Creating a Plan—Right Now!

Today’s environment of “we need it now” has dramatically impacted our ability to plan effectively. We see the continuum of planning occur—getting it done quickly to check it off the list, planning without using the information strategically, or planning so much that the organization is unable to act.

With the increased need to demonstrate value tied to strategy, planning is an important part of the organizational process. Your challenge with Leadership is to develop a planning process that demonstrates value and provides a mechanism for how and when to get planning done and by whom.

In this issue, we share some tips, checklists and client scenarios to help you consider planning for physician recruitment, occupational health, customer service and physician relations. Beyond that, Kriss shares with you her foundation of planning fundamentals. If you’re a planner, you’ll find some ways to take your planning to the next level.

This is an excellent time to review and improve your planning process—and get it ready for implementation in 2005. We wish you all the best in your venture. If we can be of assistance, visit our Web site at www.corporatehealthgroup.com, or call 1-888-334-2500.

Regards, 

Carolyn Merriman, President

The Good, Bad and Ugly of Creating a Data-Driven Plan
By Kriss Barlow, CHG Senior Consultant

Mary, director of public relations and marketing at General Hospital, was asked to develop a plan to show how the hospital was doing against local competitors in the market. The task, coupled with her need to provide data-driven rationale for next year’s marketing approach, left Mary with too much data, too few answers and a feeling that it would take forever.

Regardless of your education, training or love of data, let’s face facts: Hospitals are making decisions about budgets and FTE allocation based on data. In today’s market, a solid, data-driven plan is essential. Whether planning for market research, business strategy, a call center, service line or customer-specific program, all rely on some basics. >> Read Full Article

To-Do Lists and Game Plans: Creating a Sound Recruitment Strategy
By Allison McCarthy, CHG Managing Consultant

Success is rarely serendipitous, but rather, a careful strategy of baby steps to reach that shining goal. In recruitment, it’s no different. Whether you’re looking to hire 1 or 21 new physicians, it takes a lot of hard work on the front end, detailing a series of well-orchestrated undertakings, to achieve success. >> Read Full Article

CHG Case Study
Organizations Cite Flexibility, Detail as Keys to Creating a Workable Plan

Consider the steps involved in creating a work of art: The artist paints a few strokes, then steps back to examine her work, then steps up to the canvas again to adjust the color. And so it goes, until she gets the desired result.

The process of creating a useful plan is much the same. It isn’t an exact science by any means and it requires dedication and patience to achieve good outcomes. But two Corporate Health Group (CHG) clients have found that staying flexible and paying attention to the details are keys to making a plan that can grow with the organization. >> Read Full Article

Fundamentals for Occupational Health Program Planners
By Carolyn Merriman, CHG President

Occupational health programs are working hard to grow—and to prove their value to Leadership. While all markets and organizations differ, we’ve found that the combination of market research and an internal assessment provides the foundation to support success. >> Read Full Article

Physician Relations Book Discusses Steps for Creating, Growing Your Program

If you haven’t already, order your copy of Physician Relations: A Model for Growth, a new book by Carolyn Merriman and Kriss Barlow. This publication covers the steps involving in bringing a program to life: from inception to implementation to evaluation—and offers many ideas for finding success along the way.

Order your copy today! Cost is only $39.00 plus shipping. Take advantage of our holiday volume discount pricing.