Healthcare Providers -- Its Time for Your Physical

I think this is a good time for a checkup, or physical as it is termed in the healthcare industry. I mean this is a good time to check the health of your site or setting. As healthcare providers, we are dedicated to curing our patients of their ills and keeping them healthy. My question is, "Do you have the same attitude about the place you work?" Is your site meeting its highest goals? If not, then it is time for a change.

I think that as a group healthcare sites are a lot like our patients. Some patients don't work hard at keeping healthy. In fact, many engage in behavior that is very detrimental to their well-being. You probably can easily image such a person. Maybe they are very overweight. Well, there are many healthcare facilities that are like that. They have many processes in which there are steps which add no value, that are a complete waste of time and effort. Then, there are patients who do a lot of the right things. They eat correctly, get a good amount of exercise, and generally have a positive outlook. There are a few healthcare facilities that are fit too.

What does a healthcare site in not so good shape look like? These sites, I believe, have as their goals just to meet their compliance standards, those set by the state, JHACO, or the FDA or some other body. As long as they are being accredited, they are satisfied. Their attitude may be, "If it isn't broken, don't change it." They are like patients who are content to just sit on the couch, watch TV, and eat whatever they like as long as they don't feel poorly.

What does a healthcare site in good shape look like? I believe that such sites are continually looking for ways to better themselves. They engage in "continuous quality improvement" activities. They are really concerned about the health and attitudes of their patients and clients. They use surveys and they question and listen. Some even use a tool called quality function deployment when designing new facilities or programs.

Besides listening to patients, they pay close attention to their employees. They actively seek ideas from the employees on how things could be done better. They want to have their employees enjoy working at their site and support its mission. The leaders of such sites actively reflect this attitude.

Further, such sites seek ways to improve the processes at their site. They cut waste and save time and improve the bottom line. Many tools for doing this can be found in quality disciplines such as Lean Healthcare and Six Sigma. You can find a very good white paper on Lean Healthcare at the www.IHI.org website.

What are the results of these positive and active approaches? Our patients are happier, fitter, and find time to do the things they want. They generally live longer with fewer health problems. Healthcare sites which are actively engaged in continuous quality improvement programs generally find that they have the time to accomplish their objectives and don't feel rushed, they have an improved bottom line, and they rarely experience adverse events. The doctors don't have to work impossible hours to accomplish all they want. They work as a team.

Let me encourage you at this time to sit down with your colleagues and leaders and assess the health of your site. If you find that you fall short of what you should be, I hope that you put in the effort to reach the best goals. After all, we expect the same from our patients, don't we?

Donald Bryant helps healthcare providers meet their challenges and writes "Making Good Healthcare Better" a free monthly ezine for healthcare providers who want to dramatically improve patient health, improve the bottom line, and make work more rewarding, guaranteed. More free articles are at his web site. Be sure to visit.

---

Amazing Shoulder Pain Reversing Secrets!

Whether you're a weekend athlete, or a gardener that overdid it, or a person with arthritis, there's hope for you. According to Dr. Nathan Wei, Clinical Director... Read More

An Introduction to Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a very common condition, but in some ways it is still a mystery. There are many different theories about what causes the... Read More

Relafen: A New Drug with an Old Danger

Individuals who regularly take Relafen (nabumetone) or other anti-inflammatory medications, either for arthritis, joint pain, or other indications, should be aware of severe adverse health implications that... Read More

Lipitor Side Effects

Lipitor is a drug intended to help lower cholesterol. The generic name for this brand-name medication is atorvastatin.What are the side effects of Lipitor (atorvastatin) cholesterol medication?Lipitor... Read More

Electric Wheelchairs

When you search online for Electric Wheelchairs, like any other things, you will face a situation, where you will need to choose a provider out of so... Read More

Causes and Types of Cerebral Palsy

In the case of Cerebral Palsy there is no one cause of this severe condition. There are many things that may increase the risk of this condition... Read More

Alzheimers Toxin May Be Key To Slowing Disease

Australian scientists say they have identified a toxin which plays a key role in the onset of Alzheimer's, raising hope that a drug targeting the toxin could... Read More

3 Facts Everyone Should Know About Stem Cells

Cord BloodCord Blood is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta following birth. Cord Blood is routinely discarded with the placenta and umbilical cord.... Read More

How You Can Erase Low Back Pain Using the Latest Medical Techniques!

