Best Practice Labor Management within Healthcare

Session
Tools and Techniques

Authors
Barton Gill
Managing Principal / Senior Director
Advisory Services
Premier, Inc.

Eric Kammer
Manager
Operational Advisory Services
Premier, Inc.

Melissa Kram
Consultant
Operational Advisory Services
Premier, Inc

Description
Premier will provide an understanding of those key labor management concepts utilized by best practice within the industry. Key learning from this session will focus on consistent priciples that allow organizations to be successful in this core business discipline.

Abstract
Although managing labor is focused upon frequently within the health care industry as a project initiative, organizations considered best practice manage it as a core discipline. These organizations also exhibit several consistent processes and principles which make them successful with managing labor effectively with high quality and positive outcomes. Premier has worked with and/or researched many of these organizations and used the best and consistent principles learned as the basis for assisting other hospitals and health systems in establishing effective workforce management with sustaining improvement.

Key take-home values learned within this session will include:

What are the key principles of an effective labor management program?
- Are there magic bullets?
- What is best practice?
The landscape and tactics of improvement resources have changed
- Coaching is key
Labor management is not just about FTEs but on the correct use of resources
Benchmarking is very different than productivity; however, both are vital for an effective discipline
Accountability, especially at the leadership level, is vital
Fixed costs can and should be variabilized