Project Management in Healthcare Organizations

1

• Project Management in Healthcare Organizations
• March 2004
• Presented by
• Cherry Wittelsberger

2
Presentation Overview and Learning Objectives

• Lessons learned through experience managing
  large-scale projects for managed healthcare
  organizations
• Learning Objectives
• Utilize team member strengths to build more
  effective project teams
• Create and execute well constructed project plans
  to meet project goals
• Understand and be able to apply techniques to
  work with diverse teams in health care
  organizations to manage projects

3
Who am I Why am I here?

• Experienced in large project management for
  managed healthcare organizations
• Currently a vice president at AMERIGROUP
  Corporation
• Built Business Continuity and Recovery Plan for
  organization in 2000-2002
• Built companys first project office in 2002-2003
• Lead companys systems integration effort during
  acquisition of PHP in 2002-2003
• Leading several projects currently at AGP
• New product development
• Process Improvement initiatives
• Construction of new call center and primary data
  center

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Lessons Learned by Managing Projects in
Healthcare Organizations

• How to get started with a new project
• How to form a team
• How to build team trust
• How to form your project plan
• How to get buy-in for the plan
• How to execute the plan
• How to complete the project
• How to do it again!

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How to get started with a new project

• Miss one meeting and the job is yours

• Interview the project sponsor to understand the
  following and to create the Project Charter
• Project objectives and scope
• Timeline, including interim milestone due dates
• Funding constraints
• Project team members
• Plan and hold your Kick-Off Meeting

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How to form a team

• Ask for all the best people who never miss a
  deadline and do perfect work and only put them on
  the team!

• Negotiate for critical team members
• Recruit others who can round out the required
  roles on the team
• Expect to have to develop new team members into
  their project roles

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How to form a team (cont.)

• Use techniques appropriate for your group to
  define roles, responsibilities, etc.
• Be sure to engage both verbal and non-verbal
  participants to ensure buy-in
• Be aware of team member differences in processing
  new information, making decisions, etc.

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How to build team trust

• Torture and Bribes

• New situations, like joining a project team,
  means that team members are vulnerable and often
  lack trust
• As PM, lead by example
• Share your strengths as well as your weaknesses
• Dont be afraid to be wrong and own it
• Dont do everything in the group setting

9
References for Team Building

• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team - Patrick
  Lencioni
• Absence of Trust
• Fear of Conflict
• Lack of Commitment
• Avoidance of Accountability
• Inattention to Results

10
References for Team Building (cont.)

• Partnerworks (www.partnerworks.com) Chris Avery
  Being Powerful in Any Team
• Step 1 State the task and the reason for the
  team
• Step 2 Surface member motivation
• Step 3 Promote Team Agreements
• Step 4 Craft a clear and elevating goal
• Step 5 Inventory resources and honor
  differences
• Confirm team has energy and direction before
  proceeding

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Tools for Effective Decision Making in a Team
Setting

• Group Decision Making
• Brainstorming
• Nominal Group Technique
• Multiple Voting
• Rank Ordering
• Affinity Diagram

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How to form your project plan

• Brainstorm with your team members to develop
  detailed scope
• Identify key milestone needed to complete project
  and sequence (WBS)
• Assign resources and deadlines
• Determine plan for communication and status
  updates
• Schedule routine team meeting to discuss progress
  and resolve issues

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How to get buy-in for the plan

• Communicate, communicate, communicate
• Present your plan to ALL stakeholders, over and
  over, to ensure that everyone understands what is
  to be done, when its to be done, why its to be,
  and who will be involved
• Circle back to the project team on ANY adjustment
  in the plan communicated by sponsor or
  stakeholders to ensure understanding and impact
  of change

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How to execute the plan

• Use your project management tools here are my
  favorites
• Issues Log (Open and Closed)
• Decision Log
• Change Log
• Risk Management Plan
• Resource Plan
• Communication Plan
• Project Schedule
• Project Budget
• Bi-Weekly Status reports to Sponsor/Stakeholders
  (overall project status, milestone completion ,
  budget performance to date, risk notices, and
  progress since last report)

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How to complete the project

• Monitor the 3 Ss carefully by utilizing the PM
  tools
• Schedule
• Scope
• Spending
• Use decision log to track decisions as they are
  made serves as a basis for lessons learned and
  definition for future, similar projects

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How to do it again!

• Good deeds dont go unpunished
• In other words, good work leads to new
  opportunities to do it again so be prepared
• As your project closes, interview team members,
  project sponsor, and other key stakeholders for
  lessons learned
• Incorporate new ideas into PM tools you use so
  you are ready to implement these suggestions into
  your next project

17
Challenges and Solutions for Project Management
in Healthcare Organizations

• Challenges
• Language/Communication
• Tests are done to diagnose not to verify
  solutions
• Articulation of requirements is iterative
• Approach to process
• Less focus on systems/processes
• Very quality focused want the best

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Challenges and Solutions for Project Management
in Healthcare Organizations

• Solutions
• Clarify language, terms, definitions throughout
  project to ensure common understanding across
  team members (technical and medical)
• Use prototyping to model solutions and fully
  define requirements
• Anticipate need to establish or redesign
  processes along the way