Laura MercerLaura Mercer

• HCA 424 capstoneHCA 424 capstone

• Professor Joyce Professor Joyce AmeenAmeen

Performance ImprovementPerformance ImprovementProjectProjectSaving Time and MoneySaving Time and Money• Heartland Heartland

Healthcare servicesHealthcare services

• An institutional An institutional pharmacy in pharmacy in Toledo supporting Toledo supporting 101 nursing care 101 nursing care facilitiesfacilities

Identify the needIdentify the need

• Two needs Two needs IdentifiedIdentified

• 1. decrease time 1. decrease time spent calling spent calling facilitiesfacilities

• 2. Incoming orders 2. Incoming orders to reach IV to reach IV department in a department in a timely fashiontimely fashion

Plan of action #1Plan of action #1

• Develop three fax Develop three fax transmittal formstransmittal forms

• Ask employees Ask employees inputinput

• In serviced all In serviced all nurses and nurses and pharmacistspharmacists

• Encourage nursing Encourage nursing facilities to respondfacilities to respond

. Transmittal forms. Transmittal forms

• Patient controlled Patient controlled analgesiaanalgesia

• Vancomycin Vancomycin antibiotic therapyantibiotic therapy

• Total Parenteral Total Parenteral NutritionNutrition

Plan of action #2Plan of action #2

• Had 20 “IV MED” Had 20 “IV MED” stamps madestamps made

• In-serviced area In-serviced area nursing facilities to nursing facilities to stamp IV orders prior stamp IV orders prior to faxing to to faxing to Heartland PharmacyHeartland Pharmacy

• Re-educate nursing Re-educate nursing facilities to use facilities to use stampstamp

Positive OutcomesPositive Outcomes

• Less time spent Less time spent calling facilities calling facilities regarding IV regarding IV medicationsmedications

• Allows nurses to Allows nurses to spend time with spend time with patientspatients

• Avoiding the need Avoiding the need for drop shipping for drop shipping medicationsmedications

HCA 224, Health Care HCA 224, Health Care EconomicsEconomics• Economic analysis Economic analysis

to health care to health care servicesservices

• Investigated supply Investigated supply and demand and and demand and economic impact of economic impact of health care health care deliverydelivery

BUS 312, Human Resources BUS 312, Human Resources ManagementManagement• Application of both Application of both

classic and current classic and current management management principles to build principles to build or reinforce or reinforce management skillsmanagement skills

HCA 412 Healthcare Law HCA 412 Healthcare Law and Ethicsand Ethics• Present the Present the

government government policies relating to policies relating to the operation of the operation of healthcare systemshealthcare systems

HCA 316 Healthcare HCA 316 Healthcare Information SystemsInformation Systems• Clinical and Clinical and

administrative administrative information information systemssystems

• New and emerging New and emerging technologies in the technologies in the healthcare fieldhealthcare field

HCA 418 Managed Care HCA 418 Managed Care ContractingContracting• Managed care Managed care

related to public related to public programs and programs and public policypublic policy

• Medicare/Medicaid Medicare/Medicaid reimbursementreimbursement

HCA 410, Healthcare HCA 410, Healthcare FinanceFinance• Issues in Issues in

reimbursement reimbursement structures, structures, regulatory regulatory mechanisms, cost mechanisms, cost control, and related control, and related factorsfactors

HCA 424 Administrative HCA 424 Administrative CapstoneCapstone

• Tied all courses Tied all courses togethertogether

• Challenged Challenged computer skillscomputer skills

Intern Experience Key Intern Experience Key pointspoints• Insight on a different Insight on a different

form of healthcare form of healthcare besides hospitalbesides hospital

• Interacted with a Interacted with a variety of people variety of people skilled and unskilledskilled and unskilled

• Identified problems Identified problems and worked to solveand worked to solve

Current/Future Career PlansCurrent/Future Career Plans

• Education has made Education has made me aware of all the me aware of all the different angles on different angles on how to solve the how to solve the healthcare problemshealthcare problems

• HCA degree is a HCA degree is a personal goalpersonal goal

• Plan to retire in 2008Plan to retire in 2008

• Find a per diem Find a per diem position in Port Clintonposition in Port Clinton

ConclusionConclusion

If you think you If you think you can, you can,can, you can,

And if you think And if you think you can’t, you can’t, you’re rightyou’re right

YEE HAA!!!!!YEE HAA!!!!!