Shouldice Hospital Essay

1771 Words8 Pages
Shouldice Hospital is very successful and highly reputable hospital that specializes in only external type abdominal hernias. This hospital is a prime example of the advantages that a business can drive from specializing in a service focusing on a definite and limited market segment. This specialization coupled with efficient patient flow management and service delivery system at the hospital is what makes Shouldice such a successful hospital. There are several factors that account for the success of Shouldice hospital and its operations. They selected their patients and had strict screening criterions. They treated people with only external type abdominal hernias and those who were otherwise healthy (not overweight etc). The early ambulation was utilized in a great way in hospital’s operations. Because of early ambulation, patients were not only customers but they had found a way to utilize them in the postoperative state as counsellors to other incoming patients. Patients were self-sufficient and did not require much care from the nursing staff. The nursing staff did not have to use bedpans, change laundry and move patients from one place to another. This had two positive effects on the organisation. First, they had reduced cost as they did not hire a huge nursing and laundry staff. This gave hospital the flexibility to pay high salaries and higher good workers. Secondly, unattractive part of the nursing profession was done away with and relatively lessor work made them cling to their jobs. Different parts of Shouldice hospital are glued together by the sense of belongingness and the family like culture among its employees. They made sure that there was communication between different organs of the facility. The patients and staff were served food from the same kitchen and they had to pick up their food and coffee etc. from a cafeteria line that was in the
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