Centers of excellence are known for top-notch quality, high patient satisfaction and efficient processes. While achieving this recognition does not come
easy, following three basic steps can help hospital and health system leaders lay the foundation for a program that will differentiate their organizations from competitors.
1. Include center of excellence development in the strategic plan. Leaders' support of center of excellence development is crucial to its success. To demonstrate this support and how centers of excellence can benefit the organization, healthcare leaders should include center of excellence expansion in their strategic plans. "Building centers of excellence has to be aligned with your overall strategic plan; if not, it won't get the priority and resource allocation necessary," says Steve Moreau, president and CEO of St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, Calif.
Besides articulating this support in a plan, leaders need to act on this plan and commit resources to recruiting top physicians, acquiring necessary technology and promoting the program. "The administration's job is to support [physicians] to make sure we have the staff and resources necessary to be successful," says Marc Sakwa, MD, chief of cardiovascular surgery at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak (Mich.) and chair of Beaumont Health System's Heart and Vascular Center of Excellence.
2. Recruit physician champions to lead the effort. Hospitals need to enlist physician champions in promoting and leading the development of the center of excellence because they are the ones who deliver care directly to patients. When given the tools and authority, physicians' clinical expertise and passion for improving care can elevate a hospital's services to among the top in the region. "Find a physician to provide the leadership to drive the organization to a level of excellence that can be demonstrated and used as differentiation in the market," says Mr. Moreau.
Physician champions are also critical for gaining buy-in among physician colleagues and staff. In this role, collaboration between physicians and administration is particularly important. "Once doctors see administration is allowing physicians to lead the way and that we are committed to quality, improving outcomes and improving the patient experience, then all physicians get inspired and want to be a part," Dr. Sakwa says.
Physician-administration collaboration
An example of how administrative support of a physician-led center of excellence can lead to success is the robotic surgery service at Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire, Wis., which began in late 2007. The hospital gathered interested physicians and members of administration in a robotics committee to manage the service. Robotic surgery was first used with prostate surgery and was later expanded to other specialties under the leadership of the robotics committee.
"We have doctors making the decisions with administration," says Faye L. Deich, RN, MS, NEA-BC, senior vice president of division operations and COO
of Sacred Heart Hospital. "[Expanding robotic surgery] wasn't our idea or their idea alone — it was a management committee with doctors and administration at the table coming to conclusions together."
3. Understand the market. Besides the support and leadership of administration and physicians, the success of centers of excellence also depends on the local market. Hospitals need to determine the needs of the community and the hospitals' ability to meet this need. Hospitals should conduct a community needs assessment to determine what services are lacking in the area and what services have high volumes that could support a center of excellence.
When developing the robotic surgery center of excellence, Sacred Heart Hospital looked at various measures to predict its success, including outmigration data. For example, the hospital tracked the number of patients who were leaving the community for hysterectomies, as that was a service the hospital planned to use robotic surgery for. "It's important to use your data to determine what it is you want to expand so that you make sure you have the capacity to do it and the services are what the community needs," says Pat LuCore, RN, MHA, assistant administrator of Sacred Heart Hospital.
Evaluate the competition
Hospitals also need to evaluate their competitors — their location, strengths and experience with centers of excellence. "You have to understand your market," Mr. Moreau says. "Do you have the potential to attract enough patients to support the infrastructure needed to build a center of excellence? Do you believe that by bringing in and building that expertise you will be successful at changing referral patterns of doctors and patients?"
Benchmark performance data
In addition, hospitals should benchmark their data to assess whether they can differentiate themselves in the market based on quality, cost and patient satisfaction. Beaumont Hospital joined several databases to compare their performance against other hospitals locally and nationally. For example, the hospital sends data from its cardiovascular service line to The Society of Thoracic Surgeons' database. "By doing that, we are able to see what our strengths and weaknesses are. Then we get together and figure out ways to improve those measures," Dr. Sakwa says.
Center of excellence development
While building a center of excellence is a complex process that includes several other requirements, such as recruiting physicians and acquiring technology, following these three basic steps can help hospital and health system leaders establish the groundwork for a successful service.
Is Center of Excellence Investment the Silver Bullet Healthcare Has Been Looking For?
Including Center of Excellence Development in a Hospital's Strategic Plan
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| Faye Deich |
Besides articulating this support in a plan, leaders need to act on this plan and commit resources to recruiting top physicians, acquiring necessary technology and promoting the program. "The administration's job is to support [physicians] to make sure we have the staff and resources necessary to be successful," says Marc Sakwa, MD, chief of cardiovascular surgery at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak (Mich.) and chair of Beaumont Health System's Heart and Vascular Center of Excellence.
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| Pat LuCore |
Physician-administration collaboration
An example of how administrative support of a physician-led center of excellence can lead to success is the robotic surgery service at Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire, Wis., which began in late 2007. The hospital gathered interested physicians and members of administration in a robotics committee to manage the service. Robotic surgery was first used with prostate surgery and was later expanded to other specialties under the leadership of the robotics committee.
"We have doctors making the decisions with administration," says Faye L. Deich, RN, MS, NEA-BC, senior vice president of division operations and COO
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| Steve Moreau |
3. Understand the market. Besides the support and leadership of administration and physicians, the success of centers of excellence also depends on the local market. Hospitals need to determine the needs of the community and the hospitals' ability to meet this need. Hospitals should conduct a community needs assessment to determine what services are lacking in the area and what services have high volumes that could support a center of excellence.
When developing the robotic surgery center of excellence, Sacred Heart Hospital looked at various measures to predict its success, including outmigration data. For example, the hospital tracked the number of patients who were leaving the community for hysterectomies, as that was a service the hospital planned to use robotic surgery for. "It's important to use your data to determine what it is you want to expand so that you make sure you have the capacity to do it and the services are what the community needs," says Pat LuCore, RN, MHA, assistant administrator of Sacred Heart Hospital.
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| Dr. Marc Sakwa |
Hospitals also need to evaluate their competitors — their location, strengths and experience with centers of excellence. "You have to understand your market," Mr. Moreau says. "Do you have the potential to attract enough patients to support the infrastructure needed to build a center of excellence? Do you believe that by bringing in and building that expertise you will be successful at changing referral patterns of doctors and patients?"
Benchmark performance data
In addition, hospitals should benchmark their data to assess whether they can differentiate themselves in the market based on quality, cost and patient satisfaction. Beaumont Hospital joined several databases to compare their performance against other hospitals locally and nationally. For example, the hospital sends data from its cardiovascular service line to The Society of Thoracic Surgeons' database. "By doing that, we are able to see what our strengths and weaknesses are. Then we get together and figure out ways to improve those measures," Dr. Sakwa says.
Center of excellence development
While building a center of excellence is a complex process that includes several other requirements, such as recruiting physicians and acquiring technology, following these three basic steps can help hospital and health system leaders establish the groundwork for a successful service.
More Articles on Centers of Excellence:
Key Specialties Roundtable: What's in Store for Service Lines and Their Leaders in 2013?Is Center of Excellence Investment the Silver Bullet Healthcare Has Been Looking For?
Including Center of Excellence Development in a Hospital's Strategic Plan