"If you're one the nine out of ten adults in the United States who suffers from low back pain, I have good news for you!" states Dr.... Read More

Drug Interactions: Five Common Dangerous Interactions You Should Know About

Prescription drugs can save your life. But interactions between prescription drugs and other drugs or with illnesses or conditions you have can lead to significant consequences. Drug... Read More

10 Benefits of an Electronic Medical Record

Electronic Medical RecordAn Electronic Medical Record is a secured electronic file of patient history, medical transcription notes, billing information, and all other information necessary to have a... Read More

Curing Lou Gehrigs Disease

ALS is the disease that took the life of the famed baseball player. The disease benched Lou Gehrig from the game that he loved and later took... Read More

Signs of an Addiction

Addictions come in many forms. It's important to recognize the signs of addictions in order to seek out help before the problem becomes to large.Some different types... Read More

Onychomycosis - One Of The Many Nail Fungus Out There

Many natural changes in fingers and toenails come with age. Fine ridges, for example, may start developing from the cuticle of the nail tip. This and other... Read More

How to Remove the Psychological Addiction to Smoking - and Start to ENJOY Giving Up Smoking!

Consider this:Already since 1972, over 60 million people in the USA alone have successfully quit smoking!At one stage over 60% of the adult population was addicted to... Read More

Where to Find Maryland Drug Rehab Centers?

Everything can be found on the Internet. At various sites there's a comprehensive list of all Maryland drug rehab centers along with contact information and short advertising... Read More

Vioxx Personal Injury Lawsuits

Personal injury attorneys representing clients who have allegedly been harmed by the prescription drug Vioxx are congratulating themselves over a historic judgment rendered recently. On August 19,... Read More

Lamictal Rash Lawyer

Lamictal, or lamotrigine, is an anti-seizure medication that has been prescribed to treat epileptic seizures for about 10 years. In addition to its mood stabilizing effects, Lamictal... Read More

Cold-Eeze Side Effects Lawyer: Zinc Destroys Sense of Smell!

Cold-Eeze is a homeopathic solution to the common cold. It is a zinc-based solution that can be taken as a tablet or a nasal spray. Limited studies... Read More

First Step To Addiction Recovery

The first step to over comming any addiction is to detoxify the body of the addictive substance. Whether it's herion, crack, or meth detoxifcation of the liver... Read More

Ingrown Toe Nails Medical Treatment

Medical Care:Treatment options depend on the stage of ingrown toenails, medically known as onychocryptosis.Stage 1 can be managed by recommending shoes with a comfortable wide toe box... Read More

Powerful Arthritis Pain Relief For All Of Us

When you ask what arthritis is, professinals will tell you it's inflammation of one or more joints. But you know it better as pain, swelling, stiffness, deformity,... Read More

Facial Pain: When a Nerve Is a Live Wire

Of all the places in the body that can hurt, the face might seem the strangest. But for some people, that's exactly where the agony occurs, and... Read More

Cetyl Myristoleate for Arthrtis: Science or Speculation

There are a lot of fabulous stories about Cetyl Myristoleate (also known as CMO or CM) floating across the Internet. Mine is one of them. There have... Read More

Bulk Forming Drugstore Laxatives

There are five basic types of drugstore laxatives you should be aware of. Some of these laxatives can be dangerous to use. In addition, some of these... Read More

Alprazolam/Xanax ? A Habit Forming Drug

Xanax is a Prescription Drug which is habit forming. You can become physically and psychologically dependent on the Xanax medication. Nevert take more than the prescribed amount... Read More