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Developing New Heart Surgery And STEMI Programs

~ This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009 at 3:00 am

Posted By Carolyn Weaver, Executive Consultant

surgeryYes, there are still new programs being developed in today’s market. The key driving forces for new program development are community demand and potential cardiovascular revenue. If I were to make one suggestion for any program, in addition to critical planning that needs to be done, the key factor that must be addressed is QUALITY! Case selection is critical in the first year. I always tell my clients to be sure that cases are carefully selected to ensure good outcomes and no mortalities. Many programs worry that there is not enough volume and begin to take cases that  should be done after the  staff has gained more experience. This is not to say that anyone is incompetent, just cautious. We want your program to be a success.

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Posted in Hot Topics, Quality, Strategic Planning | No Comments »

Cardiovascualar Dominates Most Frequently Billed DRGs

~ This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 at 3:00 am

Posted By Carolyn Weaver, Executive Consultant

circ-2For a medical surgical hospital, cardiac and vascular continue to dominate discharges. Even in programs that I work with that do not have invasive heart and vascular procedures, cardiovascular accounts for 25% to 30% of discharges.

When reviewing the Modern Healthcare Supplement “By The Numbers”, there are six cardiovascular DRGs in the top twenty. There is only one cardiovascualr procedural code - PCI. The groupings are:

  • 30% Cardiovascular:  127 (Heart Failure); 143 (Chest Pain); (558) PCI; 138 (Conduction Disorders); 121 (MI); 14 (Stroke)
  • 20% Respiratory:  89 (Pneumonia); 88 (COPD); 79 (Respiratory Infection); 475 (Ventilator)
  • 15% GI:  182 (Gastroenteritis); 174 (Hemorrhage); 296 (Nutritional Disorders)
  • 10% Renal:  320 (Kidney and Urinary Infections); 316 (Renal failure)
  • 10% Infection:  277 (Cellulitis); 416 (Septicemia)
  • 10% Ortho/Rehab:  544 (Joint Replacement); 462 (Rehab)
  • 5% Psychiatric:  430 (Psychosis)

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Posted in Operational Impact | No Comments »

Jumpstarting A Mature Cardiovascular Program - Thoughts For The Weekend

~ This entry was posted on Friday, April 10th, 2009 at 3:00 am

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Posted By Carolyn Weaver, Executive Consultant

How can you jumpstart a mature cardiovascular program? Plan,  plan, and plan! And, of course, re-energize the stakeholders. We have had several calls in the last couple of weeks regarding this topic, and each of the programs is looking to schedule a planning retreat and update their business plan!

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Posted in Informational, Strategic Planning | No Comments »

Cardiovascular Program Growth Today - Cardiologists And A Plan

~ This entry was posted on Thursday, April 9th, 2009 at 3:00 am

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Posted By Carolyn Weaver, Executive Consultant

It is an understatement in today’s health care market to say:  “Build it and they will come”. This is no longer true! The truth is that you “have to go out there and get it”. To “get it” you must have a strategic plan that involves extensive differentiation in the market and expansion of access points. A recent program we worked with was struggling to get enough patients in the hospital and the group practice. When we looked at the program, there was one cardiologist for every 50,000 persons! The national average is 1:16,000 persons. The only people who could get into the program were the ones who were coming through the emergency department with high acuity, already patients of  the practice,  or peopole with a long wait. The program could not figure out why volumes were not growing and why so many people were out-migrating! The ending:  they recruited 2 more cardiologists, created access, and now are busier than ever!

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Posted in CV Crisis, Strategic Planning | No Comments »

Cardiovascular Survival In Tough Times - Cardiovascular Marketing

~ This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 1st, 2009 at 3:00 am

j0435880Posted By Carolyn Weaver, Executive Consultant

With the stock market up and down and tough times, it sounds counter intuitive to spend money on marketing. But just like looking for the right bargain in stocks, cardiovascular marketing is also a bargain with the costs of print and other media down. Competitors may also have pulled back at this time. You should take advantage of the situation to position yourself for when things turn around. And remember, cardiac and vascular disease, in general, does not wait or go away.

Reading the following post from Cardiovascular Business this week:  

Economic recession ups the ante on marketing CV services
ORLANDO, Fla.—During the Great Depression of the 1930s, companies that maintained or initiated an aggressive marketing plan prospered over those who did not. Hospitals and physician practices should take this lesson to heart in today’s challenging economic times, according to Phyllis B. Marino, who spoke last week at the Alliance of Cardiovascular Professionals (ACVP) meeting.

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Posted in marketing | No Comments »

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