Tasked with delivering the highest-quality and most technologically advanced care in the face of increased cost pressures requires rigorous efficiency in the daily operations of the organization. In value-based, outcome-driven healthcare systems, where reimbursements are not increasing but the complexity of patients’ diseases and the resources needed to treat them are, efficiency is vitally important for hospitals.
“Normally we don’t see a patient until they have a problem, and normally patients don’t seek out care in a preventative way,” says Ms. Melvin. “From a clinical standpoint, we need to know what resources we need to treat those patients at the stage of cardiovascular disease they have when they arrive at our facility. Being able to provide that care in a cost-effective way can be a challenge when the patients are very sick and are very complicated.”
Part of the COO’s role is focusing on the day-to-day operations of the organization – increasing productivity and efficiency and managing logistics. For the Institute, it begins with identifying how resources are being used and how time is being managed. The inventory that is part of a minimally invasive cardiac procedure is rich with data that can inform key clinical and business decisions. Turning that data into meaningful insights is part of Ms. Melvin’s job.
“It’s really necessary, for a very strong team approach among staff, physicians and leadership, to determine how we can manage our costs but still provide outstanding quality care and provide the best outcomes,” she adds.