Customized Programs
Our customized programs have been called "Mini MBA Programs" by some participants. They range in length from six to twelve days and have the following general goals:

• To build leadership and management skills among physicians, nurse managers, and other key decision makers within the institution that will assist them to be more effective in carrying out their current and evolving roles.
• To provide a forum where physicians and other healthcare professionals in a complex system can discuss common problems and develop "win-win" solutions.

To accomplish these goals, our customized programs comprise no fewer than two, and up to four, 3-day modules that bring physician leaders, senior-level administrators, and nurse managers together at an off-site location. The overall length depends in part on the content that needs to be covered and in part on the organization's budgetary and time constraints.

There are three important advantages of our modular approach: (1) It allows participants "incubation" time between modules, which helps considerably with the learning process. (2) It does not require participants to be away from their jobs for extended time periods. (3) We are able to use the evaluation data gathered at the end of each module to improve subsequent modules.

Program Content
Although our needs assessment process determines the specific curriculum for a given client, our programs typically focus on the following general topic areas:

• Strategic Analysis, Marketing, and Financing
  • Building and maintaining excellence in a changing environment
  • Analyzing market segments and the marketing mix
  • Using capital budgeting techniques and processes appropriately
  • Linking strategy, structure, and financial control
• Cost Analysis and Operations Management
  • Moving from measuring costs to managing costs via a cost-driver approach
  • Understanding how full cost reports can bias alternative choice decisions
  • Scheduling and queuing techniques
  • Implementing total quality management
• Organizational Design and Leadership
  • Understanding leadership and power in organizations
  • Assessing how incentives can influence physician behavior
  • Managing and coordinating teams and groups
  • Implementing change
• Financial Control Systems and Change Implementation
  • Building an opwerating budget, and analyzing variances from it via cost-drivers
  • Implementing clinical guidelines
  • Designing incentives for the use of practice guidelines
  • Addressing professionals' concerns about financial control systems

For additional information, or to have any questions answered, please contact us.