Championship management for healthcare organizations

Stakeholders will put increasing pressure on integrated health systems (IHS) for measured performance, demanding data on quality and patient satisfaction, while simultaneously pressing for lower cost. The changes to Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (Joint Commission) and the growing importance of the National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA) are simply forerunners of an intensifying trend. Quality of care in particular will face increasing scrutiny. Achieving competitive targets in these areas will also require measures addressing demand and worker satisfaction. "Balanced scorecard" approaches will allow IHS and their accountable work groups to track performance on several dimensions and establish integrated goals or targets. Those with consistently good scores will be labeled "champions." Champions will support the multidimensional measures with improved decision processes. About eight major processes will be central--governance/strategic management, clinical quality, clinical organization, financial planning, planning and marketing, information services, human resources, and plant services. It is possible to map these processes to the criteria of the Joint Commission, NCQA, and Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award. The processes themselves can be measured and common weaknesses identified and corrected. Champions share some common characteristics that seem to arise from the combination of processes and measures. Among these characteristics are service line orientation, extensive partnering with other organizations, and the possibility of outsourcing organizational components.