- How can we increase referrals? Fill our beds? Improve profitability?
- How do we best position our programs and services for new financial incentives?
- How do we benchmark with our peers nationally? Are we better or worse?
- Is our acute care hospital placing patients in post-acute programs consistent with the expected demand, or are there gaps that can be closed?
- Are there opportunities for us to improve clinically? Programmatically? Financially?
Walter Consulting can develop a work plan for your organization so that together we can answer these and other questions. While each provider and client-engagement is unique, our core consulting services include:
Strategic Planning
Integrated strategic plans to succeed in our changing financial initiatives. Comprehensive strategic planning for all levels of post-acute care that incorporate community need, the strategic needs of local acute care providers, and the clinical, program, and financial goals of the post-acute provider.
Demand and Bed Need Analysis
Hospital-specific and community bed need and demand projections that incorporate data from over 5 million acute care discharges. One-year, five-year, and ten-year demand projections that reflect best practices utilization, internal and external environmental analysis, the impact of variable reimbursement systems, market demographic, regulatory criteria, and competitive factors.
Census Development Activities
A comprehensive assessment of census development efforts, with recommendations designed to improve capture rate of potential patients through either improved structure and processes or the execution of outreach efforts. Review includes manpower, incentives, targets, referral source relationships and other factors that impact census development.
Financial Feasibilities/Financial Impact Analysis
Real-world, integrated financial projections based upon both provider-specific and local market factors (wages, benefits, etc.) as well as critical industry drivers, including existing and projected Medicare reimbursement under health reform initiatives.
Operational Improvement
Top to bottom operational analysis, with recommendations to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of marketing/in-take, staffing, outcomes, ancillary services, back-office support, medical staff coverage, and other potential areas of specific concern.
Benchmark Analysis
Clinical, operational, and financial benchmarks that compare your post-acute performance to that of industry standards, as well as Best Practice performance targets observed through extensive client engagements in dozens of markets.