Who's in charge of your growth agenda?

• Published in: Healthcare financial management Vol. 60; no. 5; pp. 120 - 122
• Main Author: Nolan, Kevin C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Healthcare Financial Management Association 01.05.2006
• Subjects: Business growth; Business plans; Chronic illnesses; Cost reduction; Customer relationship management; Customer services; Customers; Departments; Economics, Hospital - organization & administration; Efficiency, Organizational; Engineering firms; Financial management; Financial Management, Hospital; Health administration; Health care; Health care industry; Hospitals; Joint ventures; Marketing; Neurosciences; Patients; Radiation; Strategic planning; Success factors; United States; Web portals; United States; United States > US
• ISSN: 0735-0732

In today's healthcare environment, achieving profitable growth represents a critical success factor for virtually every organization, yet few healthcare providers have developed the capabilities and competencies necessary to drive profitable growth. Further complicating the task of achieving profitable growth is the fact that most hospitals and health systems are decidedly "hospital-centric" in a world in which patient needs are increasingly not centered in hospitals. In addition, hospitals and health systems should better understand and develop capabilities in the rapidly emerging field known as customer relationship management. Most hospitals' and health systems' Web sites are essentially passive "brochureware" sites with virtually no interactivity or ability to "learn" about customers, much less to "push" relevant information to them. Achieving and sustaining growth in the first decade of the 21st century will require a greater focus on and discipline around understanding your customers' needs and redesigning your organization to plan for and manage growth.