Describe your vision for a scholarly health care management project that you would lead during your tenure in this program.

Vision for an effective Healthcare Project Management System
In today’s context people want the best healthcare facilities in a cost-effective manner or at lower cost than the competitors. Therefore, the healthcare industry needs to incorporate effective project management system to ensure quality of care and at the same time maintaining the operational costs at optimal levels. Project management in healthcare organizations helps to optimize organizational efficiency, controlling and optimizing the cost of services provided, and meeting the needs of all the stakeholders in an efficient way. The healthcare industry is separate from any other service industry. It provides direct benefit to health and well-being of an individual.
Health is a sensitive issue, and individuals accessing healthcare facilities needs to be ensured with the highest quality of services. Healthcare management must also ensure that the patients and their families perceive the cost effectiveness of treatment extended to them. Healthcare organizations are indeed centers of profitability and such profitability must be ensured to attract competent individuals in the healthcare set ups. However, this particular industry is under continuous scrutiny.
They are scrutinized by the government agencies and health officials regarding the quality and safety of care rendered by them, the insurance companies scrutinize them by rational and justified billing and may opt out from the system if malpractices are observed.

They are further judged by accreditation standards of professional bodies and finally they are judged by the customers or patients who receive care and have to bear the burden of healthcare costs. Application of appropriate project management techniques would help in designing a cost-effective treatment and also help in managing the complex needs of the different stakeholders.
My vision for an effective and robust project management system would pivot on the central theme “Everything for the patients”. An effective project management would thrive to deliver the appropriate outputs (qualitative care of patients) promptly along with the appropriate and transparent expenditures (meticulous utilization of insurance funds). The main thrust areas where project management needs to intervene are the areas of human resource management, effective development of communication, strong marketing, accounts and finance and effective risk management.
All these variables should be directed for the benefit and ultimate care of the patients. To ensure effective human resource management the project management system must ensure credentialing, training and development of continuing medical education for the physicians, nursing personnel and other paramedical staff so that they are updated regarding the latest and appropriate care delivery process. In all aspects they should exhibit the highest standards of professional practice with the aim of ensuring quality of care and safety of patients. These individuals should be treated as the ultimate face of the healthcare system and must be nurtured with all the amenities that aid in their professional and personal development. At the same time non-compliance should also be addressed by effective regulations imposed by the healthcare administration.
Communication should be encouraged and developed between all the individuals concerned in the healthcare delivery chain. There should be absolute clarity about the interventions undertaken, the pros and cons of such interventions, the cost and billing associated with it, the condition of the patient and their prognosis. Further, healthcare records through software aided systems must be maintained with strict confidentiality. The project management system should also ensure effective marketing strategies that would portray the actual state of care in a health care facility and communicate to all the stakeholders the services that are provided and the value additions that are hallmark of the organization. It should also ensure the profitability of the organization and optimizing its resources to have better cost effectiveness. This includes overstaffing issues and repetition of unnecessary diagnostic tests that may increase the cost of treatment. Care and interventions administered must be in accord to insurance protocols, and should not jeopardize their interests under any circumstances.