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"Is healthcare still a growth industry?"

'Yes' says HealthLeaders magazine, and offers 5 strategies that prove the point;
  • Fill the gaps in continuity of care. Example: Using a hub-and-spoke model, Kettering Health Network in Dayton, OH is developing ambulatory care centers for independent and system-employed physicians, including a hand-surgery center and a neuro-rehab and balance center.
  • Extract value from clinical benchmarking. Example: expecting a shift toward performance-based compensation systems, Wisconsin's Dean Health System quantified clinical utilization measures and used Lean-like processes to discover $9 million in savings in 2009.
  • Transform payer-provider relations. Example: in an Ohio-based pilot program, several insurers and provider organizations created a one-stop Web portal for electronic transactions intended to reduce paperwork and administrative overhead. Ninety-one percent of privately-insured Ohio residents are part of the project.
  • Base design and layout decisions on quality and safety. Example: California's Sharp Memorial Hospital got serious about designing a facility to prevent infections, right down to the window blinds. A side benefit: employees get fewer infections too.
  • Use telemedicine to change the strategic game. Cisco Systems' healthcare practice is leading the way into a future where physical proximity is no longer a prerequisite to deliver clinical expertise and personalized service.
The over-arching lesson: health care success is not a zero-sum game and smart leaders shouldn't resign themselves to low-growth futures.


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