P6 Business Practices Performance Chain

Whenever you see a high-performing healthcare organization, you know it didn’t get that way by chance. The leaders and employees of these organizations have applied a formula that is captured in the Healthcare Business Practices Performance Chain.

This research-based model developed by Healthcare Performance Solutions gives its users a distinct advantage. Its framework provides the tools necessary to achieve two desirable and necessary goals for the optimum health of your organization: service excellence and sustainable business outcomes.

Healthcare Business Practices Performance Chain
This framework evolved through a rigorous evaluation process designed to understand what differentiated high- from low-performing healthcare organizations. In the course of this research we discovered a consistent and recurring pattern of business practices, disciplines and outcomes that eventually evolved into the Chain as it exists today. In the course of our research we learned some important lessons.

First, sequence matters. By building a solid foundation of business practices and processes with a strong focus on people systems, organizations are able to increase their propensity for success.

Second, in almost every instance, courageous leadership preceded all successful transformations. Once established, it makes a great place to work, practice and receive the best care become much more predictable.

Third, discipline matters. Those who stayed the course and maintained focus on the future end state were more likely to achieve success than those who allowed themselves to get diluted by too many overlapping or conflicting initiatives.

Healthcare Business Practices-Performance Chain is comprised of four areas: Best Business Practices, Best Place to Work and Practice, Best Patient Experience and Best Community Stewardship.

Best Business Practices
Based on the core business model, these form the foundation on which a great healthcare organization is built. Examples of business practices include 1) selecting for talent, 2) people development, 3) quality focus, 4) financial literacy, 5) performance orientation and 6) alignment and integration. Organizations that focus on and master the fundamentals increase the likelihood that they will perform well on the more advanced links in the Chain.

Best Place to Work and Practice
Creating a great place to work is much easier if the organization has built a strong, people-oriented foundation. The best talent will come and stay, creating a stable workforce that is capable of delivering better care.

Best Patient Experience
This is where many organizations mistakenly try to start. Those who have built strong foundations and created an ideal place to work often see tremendous improvement in their patient-satisfaction scores. On the other hand, those who skip the fundamentals often find themselves frustrated and wondering why their high-profile initiative and investment in training and promotions are not delivering the promised results.

Best Community Stewardship
Part of serving the community is doing what is necessary to ensure not only quality and accessibility, but sustainability as well. Even the best run hospitals are struggling to meet operating profit goals...