT CAUSE Which root cause did you identify as the problem behind the rising nosocomialinfection rates at LHAC Why Upon understanding the situation and considering all the issues involved, I decided that Inefficient Equipment Management is the root cause of the steady increase of nosocomial infection rates at LHAC. I first looked into About LHAC and LHAC Report to check on the company profile and facts and to get a view on the situation concerning nosocomial infection trend, nursing records and equipment records. Afterwards, I read the opinions of the senior management staff. Nosocomial infections develop primarily from use of contaminated equipment. At LHAC, the primary nurses are the ones responsible in handling equipments. The Senior Surgeon believed that better staff management is needed. The Nursing Administrator reasoned out that there is unavailability of equipment at the floor where the patients are being treated. She said that nurses spend most of their time looking for equipment on other floors that's why patient care is affected. Because work was getting delayed, nurses are not able to check anymore if the equipments are sanitized. Sometimes improperly cleaned equipment was used. The Materials Manager suggested purchasing enough equipment to be made available for each floor. But according to the Chief Financial Officer, Lenity annually spends much to ensure sufficient equipment and he guaranteed that there is enough for hospital requirements. He advised that nurses should instead be more careful about equipment handling. I favored the assessment of Chief Financial Officer Eric Danemar concerning proper handling of equipment. That will certainly diminish the risk of nosocomial infection. I didn't think that there is a staff or equipment shortage. The dillema of the heightening nosocomial infection rate can be resolved by efficient equipment management. I also took note of the fact that the simulation concentrates on the management of medical equipment. 2. What was the outcome Chief Operating Officer Ian Watts said that I have correctly identified the problem area and commended my decision. 3. What would you do differently next time Although I correctly identified the root cause behind the rising nosocomial infection, upon fully understanding the details from Ian Watt's explanation, I noted that I must meticulously look on the reports to guarantee decision accuracy. ESTABLISH AIRWAY 1. Which two recommendations did you make to improve the equipment management process at LHAC Why Basing my decision on available information and advice of the staff, I decided that Nurses to Return Equipment and Equipment to be Terminal Cleaned as the best mix of processes to improve the medical management system. The combination of these two options earned the highest percentage in the JCAHO Compliance Index. With a budget constraint of $300,000, I instantly rejected the use of disposable equipment from the improvement options. Although disposable equipment is cheaper and more hygienic than reusable ones, its implementation cost is the most expensive among the process improvement options. On the other hand, concerning appropriate metrics to measure the new processes, the three metrics I selected are Total Cost of Managing Equipment, Utilization versus Cleaning Log Ratio, and Equipment Incidents Resolved. This decision was based on my understanding on the Evaluating Metrics. 2. What was the outcome Mr. Watts said that I have done well by recommending the best strategy. Re-designating some of the existing hospital personnel as Inventory Clerk was definitely a great way to ensure effective equipment management at LHAC. Suggesting terminal cleaning of equipment was also a good option. I have recommended the optimal mix of process improvement options. The Chief Operating Officer was happy with my performance in this area. The new equipment management process at LHAC has been a success. Centralized inventory has solved the problem of tracking terminal cleaning, eased the work pressure on nurses, and reduced costs. However, two of the three metrics I have chosen were judged to be wrong. 3. What would you do differently next time I would have pondered more on the Evaluation Metrics to ensure accurate choices. It was indeed a disappointment. PROCESS IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES 1. Which process improvement strategy did you select Why The best benchmarking partner I chose was Rose and Ruth General Hospital. Agreeing to the rate I have given the four hospitals based on their profiles, Rose and Ruth General Hospital possesses the most similar process to that of Lenity. Among the four, Rose and Ruth excelled in all rating parameters. The best process improvement strategy I selected was Reduce Equipment Inventory. From the figures and comparison shown between Lenity and Rose and Ruth, I assessed that reducing equipment inventory will improve the existing process at LHAC. 2. What was the outcome Rose and Ruth General Hospital is the ideal organization to compare Lenity's processes with. It is the best partner as identified by Ian Watts. My recommendation on reducing equipment inventory is definitely the best process improvement strategy to improve the existing process at LHAC. 3. What would you do differently next time SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 1. What did you learn from doing this sim How would you apply what you learned to your current or future job The assignment was certainly a difficult task. At first glance, it seemed very easy. But as I began to play the simulation, I realized that it requires a great sense of responsibility and it involves careful planning and necessary analysis. It was very important to be serious about the program and to really put myself to act the role. I view the simulation as a challenging test in executive decision making that will later be advantageous not only in my chosen profession but in life in general as well. I carefully read and made sure I understood the instructions of the program. It was very essential to consider all the facts along with the recommendations and suggestions of my superiors which would mainly be the basis of my decisions. It was very important to act in accordance with the current goals of LHAC which is to achieve improvements on quality processes that are directly related to patient care and to better the reputation of the hospital and enhance its image in the community. As a Quality Consultant who joined the LHAC just six months ago, I had to be careful in all my moves. Ian Watts was always counting on my decisions. Considered a junior in the team, I saw to it that I always regarded the advice of the senior management staff. Considering their opinions played a great role in my decisions. After all, they have been in Lenity for more that ten years. It was also necessary to understand the current condition of the hospital so I made sure that I have read and understood all the information that the simulation offers. The simulation required much analysis especially that it involves figures and requires some computations. I felt very much elated every time I got commended upon making a good decision but I also underwent disappointments when some of my decisions were assessed as not good or wrond. I know that I could have done better if I had been more careful in my planning and meticulous about my choices. The positive thing is that the simulation provided the explanation for its assessment on my performance. I have acquired useful information and knowledge concerning health care facilities. It is my personal aspiration to offer my services to care for patients and work in an environment whose staff work hard as a team. The simulation was very helpful in providing a factual perspective in that field. I realized that I must possess many qualities and go through a lot of experiences that are necessary to be able to perform my best in my chosen endeavor. I learned a lot about responsible decision making and the implications of my decisions in a hospital such as Lenity Hospital for Advanced Care.. Generally, the simulation is very challenging and truly a quite a learning experience. Read More