Healthcare in general has gained a great deal of notoriety lately as the cost of insurance and healthcare continue to increase. Many may wonder how this is possible when healthcare professionals actually spend less time working with each patient. Society is paying more money for less service. As HMOs and PPOs have become the insurance of choice for most companies, individuals are often made to feel more like a commodity than a person. Physicians have also felt the sting as they are expected to work longer hours, and support a greater number of patients. Children's Hospital and Health System, Inc. (CHHS) is not impervious to these changes. But, through outstanding communication, advances in technology, and a positive social presence, CHHS has remained committed to excellence in the treatment of children.
Quality communication is the glue that can hold a company together. On the whole communication at CHHS is very positive.
A patient having his blood pressure taken by a phy...
English: Birmingham Children's Hospital, Birmingha...
The helicopter landing area at Birmingham Children...The company provides a weekly newsletter to inform employees of upcoming events, to provide kudos for work well done, and to post general information. For those seeking the most current information, the CHHS Intranet site is a real-time service providing all employees with access to patient census information (number of inpatients currently at CHHS), policies and procedures, and even the latest dining room menu.
The next level of communication at CHHS is departmental. Interaction varies greatly at this level as each department faces different expectations and goals. Within the Information Services (IS) department at CHHS, communication has been the toughest hurdle to overcome. Information services is headed by the company CIO (Chief Information Office) and is broken down into three smaller departments, each headed by a department director. These smaller departments are then broken down even further into sub-groups and lead by managers. The lack of communication is not...