Becker's Hospital Review asked healthcare leaders to share how their organizations are adapting to the industry's move toward more outpatient services.
Here are their responses, presented alphabetically.
Editor's Note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Scott Hawig
Executive vice president of finance, chief financial and administrative officer and treasurer of Froedtert Health (Milwaukee)
As an organization, we've adapted to the needs of Wisconsin by expanding the Froedtert and Medical College of Wisconsin network to five hospitals and 40 heath centers and clinics to provide faster inpatient and outpatient care where people live and work, so we can deliver the right care, at the right place, at the right time. Fundamentally, this growth has enabled us to increase access to care at a lower cost to our patients.
This growth has enabled us to connect our communities to the best of academic medicine and provide state-of-the-art care for outpatient services including higher acuity services such as ambulatory surgery. We understand that both how care is delivered and how care is accessed needs to be tailored to meet the everchanging needs of consumers.
Connie O'Malley
President of outpatient services for Beaumont Health (Southfield, Mich.)
Beaumont Health is responding in several ways. First, we have restructured our leadership team to put a focus on outpatient services for our health system. My new role is president of outpatient services for Beaumont Health. Second, we are working to provide more high-quality, high-value healthcare to our patients and our communities. This year, we announced the expansion of our urgent care presence in the market, with our partner WellStreet. We plan to have 30 urgent cares open in our market this year. In addition, we announced two additional 120,000-square-feet outpatient buildings which will provide full-service outpatient services. In this new model, patients will receive the bulk of their care with their primary care provider and also access urgent care and outpatient services. Keeping our patients healthy and well will be our focus. We aim to provide patients access to the right care, at the right location, at the right time.
Joel Yuhas
President and CEO of UCHealth Memorial (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Consumer demands from healthcare providers are increasingly more sophisticated with the many advances in technology. Healthcare consumers want affordability, rapid access and more convenience closer to home. UCHealth is working to deliver on all three of these demands, not just by expanding its outpatient service footprint across Colorado, but by also expanding our reach in other ways, through online scheduling and virtual care. Consumers can book primary and specialty care appointments online without the burden of traditional appointment navigation. And now, UCHealth also offers virtual urgent care visits through the UCHealth website or mobile app. From the convenience of wherever you are, consultation with a UCHealth urgent care provider is just a click away — truly bringing world class care closer to home within seconds on your mobile phone, tablet or computer.