Justification of staff positions in a tightening marketplace

Recend economic and political changes in the health care environment have made justification of both new and vacant staff positions increasingly difficult. Occupational therapy managers have been forced with balancing higher program costs with reduced reimbursement. As a result, requests to increase or refill positions are closely scrutinized. Managers must be able to develop staff justifications utilizing program, productivity, wst, revenue and reimbursement projections based on viable marketing surveys. This paer resents guidelines for development of a marketing survey. &a& and rogram options based on the results of such a survey are examine ! and discussed. A staffing justification proposal is included which demonstrates an effective method whtch can use to develop dynamic programs and services to ensure continued growth of the profession of occupational therapy.nd=yes&