Corporate nuclear medicine: the implementation of a centralized management model.
OBJECTIVE
A trend in corporate healthcare is the merging of small community hospitals with larger regional hospitals to expand the patient base. The purpose of this article is to illustrate the benefits of operating several nuclear medicine departments under a centralized management system, rather than operating many decentralized departments. The issues discussed are the development, financial benefits, operations, and structure of a corporate nuclear medicine department.


METHODS
Seven nuclear medicine departments were integrated to form one corporate nuclear medicine department from a large hospital organization comprising seven different hospitals. The management team created the concept and advised administration. Training programs were designed and implemented, and committees were formed to ensure the efficient operation of the integrated department. All aspects of the department, such as scheduling and interpretation of studies, are managed at a central location. All technologists rotate to all hospitals. Success was measured by cost savings, study turn-around times, and evaluation of patient and employee satisfaction.


RESULTS
It was found that establishing a corporate nuclear medicine department created a greater patient base by servicing a larger geographic area, and resulted in savings of $870,000 annually. Standardizing procedures and protocols allowed for consistency in patient care, an inpatient turnaround time of 24 h, and a dictated report turnaround time of 30 min. Employee relations and satisfaction remained consistent with a 4.76 out of a 5.0 leadership index rating.


CONCLUSIONS
A nuclear medicine department with a centralized management system is a viable option for corporate health care. It is recommended for operations endeavoring to expand the patient base and improve the financial picture.
Orlando Regional Healthcare, Orlando, Florida, USA.
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Grass
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Worsley
D002497:Centralized Hospital Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005431:Florida; D006781:Hospitals, Satellite; D009684:Nuclear Medicine Department, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*