An integrated outsourcing solution at York Central Hospital

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Hospital Operations
• Service Outsourcing

Background:

• Canadian hospitals face resource limitations impacting operational services and quality.
• Focusing on core clinical care delivery is crucial for organizational sustainability.
• Outsourcing non-core, non-clinical support services is a viable strategy for hospitals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of implementing an integrated Comprehensive Service Solutions (CSS) model for all support services at York Central Hospital (YCH).
• To assess improvements in patient and staff satisfaction, cost savings, and operational efficiency following the CSS implementation.

Main Methods:

• York Central Hospital (YCH) partnered with Sodexo in 2007 to implement an integrated Comprehensive Service Solutions (CSS) model.
• The CSS model encompassed all non-core, non-clinical support service functions within the hospital.
• Performance metrics including patient/staff satisfaction, cost savings, and operational efficiency were tracked post-implementation.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in patient and staff satisfaction rates.
• Substantial cost savings were achieved through enhanced operational efficiency.
• Process improvements and technology investments contributed to greater efficiency and increased retail food revenue.

Conclusions:

• Integrated outsourcing of support services can lead to significant improvements in hospital operations.
• The Comprehensive Service Solutions (CSS) model at YCH demonstrated success in enhancing efficiency, reducing costs, and improving satisfaction.
• Hospitals can leverage strategic outsourcing to better manage resources and focus on core clinical care delivery.