Question

The Emergency Room (ER) at Northwest General (B)

Jenn Kostich, director of emergency services at Northwest General Hospital, is faced with a decision on how to respond to a recent memo. Her response could affect the entire ER operation, and she wants to make sure it is prepared correctly.

The Problem

Jenn has just learned that the board of Northwest General has approved plans for a large remodeling and expansion project. All department directors of the hospital have been asked to provide an assessment of their capacity needs if they were requesting an increase in their departmental space. The directors were told to specify the amount of increase they required and provide justification for the request. They were also directed to base their requests on the average of their departments’ demand requirements.

      The ER desperately needs more space, and Jenn is easily able to provide the needed documentation. However, she is not sure whether it is reasonable to base capacity requirements for the ER on average demand.

Background

Northwest General is the only major hospital in the area between Seattle and Vancouver. Its ER is always busy, since it is the only hospital servicing the local population and visitors during the long tourist season.

      The area has been stable in population growth over the past 10 years. The area is also a significant tourist destination for campers, hikers, and nature lovers. During the tourist season—consisting of summer months (June, July, and August), winter holidays (December), and spring break (March and April)—the population swells by as much as 30 percent.

       The ER has been able to meet demand adequately during the nontourist season. However, it does not have sufficient capacity to meet demand when tourists arrive. These peak periods, amounting to 6 out of 12 months, have been extremely difficult for the ER staff. The ER does not have enough space capacity for the large number of patients during these periods. Frequently, the ER has to resort to using hallways and closets for patient space. The staff feel that this is unacceptable, not to mention unsafe.

The capacity problems occur only during the busy tourist season. Computing the average of the capacity requirements does not reveal this problem, as the peak demands are averaged with the lower demands during the nontourist season.

Case Questions

1. Discuss the pros and cons of using average demand to assess capacity requirements. Is this a reasonable approach for the ER?

2. Make a recommendation for Jenn as to what she should do and the information that she should provide in her request.

Answer 1

Answer

1) using average demand to access capacity requirements may have few advantage, as it provides an average ratio or a figure to arrange the ER (emergency room), without considering the peak time when the demand fluctuates dramatically. But, this will impact the productivity of the unit adversely, making it harder to make arrangements and facilitating aids for the patients during the peak time. Admitting the patients in the hallway and closet will leave a negative impression as well as make it complicated to treat the patients effectively. Therefore, it is not a reasonable approach for the ER.

2) it is recommended to Jenn that she needs to address the issue of calculating the capacity requirements based on average demand. Because, it won't help the organisation to meet the needs and save the lives of the people with timely aid. Other thing is, it won't motivate the staff members and nurses, infact it decrease their morale and make them less productive. Jenn also needs to address the problem of shortage of capacity during the peak time, and need for having additional emergency rooms with a good space to treat the patients in a most effective way.