Supply Chain and Asset Protection Plan

Loss Prevention in New York Presbyterian Hospital Organization

Nathan Bailey

SEC/240

Prof. Raymond Brown

August 6, 2018

Loss Prevention at New York Presbyterian Hospital Organization

Losses have the potential to cause far-reaching and dire implications to hospitals. As such, it is of utmost imperative that the management of the New York Presbyterian Hospital Organization device and implement workable strategies aimed at preventing loss from arising at the hospital. In particular, the strategies should cover all the departments in the hospital for all round sealing of loopholes to the possibility of occurrence of different potential forms of losses (Edwards, 2013). Furthermore, the appropriateness of the proposed strategies should be verifiable. Thus, it is necessary that information relating to loss prevention is collected conclusively for use in the improvement of loss prevention and security in the hospital.

For effective prevention of loss at the hospital, formulating strategies that improve the patient experience is vital. In fact, the basis of loss prevention revolves around the improvement of the experience of patients who secure treatment at the hospital or those who visit the hospital (Aiken et.al, 2012). Hence, the loss prevention strategies that should be used at the hospital are as follows. First, the management should implement strategies that focus on the assurance of patient satisfaction. This would help the facility to avoid losses that may accrue from litigation since patients who are attended to properly are definitely incapable of suing the hospital. As such, losses that normally occur due to the process of litigation are eliminated when this strategy is implemented.

Secondly, the hospital should allocate money for the reimbursement of patients who file for refund due to various substantiated reasons. The reimbursements are often inevitable since the hospital is obliged to cover for professional liability. The third strategy involves the prevention of medical errors that relate to diagnosis of patients, delays in moving patients or in the treatment of patients, treatment errors or errors relating to giving of care and follow up on patients. This strategy aids in preventing mismanagement of patients that are normally costly to make up for once they have happened.

Finally, the healthcare givers at the hospital should be trained in comprehensive communication skills and problem resolution skills. These skills come in handy when healthcare givers have to handle stern claims or serious complains from patients or their families. Thus, it is basic for the hospital to implement communication and resolution strategy for proper handling of clients who may raise concerns of this nature (You, et.al 2013).

Undoubtedly, these strategies are appropriate and worth implementing since they base on addressing patients’ concerns that if not properly taken care of, may have serious financial implications on the hospital. Additionally, they ensure that the equipment and commodity used in the hospital are well protected to guarantee punctuality in attending to patients and high level of professionalism with regard to treatment and protection of personal information of patients. Reasonably, these strategies have the potential to prevent losses that may arise from the side of patients, the healthcare givers or due to the absence, loss or destruction of equipment used in the facility. At the same time, they can improve the efficacy of the facility in general (Aiken et.al, 2012).

Further, certain specific information is vital in the evaluation of the hospital’s loss prevention program. One of such information is the establishment of the nature of communication existing between health care providers and patients. Collecting this kind of information would aid the facility in assessing the improvements in the relationship between health care givers and patients. Essentially, this would help in ascertaining if loss of customers, which usually occur due to recklessness in handling the needs and concerns of patients are avoided. The second information to that effect concerns evaluating the progress made in connection to recent individual risks. As a necessity, this kind of information focuses on recent threats and sensitive claims regarding malpractices and near-miss treatment procedures that almost cost the facility dearly in terms of reputation or financially.

Lastly, the management of the hospital needs to gather information for use in formulating the hospital’s last line of defense for every area of service delivery within the facility. Fundamentally, areas that are more prone to vulnerabilities are prioritized in this regard. Last line of defense helps the facility in rejecting unfounded complaints and claims directed to the hospital. To this effect, installation of CCTV cameras is a necessity, in addition to duress alarms for doctors and electronic access control system for doorways. Use of these technologies may help the hospital to rebut unfounded claims by citing strong defense on actual evidence. Moreover, the safety of patients, patients’ records, visitors, medical personnel and other staff members can be effectively guaranteed by use of these security and safety technologies. Thus, last line of defense that the company may come up with can be well researched and workable if security and safety measures are adopted (Edwards, 2013).

More importantly, the aforementioned can be used in a number of ways to improve loss prevention system and supply chain security in the hospital. As a necessity, loss prevention and security need to encompass the facility, staff, patients, visitors as well as supply inventory. Basically, safety and caution must be observed as concerns all these components. To begin with, the information can be used to devise ways of preventing malpractices caused by under qualification or negligence on the side of health professional personnel. Such losses usually occur because of claims and litigations for mishandling of patients. Inability of some medical practitioners to use sophisticated equipment as well as destruction or loss of important equipment can also result in losses.

Moreover, the information can be used to improve on the efficiency in stocking of commodities and equipment used in the treatment of patients and for the general care of patients to increase patient satisfaction in the facility. Hence, the facility can be capable of offering superior client value at a reduced cost. Additionally, the information can be used to effect proper verification of supply inventory to ensure that all the essential lifesaving commodities are stocked, and at the right prices. Verification of inventory aids in preventing financial losses that may emanate from unintended overpricing or deliberate inflation of prices by the staff handling the supply chain process (Aiken et.al, 2012).

Conclusion

The strategies for preventing losses are primary needs within a healthcare organization mainly because these strategies help in the improvement of customer satisfaction, which is basically the reason for the establishment of a health facility. Furthermore, the strategies should cover all the important departments within the hospital, including general safety within the facility and the supply chain process. Thus, evaluation of the strategies of preventing losses implemented in the facility is paramount and should be based on information that is specific to every strategy implemented to that effect. Overall, a conclusive approach to loss prevention guarantees perfection in services delivery to patients while at the same time boosting and consolidating the reputation of the New York Presbyterian Hospital Organization.

References

Aiken, L. H., Sermeus, W., Van den Heede, K., Sloane, D. M., Busse, R., McKee, M. & Tishelman, C. (2012). Patient safety, satisfaction, and quality of hospital care: cross sectional surveys of nurses and patients in 12 countries in Europe and the United States. Bmj, 344, e1717.

Edwards, M. T. (2013). A Longitudinal Study of Clinical Peer Review's Impact on Quality and Safety in US Hospitals. Journal of Healthcare Management, 58(5), 369-384.

You, L. M., Aiken, L. H., Sloane, D. M., Liu, K., He, G. P., Hu, Y. & Shang, S. M. (2013). Hospital nursing, care quality, and patient satisfaction: cross-sectional surveys of nurses and patients in hospitals in China and Europe. International journal of nursing studies, 50(2), 154-161.