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Although the organizational chart has been modified and the mission of cooperation between divisions has been clearly set, there’s
still plenty of monitoring and evaluating taking place. There
always will be.
“This is a journey,” von Zychlin says, adding that the role of technology in the ever-changing medical field is likely to have significant
bearing on how to best create operational efficiencies under the
new, five-division internal structure at Mount Carmel.
“I have it as a priority that we are looking at things in a systematic way,” von Zychlin says. “What’s the best way to provide this
particular service? Does it make sense for it to remain specific to
the individual sites with some oversight? Or does it make sense to
consolidate it into a single department that operates at four different locations or more? What makes the most sense from a quality
of practice standpoint? Is it more cost-effective one way or the
other? I suspect sometimes we’ll consolidate and find out that the
market or technology has changed, and it might make more sense
to decentralize again.”
Take, for example, the medical laboratory.
“Rather than duplicating expensive lab equipment, it’s probably
better to consolidate certain components of the lab and get critical
mass at one site,” von Zychlin says. “If you look at today’s world,
with digital equipment, once you get the sample to the lab, reporting back out is instantaneous because it’s done by a computer. But
technology changes. As it does, we will determine whether it still
makes sense to centralize or whether it needs to be reconsidered
for decentralization.”
Even if decentralization ends up as the best choice in the long
run for certain services at Mount Carmel, that doesn’t equate to
complete independence.
“For me, it’s more around coordinated and decentralized or centralized,” he says. “I can’t think of anything that is so decentralized
that there’s no coordination going on.”
Whichever way the pendulum swings at any given time in the
future, the ultimate goal will remain clear.
“If you look at the core or genesis of it, it is patient care,” von
Zychlin says. “We are a people business.”
HOW TO REACH: Mount Carmel Health System, (614) 234-5000 or www.mountcarmelhealth.com
