Outsourcing is the creation of a business relationship where a hospital or other health care provider contracts with an outside organization to provide part or all of their IT services. Outsourcing works because it allows the healthcare organization to focus on its core competencies and primary mission, while the outsourcer focuses on making IT an enabler and an asset to the organization.
Too often, outsourcing solutions are process-oriented, consisting primarily of day-to-day operational management. However, IT challenges such as runaway costs, staff instability, and ineffective utilization of hardware and software systems demand innovative problem resolution strategies tailored to an organization’s specific situation and vendor platforms.
Our Outsourcing Approach
Phoenix Health Systems (PHS) provides a comprehensive, integrated set of IT Outsourcing and professional services. These services deliver value based on leading practice models established from years of implementing solutions for large healthcare organizations. PHS is committed to exceptional service delivery, total customer delight and the creation of quantifiable business impact in terms of return on investment (ROI).
We enlist highly experienced healthcare management professionals to evaluate existing technology and human resources. After a thorough analysis of the underlying causes of a client’s IT challenges, PHS defines strategies to resolve problems and achieve IT goals, and recommends the appropriate methods, tools and techniques necessary to ensure successful relationships and measurable results. PHS adapts solutions to clients’ needs and size, never using a “one size fits all” approach.
Our team strategically unifies a suite of flexible and adaptable IT services with a single point of accountability to ensure a long-term vision that addresses clients’ needs. PHS’ outsourcing services are currently being provided onsite and in its Leveraged Service Centers. In situations where existing staff is affected by the decision to outsource, we will work with the client to determine the best approach
Relationship Management
The Company believes effective relationship and performance management are critical to providing effective integrated outsourcing and professional services solutions. Relationship management relies on integrating experienced healthcare staff, a dedicated onsite team and an effective governance model to provide a total Outsourcing solution.
Our healthcare industry-experienced account teams have a long-term view on delivering client-specific solutions and creating client delight. PHS leaders build a relationship with the client and serve as the single point of contact to diverse technical delivery groups, bringing services online as needed to create maximum value. The Company also aligns the incentive structure of our account team with our client’s goals, ensuring a focus not only on our service objectives, but a focus on the client’s ultimate success.
A major component of a successful relationship management program is the establishment of a solid management and reporting structure, including weekly and monthly reports on performance, metrics, and service levels, as well as monthly and quarterly executive sessions focusing on strategic objectives and progress.
Performance Management
The cornerstone of performance management is the establishment of a solid communications plan. Our plans consider how we communicate with all levels of hospital management as well as specific user groups.
We incorporate better-than-industry standard service-level agreements (SLAs) into our contracts to properly align expectations on both sides and provide a tool for evaluation. Our SLAs are business-focused, measuring how systems and services impact the objectives of the hospital and its executive leaders.
Carnegie Mellon University - eSCM
PHS strives to exceed industry standards and has developed a partnership with Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). The Company is currently implementing the CMU eSourcing Capability Model for Service Providers (eSCM-SP). eSCM services are focused on standardizing the partnership between Phoenix and its clients, and range from routine, non-critical tasks that are resource intensive and operational in nature to strategic processes directly impacting vendor or client revenues.
The eSourcing Capability Model for Service Providers is a comprehensive solution for eSourcing. It was developed specifically to address the difficulties in providing eSourcing services. eSCM-SP is a “leading practices” capability model with three purposes:
Give service providers guidance to assist them in improving their capability across the sourcing life cycle
Provide clients with an objective means of evaluating the capability of the service provider
Offer service providers a standard to use when differentiating themselves from competitors Much like the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) for software development, the eSCM model has levels of achievement that determine the level of standardization and institutionalization present within the service provider’s operations. PHS is currently deploying the CMU model at one of our outsourcing accounts, with plans to achieve Level II compliance across the organization in 2007.
Service Towers
Whether it’s onsite or provided from a PHS Leveraged Service Center, our information technology services are cost effective and enable our clients to concentrate on care delivery, patient safety and satisfaction and clinical best practices.
Transition or Long-Term Outsourcing Leadership: Utilizing our Consulting Services business unit, we are in a unique position to provide a potential client with a transitional or long-term Chief Information Officer or other IT leadership position. Our industry network and healthcare IT experience permits us to locate, qualify and place key executives who have a proven track record of service delivery and strategic thinking in a hospital setting.
Help Desk Services: The PHS Help Desk is the central collection point for inquiries, problem reporting, and requests for services across the entire spectrum of IT services, including applications, servers, LAN/WAN, desktop and software support. Our goal is to promote client productivity through prompt attention to the handling of user calls in a rapid and effective fashion. Our services rely on our experienced healthcare personnel using proven problem management and escalation tools and techniques to identify, communicate and resolve IT issues. Help Desk services may be delivered onsite or at a PHS Leveraged Service Center.
