OB Challenges Create Hospital Opportunities in 2008

Industry Consulting Firm Highlights Key Issues and Offers Suggestions on
Improvements for Hospital Administrators

NEW YORK, March 31 /PRNewswire/ -- For expectant parents, choosing the
right hospital for the delivery of a baby is a significant decision. But
there are many things that go on behind the scenes in obstetric departments
around the country that must function properly in order to ensure a positive
patient experience and a healthy newborn. Through its work in hospitals and
health facilities nationwide, management consulting firm, Tefen, has
identified a "Top 10" list of issues poised to impact the obstetrics space
this year.
"In 2006, there were over 4.2 million births in the U.S.*, and by the end
of 2008, the national cesarean birth rate is expected to approach 35% and to
nearly 50% in some places," explains Barry Calogero, president of Tefen USA.
"Changes are happening to how women are giving birth, and hospitals must adapt
to these shifts. What happens in the OB departments can ultimately impact a
facility's cost, quality and access. Administrators need to focus their
attention on these trouble spots and devise tangible, sustainable solutions."
Tefen highlights the following OB areas requiring attention:

1. Procedure scheduling: Although more patients arrive in a scheduled
fashion, the way in which C-sections and inductions are scheduled
cause artificial 'peaks and valleys' -- both in the time-of-day and
day-of-week. The hospital then faces patient boarding in labor and
delivery units, staffing issues and overcrowded mother and baby
units.

2. Active discharge management: Many OB programs are lacking clear
visibility on which patients are ready for discharge. Procedures,
such as circumcision, newborn hearing and other tests and tasks, such
as issuing a birth certificate often contribute to the delay in
discharge. These tasks, when handled proactively and in a timely
manner, can alleviate the discharge process.

3. Facility sizing: Many hospitals that are planning expansions or
remodeling of their facilities may benefit by implementing Process
Improvement procedures prior to breaking ground. This can help
hospitals identify ways to enhance practices before construction.
Evaluating areas like patient satisfaction, optimal sizing for the
operation (to incorporate Lean principles) and considering ways to
reduce staffing costs for the lifecycle of the new building are all
areas that should be explored thoroughly before an expansion.

4. Forecasting: OB programs have the ultimate insight to volume
forecasting. Although hospitals cannot predict the exact date for a
patient's arrival, delivery due dates provide rough estimates. These
time frames can then be used to plan for volume peaks and valleys
when the woman is in the triage, Labor & Delivery and postpartum
stages.

5. Provider practice patterns: Variation in practices, such as looking
at indications and methods for inductions and elective C-sections
impact the utilization and flow of hospital resources. By instilling
guidelines, hospital administrators and medical directors can impart
a more standardized process that will help them better plan.

6. 'Pull systems' for patient transfer: Patients are often required to
wait in hallways and other areas until they can be moved to an
available bed in the next point of their journey. Introducing pull
systems enforces the accountability of the receiving unit, reducing
boarding time between the Labor & Delivery and postpartum periods.

7. Housekeeping room turn-around time (TAT): When rooms become
available, quick turnaround times can help alleviate capacity
constraints. Applying communication improvements, coupled with Lean
principles such as Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) can help
achieve low TATs.

8. Supply Management: "A place for everything and everything in its
place" is a phrase that applies greatly to OB departments. Staff
needs necessary supplies and materials at their fingertips, without
having to searching for a missing item or sort through excess
material to find what is needed. Applying Lean principles can help
and ensure all Labor & Delivery suites, as well as supply rooms are
stocked in a standardized manner.

9. Staff leveling: With the rationalization of scheduled deliveries, OB
departments have the opportunity to optimize staffing levels to match
demand by time of day and day of week.

10. Information system infrastructure and key performance indicators: OB
departments are rich in data. Leveraging this information can help
them better support appropriate decision-making for operational
purposes.

By evaluating all of these factors and moving forward proactively to
address them, Tefen believes that OB departments will be better able to
consistently set and manage expectations and satisfaction of both staff and
patients. "Increasing the process visibility and opening channels of
communication can help facilities address many of its needs," explains
Calogero. "If OB administrators commit to monitoring progress and driving
forward continuous improvement, they may not only improve on cost, quality and
access but can also use operational improvements in the OB space as a model
for change in the hospital as a whole."
About Tefen
Tefen Ltd. is a leading international management consulting firm that
specializes in helping organizations achieve performance excellence. Since
its founding in 1982, the company has served some of the world's largest and
fastest growing businesses, while acquiring a strong reputation as a cost
efficient, nimble consulting partner. From strategy through to
implementation, Tefen creates value by optimizing the competitiveness,
reliability, and agility of its customers. With its hands-on approach
philosophy, the firm has achieved tremendous success in delivering
quantifiable and value-driven results. Headquartered in Israel and employing
over 300 consultants worldwide, Tefen also has offices in Europe and in the
United States.
About Tefen USA
Tefen USA is a subsidiary of Tefen, a global management consulting firm
founded in 1982. The company focuses on driving performance excellence to
achieve improvements in cost, quality, and service delivery. Tefen USA
supports a variety of industries and has worked with many Fortune 500
organizations. Tefen partners with clients to build quantified cases for
change, setting themselves apart by working with clients from strategy through
implementation to achieve sustainable results.

* CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Births: Preliminary Data for
2006.

Contact:

Yvonne Liu Melissa Connerton
Tefen USA CooperKatz & Company for Tefen USA
646-652-8275 917-595-3039
yliu@tefen.com mconnerton@cooperkatz.com

SOURCE Tefen USA

Yvonne Liu of Tefen USA, +1-646-652-8275, yliu@tefen.com; or Melissa Connerton
of CooperKatz & Company, +1-917-595-3039, mconnerton@cooperkatz.com, for Tefen
USA