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Home > Resources > eNews > Jan 2001 |
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The Managed Care Insider eNews Volume Three Number 1 January 2001 Welcome to The Managed Care Insider eNews. You are receiving this because you have subscribed; the eNews is never sent unsolicited. Subscribe/unsubscribe information can be found at the end of this eNews. The Managed Care Insider eNews is published, copyrighted, and owned by The Scheur Management Group, Inc. (SMG), http://www.scheur.com and is distributed monthly, free to subscribers. If you wish to forward this edition, you may do so only if the edition is forwarded in its entirety. No reproduction of any part of this publication is permitted without the express permission of the publishers. ---------------------------------------------------------------- This edition of The Managed Care Insider eNews focuses on performance improvement -- how well people do what they do, both internally and externally. No health plan, no healthcare organization can function optimally without people and no quality improvement focus can be achieved without a systematic approach to giving people the tools to do their best. The tools and approaches may vary, but the commitment to improving performance is steadfast and something we strongly believe must be achieved for any healthcare system or business to be successful. As always, we invite your comments to insider@scheur.com ---------------------------------------------------------------- Performance Improvement: An Organizational-wide Common Sense Approach By Lynne A. Wolff Healthcare in general, and managed care in particular, has been an ongoing target for consumer, provider and media dissatisfaction. Sometimes it appears the harder we try to better our industry, the further behind we fall. There is no easy answer to this dilemma, given the many variables and barriers currently in existence, but there is a back to basics approach that is highly effective. Call it what you will: PI, QI, QM, CQI, TQM or any other acronym, it really works! The word "quality" seems to have been reduced to nothing more than a sound bite that is universally over utilized within organizational processes as well as in advertising and sales promotions. Everyone talks about quality but very few actually have developed the environment or focus to achieve it. The term "performance improvement" is more preferable because it combines process and people to achieve measurable and objective performance goals and outcomes. It serves as the foundation upon which an organization is able to build and continuously improve. The brevity of this article precludes anything but an overview of the key elements in the implementation of an effective organizational performance improvement program. They are as follows: Step One. Define, communicate and believe in your company mission. All activities should be directed in the support of the fulfillment of the mission. Step Two. Hire only those people who have the right personal characteristics and professional competencies to consistently and effectively meet the requirements of the mission. Hiring should be based on objective criteria and processes. It doesn't work to hire someone for customer service who hates to talk to people on the phone and wouldn't recognize empathy if they tripped over it. Along with effective hiring and performance measurement and appraisal practices, there must be ongoing training and development designed to provide the knowledge, tools and resources to support optimal performance. Step Three. Perhaps the most challenging step. Establish the ongoing assessment and promotion of a positive environment. In so many instances, corporate America has ceased to recognize the value and contributions of their employees. There is no sense of loyalty from or to anyone and there is the belief that everyone is replaceable. How sad! If employees are unhappy with their jobs and employer, you can be assured customers are not getting the care and service they need and deserve. Effective human resources and performance improvement initiatives go a long way to creating and maintaining a healthy climate in which people are valued and therefore empowered to create value. Basic elements of a healthy work place climate are: supportive management, clarity of job roles and expectations, encouragement of individual contributions, recognition and appreciation of individual and organizational efforts, the freedom to ask questions and make suggestions, challenges to learn and grow, and, most importantly, collective harmony. Step Four. This is a critical step. Everyone in the organization must understand who their customers are, both internally (employees) and externally (those who receive our product or service), and what they expect and need. Any organization that does not make their customers their top priority will not enjoy long-term success. One's finger must always be on the pulse of customer satisfaction and immediate measures taken whenever problems are identified. Step Five. The focus of this article. Create a living, breathing, highly visible performance improvement program and mindset. In order to be effective, performance improvement must belong to everyone in the organization from the top down. It is not about empty words or paper compliance. It is about a dedication to quality and a constant striving for