Efficiency through Technology: Recommendations For Change at Tri-State Medical Center

Ian Levstein

Project Goal

My goal throughout is to make this project useful to the management at Tri-State Medical Center. It is presented here, not as a definitive course of action in itself, but as a basis from which a definitive course of action can be taken. If TSMC’s management finds value in these pages, even as a catalyst for change, then my time and effort have been well spent.

Executive Summary

Although health care is a high-tech field, the technology

has been directed at stand-alone diagnostic systems,

not at information flow.

Bill Gates

In order to describe a method to improve efficiency at TSMC, I first needed to understand how the office worked. With the cooperation of the staff at TSMC, I distributed a needs assessment survey (Appendix C) and designed and completed a technology inventory aid (Appendix E) to gain an appreciation of what technical resources are available and to describe any deficiencies. Since the information gathered from the survey was not comprehensive, I decided that interviews with key staff members would be in order. I spent may hours over several days watching the staff, listening to their concerns, following the flow of information and noting where problems and bottleneck occurred. The staff were repeatedly assured that their comments would be confidential and no identifying information would be shared with TSMC’s management.

I analyzed the information I had gathered and, in conjunction with my research of hardware, software and other technology, created a strategic technology plan including a SWOT analysis and plan of action for further study. I believe the project now describes a comprehensive technology plan which will improve efficiency at TSMC. Finally as part of the project, I created a web site for TSMC which will give the business an enhanced online presence.