Define “Optimal”
Vintura is tasked to provide a solution for an ambitious hospital preparing for the future. The strategic direction was set and now needs to be translated into policies, principles, processes, and into a new hospital information system. For the hospital, integrated capacity planning is the cornerstone of an optimally functioning organization, as it brings efficiency, peace, and rhythm. But, what does “optimally” mean, and how does it translate to integrated planning principles? The system implementation is coming soon, and Vintura needs to help the hospital define what “optimal” means.
Multidisciplinary dialogue
To help the hospital define what optimally functioning organization means, Vintura assembled a multidisciplinary team and organized a workshop to discuss the main topics: Planning Horizon, Planning Cycle, and Planning Type.
Since the workshop is composed of people from different relevant fields, creativity is a given for as long as the application of different design principles are based on the set strategic targets and position. Under this relatively unrestricted and collaborative setting, a lot of goals were achieved, one of which is a common understanding of what ICP is and how it can help the organization was achieved.
It also helped the hospital reach a very important decision regarding resource optimization, for example, maximum utilization of Operating Rooms, versus patient care, such as an uninterrupted and clear patient flow. In the end, the hospital dropped resource optimization in favor of the patient care.
After the goals of the first workshop were achieved, the same multidisciplinary team was called in for a second workshop, this time to discuss, optimize, and confirm all proposals for the integrated planning framework.
A new integrated planning framework
In a span of just three weeks, Vintura was able to help the forward-looking hospital to come up with a new and common language regarding capacity planning. There’s also now a broad acceptance and support for Integrated Planning and constructive discussions. The workshops also helped produce the following:
- Insight and understanding of the other disciplines’positions, challenges, and needs.
- A set of supportive general planning principles that’s applicable to the whole
organization. - The first translation of Planning Principles to Policies/Rules per discipline.
- Clear guidance for the implementation of the new Hospital Information System.
Note: The outcome of the workshop has been translated into a formal framework and has been
officially confirmed by the Executive Board and the Organization of Medical Specialists. It’s
also now being implemented.
