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Automating Infrastructure for Healthcare Organizations

by Thomas R. Cutler   |   March, 2010

Manufacturing Insights

The number one imperative of Healthcare providers is finding ways to reduce costs. Using solid and stable technology to improve business operations is the number one priority of Healthcare Software Vendors.

Providing the tools and infrastructure healthcare organizations need to transform the way information is recorded, tracked, and the method in which critical business information is accessed is critical to cost containment. According to Jeff Pyden, Managing Director with OmniVue, “Few solutions provide an ideal choice for integrated healthcare delivery systems that need to find a more cost-effective way to standardize and exchange financial information between their entities. The key to lowering costs is to streamline processes, eliminate inefficiency, increase productivity, and improve decision-making.”

Few consultative organizations have the extensive experience in assisting organizations faced with the complexities of healthcare administration and process automation. Teams of healthcare industry specialists, CPA’s, and technologists must have the capacity to assist in getting the most from the information most needed to be highly effective.

A holistic approach

A holistic approach to examining company goals from business logic, to strategy alignment, to associated regulations, and ultimately to automation and execution is unique for hospitals, clinics, labs, distributors, and manufacturers in the healthcare field. Because healthcare providers range in size and scope customer management software solutions must allow for scalability, ease of use, with reduced risk and lower total cost of ownership.

Pyden discussed his firm’s unique proprietary and branded proposition, known as its Business Agility Audit or Business Agiletics Assessment. Done as a dynamic interactive conversation, OmniVue’s Agility Audit is a structured, analytical assessment that highlights its clients’ core ability to respond organically to shifting market and business dynamics. According to Pyden, “The objective is to reveal where constraints weaken proactive decision management; to enable synchronous decision-making nearest the points of required action – all augmented by operationally aligned, customized, and transformative software. For operational leaders who recognize that changing core business processes can transform their company’s potential, the purpose of this program is to accelerate growth comfortably and profitably by configuring software as capabilities, particularly as it relates to effective automation within the healthcare arena.”

Finding the Backbone to Automate a Healthcare Practice

Mountain Neurosurgical & Spine Center in Asheville, N.C. treats disorders of the spine, brain and peripheral nerves. The specialty medical practice was experiencing significant pain in the backbone of its own business -- its financial and accounting systems.

“The system we were using wasn’t able to keep up with the growth and expansion of the organization as a whole," noted Kevin Fleming, director of finance and administrative services for Mountain Neurosurgical. "We wanted a solution that would transform our older system of financial analysis into a true tool that benefits the functions of the practice."

Pyden noted that, "Growing organizations like Mountain Neurosurgical need business management solutions built to adapt to their needs, today and down the road."

In approximately six weeks, the hosting accounting system was implemented and running. “This system in its first weeks has had a profound impact," urged Fleming. “Our accounts payable person has been able to take on a tremendous amount of additional work with no additional time added to her week. We are experiencing an amazing increase in efficiency.”

Hospital Automation Derives Productivity Gains

Regency Hospital Company is headquartered in Alpharetta, GA, and operates a network of nineteen long-term acute care hospitals across the country. After a period of rapid growth, Regency had effective means of consolidating information across its system.

“Regency is enjoying substantial gains in productivity. Financial reporting is faster and better and the new system provides Regency with more detailed information, enabling directors to manage the business more effectively,” Pyden commented.

Micah Laughlin, VP of Information Technology for Regency Hospital recognized, “The ability to implement quickly with best practices with a reasonable amount of effort and in our time frame was a primary consideration.”

Laughlin also noted that Regency is adding processes and controls to its system to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley requirements, and “These tools are enabling us to get there with the minimum of extra overhead. They allow us to get to information more quickly, especially from an audit perspective. The biggest impact is how operating out of a single database has brought the business functions of our departments together…we no longer operate in silos.”

Pyden suggested, “Regency will be able to communicate information to its staff more quickly. Moreover, the system’s familiar, intuitive interface will reduce the need for custom reports for end-users by putting information at their fingertips.”

Helping healthcare providers achieve collaborative health processes is a simple issue of effectively automating and utilizing a fully integrated and highly extensible financial and business management solution. Healthcare organizations often neglect automating these systems.

Thomas R. Cutler is the President & CEO of Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based, TR Cutler, Inc, (www.trcutlerinc.com). Cutler is the founder of the Manufacturing Media Consortium of three thousand five hundred journalists and editors writing about trends in manufacturing. Cutler is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, Online News Association, American Society of Business Publication Editors, Committee of Concerned Journalists, as well as author of more than 300 feature articles annually regarding the manufacturing sector. Cutler is also the developer of lean technology C.E.O (Continuous Experiential Optimization). Cutler can be contacted at trcutler@trcutlerinc.com. See More Details.

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