Reference no: EM133359224
Assignment:
Park Health System is experiencing a shortage of coders. Over the past five years, there has been a 30% vacancy rate for coders throughout the main hospital and satellite clinics within the healthcare system. The backlog and vacant positions has created an issue related to unbilled revenue, overworked coders and extended work hours and schedules. It is estimated that there is an annual loss of $12 million. It has also been communicated that many of the qualified coders that were offered a position declined because they are interested in working from home. To address the problem you, the HIM Director, met with Jim Grant, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and proposed a home-based coding system. This concept is technologically feasible, given that Park Health System utilizes an electronic health record and all patient information is available electronically. Mr. Grant presented the proposal to the hospital's governing board and received approval for the home-based coding system. Because of your experience as a project manager with a previous employer, Mr. Grant assigned you the role of the project manager to oversee the feasibility and implementation of this project.
Given your role as the HIM Director and your new role of the project manager for the home-based coding system, you are now inundated between the two roles. A medical record privacy breach has occurred that needs your immediate attention, however, you have project tasks to begin as well. Below are the notes you wrote to help you begin your project tasks.
- Outsourcing costs are currently estimated at $25,000 per year. Reduce outsources costs by 50%
- Have no open coding positions - a vacancy rate of 0%
- Increase coding productivity by 20%
- Reduce annual loss by 50%
- Currently losing $12 million per year
- Improve timeliness and turn-around time
- Code inpatient records within four days of discharge and outpatient records within five days of the visit
- Overall timeline for project is 18 months
Executive management has set cost limits at:
- Project Activity, Estimated Cost
- Project Administration & Management, $12,000
- Exploration of new product, $5,000
- Development and communication of new policies and Procedures, $5,000
- Set-up and Training, $14,000
- Program Implementation, $8,000
- New Hardware, $30,000
- New Software, $50,000
You have decided to ask your HIM Assistant Director, Mary Hobbs, for assistance with the project. Like you, Mary also has experience with project management. Using your notes, send an email to Mary and give her instructions on drafting a project charter, writing a report on stakeholder needs, and assembling a project plan.
In the email be sure to include headings that would normally be found in email correspondence. To construct your email to Mary, complete the following tasks:
- Determine the content areas of a project charter. Describe these areas to Mary and recommend project information that should go with each content.
- Determine the project's stakeholders. Assess the role and needs of the stakeholders.
- Determine the project plan. Recommend content to help assemble the project's plan.