A hospital network in India strives for excellence as it grows

After extensive strategic planning, facility design, systems and organizational development, and construction, Wockhardt Hospitals is opening a new specialty hospital this summer, the first of three new facilities being planned in Mumbai, India. The hospital is part of an alliance with HMI that has provided educational inputs and technical advice in order to help Wockhardt to continue to grow and deliver world-class care. “Our vision is to build world-class hospitals in India that will provide professional treatment while addressing the unmet needs of the community. Our alliance with Harvard Medical International will go a long way in converting this vision into a reality,” said Wockhardt Hospitals’ Chairman, Habil Khorakiwala.

The new facility, focused on cardiac care and other specialty services, builds upon Wockhardt’s existing facilities in Bangalore and Kolkata. Two other hospitals are planned in the Mumbai area. As it grows, Wockhardt has been working with HMI to develop an infrastructure across all of its facilities that will improve patient care, including information technology, staff training and development, and quality management. “At Wockhardt Hospitals, we firmly believe that the patient is the primary focus of all our efforts. Our endeavor is to see that the patient moves out of our hospital not only in good health, but also in a cheerful frame of mind,” said Khorakiwala.

Designing a paperless hospital
The construction of a modern hospital involves more than bricks and mortar: a virtual infrastructure of IT systems must be developed and implemented to help hospitals run efficiently. Wockhardt has always sought to use information technology to enhance its services, and it has used this opportunity to develop integrated information systems for its entire network of facilities. Wockhardt and HMI worked with GE Medical Systems, Information Technology Division to create a version of its Health Information Systems (HIS) software that is tailored to the needs of the Wockhardt health care enterprise.

“The concept is to try to get as close to a paperless hospital as possible,” said Albert Gillis, an HMI director. Wockhardt physicians will be able to write prescriptions, order patient tests, and get results all via the computer. Laboratory analyzers along with other pieces of diagnostic equipment will be electronically interfaced with the HIS so that instant access to test results will be available throughout the organization. They will also be working to perfect an electronic medical record, which will contain the patient’s medical history, previous and current activities and all test results. Approved Wockhardt health care providers will have access to the patient’s medical record through out the organization and via the worldwide web. This will make the patient’s transition between hospitals and departments much easier, more efficient, and less prone to error.

A delegation from Wockhardt Hospitals tours the cardiology department at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center during a visit to Boston

Recognizing the potential of people
The human infrastructure of a hospital is also critical, and Wockhardt has looked at staff training and development across the entire organization as well as recruitment for the new facility. “We have been able to attract some of the best medical and surgical talent for this hospital. Our surgeons, physicians, and super specialists have vast experience in modern surgical and medical management. This will ensure the best treatment and care for our patients,” Khorakiwala said. Wockhardt has its senior management team in place, and has recruited two cardiac surgery teams, along with a director of nursing, who will help develop the role of nurses within the organization. Also on board are a number of senior nurses, medical technicians for the various ancillary departments, and support personnel.

The Wockhardt group also realizes that attracting and retaining skilled staff members is critical to patient satisfaction and the success of the organization. An ongoing effort has been to develop staff training, leadership programs, an internal systems of communication to ensure that staff is kept up to date and create a dynamic working environment. “We emphasized the importance of clinical and administrative teams in solving problems and implementing new solutions,” said Dr. Harvey Makadon, HMI director of health systems. A key aspect of Wockhardt’s patient care structure will be incorporating a team approach both to clinical care and planning that cuts across disciplines.

Developing strategies for success
Wockhardt and HMI have also looked at other systemic changes that will improve how care is delivered at the hospitals. A team of administrators and nurses from the Wockhardt Hospitals recently visited Boston for an educational program organized by HMI. The ten-day program gave the team a chance to discuss issues critical to contemporary hospital management.

Sessions focused on organizational development and enhancing hospital functions such as nursing, infection control, interventional cardiology, medication safety, laboratory and radiology operations, and quality management. The visit also included a session, led by Kathleen Gilroy, an HMI visiting Senior Consultant, on the commissioning of new hospitals. “It is a significant and time consuming challenge to set up all the various hospital systems and ensure they are running in a safe and efficient manner before opening the doors to patients,” Gilroy said.

Mrs. Judith Varma, left, of Wockhardt’s Bhandup facility, and Dr. Rupali Basu of Kolkata participate in a discussion on organizational strategy

Dr. Sharon Kleefield, an HMI director, worked with the Wockhardt team on issues relating to health care quality and evaluation. “The purpose of these sessions was to help Wockhardt think about a model that would be appropriate for the Indian culture and local health care environment,” Kleefield said. In addition to building a quality process for the new hospital, they are working on setting up an overall quality plan with common measures that would be used across hospitals. “The group is eager to learn and to improve upon their care for patients, even though they already have a strong brand name and are known for their excellence.”