By Michael
Hospital leadership can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of an imaging department by partnering with a managed services provider. The decision is complex and leadership must consider multiple factors related to the hospital’s imaging department. The partnership between a hospital’s imaging department and a managed services firm requires an evaluation of patient engagement, budget and staffing.
Patient Engagement
Positive patient outcomes are the goal of every hospital and the main driver of all decisions made by hospital leadership. When making the decision to partner with a managed services provider for imaging services, hospital leadership must evaluate the imaging department’s contribution to positive patient outcomes. This evaluation should consider the value and convenience of care as well as the department’s ability to offer consistent, quality engagement between patients and imaging staff. The managed services provider can then consult with hospital leadership to develop both short term and long term goals related to improving patient outcomes, such as increasing engagement between patients and radiologists, or expanding the department to offer additional modalities in the future. With a clear understanding of the imaging department’s current performance and the hospital’s short and long-term goals regarding positive patient outcomes, the managed services firm can offer solutions that help hospital leadership reach their goals.
Budget
Another factor leadership must consider when deciding to partner with a managed services firm to run the hospital’s imaging department is budget. Budget is such a critical component of hospital decisions, and it is crucial for leadership to conduct a review of the imaging department’s budget. It is also essential for leadership to evaluate the space utilized by the hospital’s imaging department to determine if remodeling or additional space might be necessary. The managed services firm can then work with hospital leadership to evaluate constraints on the imaging department’s budget and identify the sources of this budgetary pressure. By conducting an evaluation of the imaging department’s budget and review of the department’s facility, hospital leadership and the managed services provider can then work together in a collaborative effort to identify solutions that address and lessen budgetary and space concerns.
Staffing
An imaging department’s staffing needs and concerns should also be taken into consideration when hospital leadership decides to partner with a managed services provider. Hospital leadership must evaluate the staffing needs of the imaging department. Leadership may learn the imaging department requires a more effective way to identify qualified candidates and fill open positions or; possibly, that current department staffers are overly burdened by administrative duties and unable to offer optimal patient engagement. Once hospital leadership identifies the staffing needs of the imaging department, the managed services firm can work with leadership to develop a staffing solution that addresses these needs.
With over forty years of experience of working with hospitals and understanding how the above factors affect the need for managed services, we are able to create a solution customizable to those needs. We are proud to have meaningful partnerships with hospitals throughout the country and support their needs in providing quality imaging services. Learn more about our services through our website, twitter, and Linkedin pages.