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What it Takes to Run a Hospital

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Running a hospital is a complicated undertaking. Every component needs to be in top shape, because that’s what it takes to help people. In a lot of cases, lives are at stake, and they need every advantage to stay alive. In this article we’ll look at key components to running a hospital. While some are technical, many pieces of the puzzle involve a caring, human element.

The Systems

 

A hospital needs to operate constantly. From utilities to electricity, heating & water to oxygen, everything is essential. While many people don’t think of keeping the lawn maintained and the equipment dusted as important, these steps can be critical to warding off pests and infections.

A single misplaced or incomplete computer file can result in a death, or at the very least in a longer, painful recovery. Because this level of seriousness is potentially true for every patient regardless of their ailment, a hospital’s record-keeping must be militaristic in both its accuracy and its clarity.

The Staff

 

Much like the blood of a human body, staff is the life force of any hospital. Without a veritable army of orderlies, CNAs, nurses and technicians, a hospital would be little more than a warehouse.

Your staff must be a team of caring, consummate professionals, who are willing to go above and beyond the call of duty to help your patients heal. Staff members who are indifferent or slovenly will turn your hospital into a laughing stock or a nightmare for all who end up there.

The Network

 

The most successful hospitals don’t just rely on their on-staff workers to keep things moving smoothly. In addition to employees, most hospitals have a network of other medical providers they can call on for logistical assistance, consultation. and referrals.

Turning away someone in bad condition is both illegal and terrible. This leads to the third component of a solid network: independent doctors who can consult your on-staff team about lesser known conditions. Since there is an incredible number of possible diseases out there, having a network that includes many types of specialists can help you move from providing adequate care to providing superior care.

Caring

 

Everything in a hospital’s demeanor and actions needs to reflect the highest possible standard of caring for human beings. Whether that person was born moments ago, or they’ve reached the triple digits, the hospital’s responsibility is to keep them as healthy, safe, and comfortable.

Make sure your staff asks patients how they can help. When the care you deliver is proactive, it will give your hospital the best reputation. It will also make your hospital a more enjoyable place to work, which will lead to less employee turnover. This is the kind of trend that builds on itself in the best possible way.

Responsibility

 

Everything in this world functions from the top down. The leader’s mindset quickly permeates the methods of everyone who works under him or her.

If you bring responsibility to running a hospital, you will do far better than if you merely see it as “a job.” Hospital administration is among the most serious and crucial occupations, as hundreds of lives may depend on your decisiveness and even temper.

CONCLUSION

Being a hospital administrator is an extremely challenging career. Hospitals have numerous parts that each need to be tended to at unpredictable intervals. However, while running a hospital is a constant and serious challenge, it carries ample rewards for the person who can stick it out through everything. Running a hospital gives you the chance to save lives, and make lives a little better every day.

Contributor Tera Rowland

Tera Rowland is the vice president of Soliant and has worked in the healthcare staffing industry for almost 20 years in public relations, social media, marketing and operations. In addition to Soliant, Tera worked at the Mayo Clinic as an internal communication manager and for the Children’s Miracle Network. She is a member of the American Marketing Association and the American Staffing Association. Also, Tera has served on the board of directors for the Jacksonville Women’s Leadership Forum as part of the communication committee. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations as well as a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from the University of North Florida and has been published in the Huffington Post, Healthcare Finance News, Healthcare Traveler Magazine, and Scrubs Magazine. Make sure to read the rest of Tera's blogs!