The combination of operational excellence and clinical expertise is crucial for providing effective, patient-centered care. The healthcare environment is complex due to many challenges on a daily basis. Observing patient needs and issues that arise in the healthcare environment from different perspectives is necessary to take the level of care to a new level. That’s why the COO’s role is essential in healthcare settings. Scroll down to learn more about the COO’s role and their own perspective.

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What Does a COO Do in Healthcare?

The chief operating officer (COO) is a senior executive who oversees daily administrative and operational functions within an organization. In a healthcare setting, the COO is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of medical facilities such as hospitals, clinics, and health systems.

The COO makes sure that strategic goals are implemented effectively and that organizational resources are deployed optimally. They work closely with the chief executive officer (CEO) to plan and conduct improvement initiatives. Due to all their roles and responsibilities, COOs can have a major impact on the culture of the healthcare setting.

One of many roles of a COO is to foster collaboration between departments, staff leadership, and other services to improve patient outcomes. A major part of this role is to manage decisions and resource allocation for the healthcare organization. Every COO develops strategic plans to generate revenue, the quality of care, and achieve organizational objectives.

In order to identify opportunities for cost savings, COOs analyze budgets and financial data. Additionally, COOs ensure adherence to healthcare regulations and quality standards because they are in charge of policy implementation and compliance.

Connecting Clinical Expertise and Operational Excellence

In healthcare, the COO needs to balance operational strategy with clinical expertise to embark on a noble mission and improve patient care. The effectiveness of any healthcare organization depends on how administrative systems support clinical operations. Although physicians, therapists, nurses, and other clinical staff provide direct care, it is the COO who ensures that the necessary framework is in place to enable the delivery of care in a safe, efficient, and consistent manner.

Chief operating officers are essential for crafting strategies that embrace innovative healthcare delivery models, such as integrated health systems and patient-centered care, which are necessary for improving patient satisfaction and quality of care. The term integrated health system refers to the management or organization of health services so that people can get the much-needed care, when they need it, in a user-friendly way.

This specific role connects two fields in multifaceted ways, such as:
● Transforming strategic plans into clinical realities
● Creating systems that empower clinicians such as automating administrative tasks, standardizing order sets in electronic health records (EHRs), and improving handoff protocols
● Striking a balance between quality and cost-efficiency.

Connecting clinical expertise and operational excellence requires from COO to implement advancements that increase productivity and efficiency in a way that benefits everyone. Clinical staff, as well as their colleagues in administration, need to be able to adjust to the new solutions and get the most out of their potential. A good example is health information technology (HIT). Evidence shows that healthcare leaders tend to diffuse information when working as change managers and facilitators because they need to be able to manage tasks that result from HIT implementation. Oftentimes, they act as “sellers” of HIT introduction to their subordinates and colleagues in a way that tries to make them see health information technology more positively.

Data and Process Optimization

Healthcare organizations rely heavily on data for several reasons, such as clinical outcomes, understanding performance metrics, patient flow, financial efficiency, and staffing levels. Studies confirm that high-quality data are important for patient care and improved decision-making. For that reason, it’s important to utilize technical and non-technical solutions alongside constant assessment and supervision to increase data quality.

The COO oversees performance dashboards that track every part of the process ranging from readmission rates and operating room turnover to patient satisfaction scores and length of stay. This oversight allows for:
● Identifying inefficiencies, such as delays in diagnostic imaging and discharge delays
● Solving problems proactively
● Making informed decisions.

The chief operating officer can lead cross-departmental teams to adjust workflows in a way to avoid delays. That way, they can increase productivity and prevent keeping patients longer than necessary.

The COO needs to be pragmatic and utilize various tools to anticipate supply chain disruptions, staffing gaps, and changes in patient volumes.

Contributing to Clinical Expertise

Being a COO is a demanding job that requires clinical talent besides operational excellence. Providing the best level of care requires more than simplifying administrative solutions and introducing new tools. It calls for a deep understanding of the clinical aspect of healthcare and how to improve the situation. That’s why COOs are responsible for designing work environments that attract and retain clinical talent. Some of their roles may include:
● Making sure that the staffing ratios align with patient acuity and compliance standards
● Implementing wellness initiatives, recognition programs, and professional development opportunities to increase employee engagement
● Improving the support system with tools such as real-time bed tracking or automated documentation.

In order to achieve both short- and long-term goals, COOs need to establish or improve collaboration between clinical and non-clinical teams. Financial executives, clinical staff, managers of facilities, and IT managers shape the delivery of care. A COO is like the glue that connects these pieces of a mosaic. This is achieved through regular meetings, involving clinicians in policymaking, and collecting feedback from staff at all levels to identify opportunities for improvement.

Conclusion

The COO in healthcare is not just an administrator; they are the champions of integrated care. A good COO utilizes clinical expertise and operational excellence to make necessary improvements in both fields. They create strategies to conquer even the most complex challenges in healthcare. Being a COO is demanding and complicated, but incredibly rewarding. It is the COO who helps improve patient care, and their experience supports clinical staff and makes everyone’s life a little bit better. Thanks to them, clinical settings can function more effectively.

References

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7215383/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36716776/