Desktop Services: PHS provides this “client-facing” service with healthcare-experienced technology experts. Desktop services support is provided to maintain desktop hardware, supported software and associated peripheral equipment located onsite at the hospital facility. Desktop services are always delivered in close coordination with the Help Desk team.
Network Services: Network services are the operational and technical support aspects of the client’s voice and data network environment. These responsibilities extend to the day-to-day operations and management of the devices including security administration, asset management, break/fix, change management, and problem management. These services are delivered in a combination of onsite and remote staff within a PHS Leveraged Service Center.
Server Services: Server administration is the complete management of data center server services, running all major hospital information system applications. Services provided include monitoring and administration as well as change and problem management. Operations support staff and servers can be located onsite or at a PHS Leveraged Service Center.
Applications Services: PHS assumes responsibility for managing, maintaining, and developing the business, operational and technical support aspects of the application environment. These responsibilities extend to the day-to-day operations and responsibilities of project management, vendor management, maintenance, system development, testing, change management and problem management.
People Transition
PHS strives to provide personalized, individual attention to all employees. We respect the individuality of all current IT employees, and understand a transition can be unsettling in an IT Outsourcing engagement. Our management and human resources staff are trained and experienced in handling such situations with tact and sensitivity.
Technology Transition
As our leveraged model emerges, we will relocate certain aspects of the IT environment to a PHS Leveraged Service Center. We strive to ensure there is no business interruption as a result of the technology transition. Our experienced staff and deep understanding of the business, coupled with a proven approach, have successfully transitioned clients to PHS centers.
Methods, Tools and Techniques
PHS has a full complement of standard policies, procedures and methodologies for operating an information technology department, including:
Technology Planning: PHS has developed a comprehensive planning process to assist healthcare institutions in aligning their information systems function with the objectives and strategies of the organization. The strategic planning methodology results in a long-range strategic plan and a short-range tactical plan, providing the framework for continuous review and evaluation of performance against the plan.
Performance and Organization of Professional Staff: PHS employs clear, proven personnel policies and structure in managing and communicating with its employees. This structure allows for clear communication on topics ranging from on-call/work schedules to benefits, performance appraisal and career development. Our managers and Human Resources Department maintain an open-door policy and welcome employee input.
Administrative and Business Operations: These procedures provide guidance relative to day-to-day business operations such as purchasing, budgeting and use of email.
Project Management: PHS project management standards are designed to provide both Phoenix and client project managers with the tools needed to successfully manage major projects such as the implementation of a computer system at the client facility. All PHS projects utilize a project work plan approach. Our Project Management methodologies provide a general project work plan to be adapted as appropriate for each specific project. The project work plan consists of major phases of activity. Each phase includes major milestones, tasks and subtasks, responsible party, planned and actual dates, and deliverables required for a successful implementation.
Management Reporting: These procedures specifically address standard reports and procedures for daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly reporting requirements for both IT operations and business reporting.
IT Policies and Procedures: These procedures provide the framework for creating new technical polices and procedures, and the periodic review and updates of existing procedures.
Change and Problem Management: To properly record, plan, track, and schedule changes or resolve problems in a client environment, PHS applies a stringent, multi-component management process. The core of the process is Change or Problem Management Policies and Procedures. These policies and procedures guide PHS management and technicians in support of client needs.
Customer Service: Customer Service procedures are an integral component of the PHS Relationship and Performance Management methodologies. They include specific procedures for annual Client Satisfaction surveys as well as account reviews, and other client-centered activities used by PHS service delivery personnel and Account Management team members.
Security: These procedures include physical and system security, specifically addressing topics such as data security and password control.
Software Management: These procedures cover a wide range of topics relating to the software development and maintenance lifecycle. Topics range from programming and documentation standards to software program testing.
Disaster Recovery: A disaster avoidance and recovery plan provides the client with the ability to absorb the impact of an extraordinary event and to prevent business failure. The PHS Disaster Avoidance and Recovery methodologies are designed to provide PHS project managers and CIOs with the tools needed to develop disaster recovery options for the client’s approval, and to support and maintain the accepted plan.
Why Outsource with PHS?
For more than a decade, healthcare providers have trusted PHS to create a positive business impact by reducing long-term costs, increasing cash flow, assuring regulatory compliance and security and improving patient safety. Our seasoned leadership team possesses breadth and depth of knowledge and employs proven methodologies gleaned from years of experience in the healthcare and consulting industries.