improvement. It is based on understanding the important aspects of the care and/or service provided and the objective measurement of performance in the meeting and exceeding of established goals and expectations. It is not about assigning blame or passing judgment but it is always about acknowledging problems and determining improvements. A successful performance improvement program is focused and structured as well as flexible enough to meet changing needs and requirements. It is based on effective communication that consistently travels up and down -- up to the executive staff and Board as well as down to the line employees. It employs a scientific approach through the collection, assessment and reporting of relevant data. It measures progress and recognizes patterns and trends. It consistently meets and endeavors to exceed regulatory and legislative requirements. It is understood by everyone in the organization and is embodied by the leaders and embraced by the employees. It should be dynamic, visible and, here's a revelation, fun. Essentially performance improvement is the fabric that holds an organization together and makes it whole. Step Six. The final step. Evaluate. Never stop checking what has been planned and done and always act on opportunities for improvement and change. Never accept second best and always focus on the customers. ---------------------------------------------------------------- About the author: Lynne A. Wolff's mission is to maximize performance, both for Scheur Management Group clients and for the health plans owned through SMG's new business initiative, Venture Health Partnership Group (VHPG). With 20 years of proven results in guiding quality and performance improvement for health care businesses and managed care plans, Ms. Wolff puts that know-how to work in identifying and implementing best practices across the board. Ms. Wolff conducts comprehensive evaluation of processes, policies and practices, from administration and operations to clinical services and staffing. In each case, the goal is to identify, document and implement best practices and to establish performance accountability standards that both meet regulatory requirements and assure organizational and financial effectiveness. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Sites and Sounds on the 'Net: SMG has no ownership of, nor does it endorse the following sites. This information is presented as a resource for subscribers. In keeping with this issue's focus on performance improvement, we present the following sites which cover this area. The International Society for Performance Improvement dedicates itself to improving individual and organizational performance. To find out more, go to http://www.ispi.org/ The American Society of Training and Development has developed a nationally approved Human Performance Improvement Certificate Program for professionals in training, human resources and organizational development who are responsible for improving human performance. Find out more at http://www.astd.org/ Performance Improvement Bookware Services (not endorsed by SMG) is at http://www.ebrainware.com/Zpelib-44b.htm ---------------------------------------------------------------- Speaking Engagements: March 8, 2001 Connecticut Assisted Living Association 6th annual Conference and Trade show Cromwell, CT Keynote presentation: "Achieving the Inspiration and Motivation to Excel in Today's World of Assisted Living" Speaker: Barry S. Scheur March 20, 2001 National Managed Health Care Congress / NMHCC Atlanta, GA Topic: "WEB-1: Investing in Web Technology to Improve the Future of Healthcare" Speaker: Barry S. Scheur http://www.nmhcc.org/events.html April 11, 2001 Orange County Employee Benefit Council Irvine, CA Topic: "Managed Care in the Maelstrom: Remedy for a Floundering Business" Speaker: Barry S. Scheur To inquire about speaking engagements for Barry S. Scheur or any SMG associate, please contact nbelle@scheur.com ---------------------------------------------------------------- End of PART ONE of ONE, The Managed Care Insider eNews, Volume Three, Number 1. Scheur Management Group (SMG) is one of the most experienced specialized healthcare operations management and business revitalization consulting firms in the country. Our expertise is in time-sensitive analyses, strategic business and market planning, operational re-engineering, and communications, as well as implementation of start-ups, expansions, and new products. The firm's clients cover the spectrum of insurers, managed care organizations, physician groups, integrated delivery systems, hospitals, employers, governmental entities, vendors, and other providers. Contributing to this edition is Lynne Wolff. Editing and Research by Judith Jaffe. Production Coordination by Nancy K. Belle. TO SUBSCRIBE: visit http://www.scheur.com/smghome.nsf/webcontent/ezine.html or send e-mail to insider@scheur.com with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject and name, email, company, title, and country in the message. TO UNSUBSCRIBE: send email message to insider@scheur.com with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject. Please take a minute to visit our eNews page at http://www.scheur.com/smghome.nsf/webcontent/ezine.html for archives, subscriber information and to RATE our ezine. Get up-to-the-minute health care news on-line at www.scheur.com |
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