Community health care
A PILOT PROJECT ON THE MEDICAL ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT AT THE CSSS DES SOMMETS
August 14, 2011
The CSSS des Sommets has been chosen by the Association Québécoise d’établissements de santé et de services sociaux (AQESSS) to conduct a research project on the implementation of a new medical administrative management structure.
In 2010, the AQESS organized a think-tank to analyze the situation and come up with ways to strengthen the management model in healthcare establishments. This group suggested a few partnership models that would improve the collaboration between doctors, administrators and management, and provide a better understanding of clinic issues. The models included the following:
• Implementing a medical administrative co-management structure of client programs
• Holding quarterly meetings with CMDP (Conseil des médecins, dentistes et pharmaciens) and the board of directors
• Creating an executive committee with board members on clinic administration and having the co-management team of client programs make an annual presentation to this committee
• Creating a think-tank and strategic orientation
• Having the program co-management team take part in the Executive Committee
• Implementing a committee to coordinate the entire list of programs
• Clearly defining the roles of the medical co-management team and department heads
The AQESSS is currently spearheading a few pilot projects to explore these models and analyze their ability to improve the collaboration and decision-making within the organizations. It has mandated a research team to study the implementation of these models in the chosen establishments. This team will be co-managed by Dr. Ann Langley of HEC Montréal and Dr. Jean-Louis Denis of the École nationale d’administration publique (ENAP). Also taking part will be Dr. Marie-Pascale Pomey from the Université de Montréal and Ms. Emilie Gibeau, doctorate student. Researchers will be examining how the relationships between the management, the board of directors and the medical leaders evolve once the models are implemented.
When the AQESSS first proposed these pilot projects, several healthcare establishments showed a great deal of interest and many submitted their candidacy for the program. In all, four establishment were selected: CHUS (Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Sherbrooke) and the CSSS Gatineau, Vieille-Capitale and des Sommets. They were selected for different reasons: CHUS is the most advanced university in terms of implementing a co-management system; the CSSS Gatineau is a regional establishment; and the CSSS Vieille-Capitale and the CSSS des Sommets are medium size establishments, respectively. “We’re happy with these four choices since they represent each type of establishment in Quebec”, confirmed Dr. Langley.
This research project meets three objectives: the first is to evaluate what has been done elsewhere in the field of medical administrative management. The results will be published in the fall. The second is to uncover the issues related to implementing the medical administrative partnership model by identifying the elements that facilitate the process, as well as the difficulties and how to overcome them (through interviews and observations). The last objective is to evaluate the impact of the new model on strategic decision-making, on the innovations in organizing healthcare and services, and on the perception of the administrators and medical professionals on the quality of their collaboration.
Medical management is currently a hot topic in the healthcare field. Because of their expertise and status, medical professionals are known for having a strong influence on the use of resources. Medical management seems like a promising way to meet both the organizational and professional requirements, and to encourage the medical community to play an active role in the process.
“We feel both fortunate and happy to be part of this pilot project. It will allow us to share our experiences with other institutions that have different missions than ours, in a structured environment. We are confident that this exercise will contribute to improving the quality of healthcare in our community”, stated Mr. Yves Lachapelle, Executive Director of CSSS des Sommets.