Memorial Hermann And Methodist For Healthcare Essay

MEMORIAL HERMANN OR METHODIST FOR HEALTHCARE? 2
Memorial Hermann or Methodist for Healthcare?
With so many hospitals to choose from, it can be difficult to decide which one is the best choice. Many companies have websites to promote their business and make their product appealing to potential consumers. Memorial Hermann Healthcare System and Methodist Hospital System are two large hospital systems in the Houston, Texas area. Both hospital systems use their online website to appeal to potential consumers. When comparing the two hospital systems by website, which one is the most effective? By comparing the purpose of the two websites, who the audience targeted is, how it appeals to ethos, the visuals used in the websites and whether or not the websites tell a story, the potential consumer can choose which hospital system is best for his or her care.Memorial Hermann And Methodist For Healthcare Essay

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As the potential consumer opens the pages of Memorial Hermann and Methodist’s website, similar tabs are at the top that identifies what these websites are and what their purpose is. Memorial Hermann website (www.memorialhermann.org/) has five tabs at the top of the page that identify what services they offer and help a person navigate to the area that pertains to them. “Services and Specialties, Patients and Caregivers, Healthcare Professionals, Research and Clinical Trials, and Employer Solutions”, all help the person looking at the website to focus quickly on the area they are interested in. Methodist Hospital website (http://www.houstonmethodist.org/) also has five tabs at the top of the web page that are similar, and help the person looking at the website navigate and focus on what they are concerned with: “For Patients, Services

MEMORIAL HERMANN OR METHODIST FOR HEALTH CARE? 2
Memorial Hermann or Methodist for Health Care? With so many hospitals to choose from, it can be difficult to decide which one is the best choice. Many companies have websites to promote their business and make their product appealing to potential consumers. Memorial Hermann Healthcare System and Methodist Hospital System are two large hospital systems in the Houston, Texas area.Memorial Hermann And Methodist For Healthcare Essay

Hospitals and care systems increasingly are looking for ways to improve efficiency and reduce overall
costs while also improving the overall patient experience. One often overlooked opportunity is
environmental sustainability. Making an active commitment to sustainability and aggressively pursuing
goals provides multiple strategic benefits that can help hospitals and care systems thrive.
Sustainability is a broad topic, but a simple definition is the ability of a system to continue doing what it’s
doing over time. A growing number of scientists are focusing on sustainability and global trends to make
the case that business as usual is unsustainable for our planet. Many organizations and campaigns are
focused on “green” initiatives and ways to become more environmental friendly. But to be continued
over time—to be truly sustainable—initiatives must be fiscally sound while also helping the community
and the environment.Memorial Hermann And Methodist For Healthcare Essay
Hospitals and care systems that accomplish truly sustainable initiatives reap benefits in multiple areas.
Their efforts contribute to a healthier environment, improve the organization’s public perception and
can help their local communities. Environmental sustainability is also good business, as it helps lower
operational costs and allows hospitals to direct more resources to patient care. These benefits can
help hospitals meet the Triple Aim—improving population health, improving the patient experience and
reducing per capita cost.1
Sustainability can improve population health by contributing to healthier communities, reducing pollution
and reducing the use of community resources such as water and energy. Sustainability can contribute
to a better patient experience by improving a hospital’s environment and public perception and by
promoting loyalty among patients concerned about the environment. Finally, sustainability can reduce
the per capita cost of health care by reducing health care expenses; for example, spending less money
on utilities enhances hospitals’ ability to free up resources for patient care.Memorial Hermann And Methodist For Healthcare Essay
The benefits of sustainability are more important than ever before. Hospitals and care systems are facing
incredible financial and regulatory pressures to make changes as the health care environment shifts
from a volume-based market to a value-based market. In a 2011 report “Hospitals and Care Systems of
the Future,” the American Hospital Association outlined key strategies hospitals must use to succeed
in the future, value-based environment. Achieving sustainability goals can help hospitals pursue several
strategies listed in the report, including becoming more efficient and focusing on population health.2
Most hospital CEOs rank financial pressures as their top concern.3
In the current health care climate,
sustainability efforts must be financially viable to succeed long term. Hospitals and care systems around
the country are already saving resources by adopting sustainability measures.
y PeaceHealth, a nine-hospital system serving Washington, Oregon and Alaska, created a strategic
energy management plan that cut energy use by 10 percent over three years, generating
$800,000 in savings annually.4
y Gundersen Health System, which serves Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota, made energy
reduction a priority in 2007, and by 2009 had achieved a 25 percent improvement in energy
efficiency and more than $1 million in annual savings.5
8 Environmental Sustainability in Hospitals: The Value of Efficiency Memorial Hermann And Methodist For Healthcare Essay
Implementing energy efficiency efforts—a major sustainability strategy—can help hospitals reduce costs
and protect scarce resources. However, hospitals by their very nature are energy-intensive facilities,
operating around the clock and using complex medical systems and equipment critical to patient care.
Hospitals often house departments that use a lot of energy, such as laundry, sterilization, food service,
refrigeration facilities and computer and data centers. The most recent data from the U.S. Energy
Information Administration states that large hospitals make up just 2 percent of commercial floor space
in the United States but use about 5.5 percent of energy delivered to the commercial sector.6
Rising energy costs coupled with the unique requirements of health care facilities are increasingly
leading to financial challenges. Health care organizations spend more than $6.5 billion on energy costs
every year.7
That figure represents a tremendous opportunity for savings. By trimming just 5 or 10
percent from energy bills, hospitals and care systems can make a real impact on their finances. Every
$1 a nonprofit hospital or care system saves on energy is equivalent to generating $20 in new hospital
revenues, and for-profit hospitals can raise their earnings by a penny a share by reducing energy costs
just 5 percent.8
Energy projects are just one of many sustainability strategies. By expanding sustainability
to encompass more than just energy reduction, hospitals and care systems can make even greater gains.
Many hospitals and care systems have made commitments to becoming more efficient in all aspects
through performance excellence initiatives, Lean training or the Baldrige award criteria. Sustainability
aligns well with all these efforts. Hospitals that can become more efficient through sustainability
initiatives have more resources to direct toward their missions of patient care.
In addition to cost savings, hospitals and care systems reap other benefits from become more
sustainable. CEOs of all fields most often cite the following drivers as the reasons they are pursuing
environmental sustainability initiatives:Memorial Hermann And Methodist For Healthcare Essay
y Improving brand image and reputation
y Saving money
y Increasing employee satisfaction and retention
y Managing risk and regulatory compliance
y Improving facility operations and pursuing performance excellence
y Demonstrating corporate social responsibility9
In addition to these benefits, sustainability also brings a variety of other benefits specific to the health
care field:
y With community health becoming a top priority for hospitals and care systems, many leaders
are placing greater value on reducing pollution and creating a smaller environmental footprint.
y Health care organizations are also increasingly pursuing Lean approaches to become more
efficient in various processes, a natural fit with sustainability efforts.
y Some sustainability efforts, such as retrocommissioning, can improve patient health by
contributing to lower infection rates and fewer patient transfers.10
The multiple drivers behind sustainability initiatives often overlap. Kaiser Permanente, for example, has
attracted headlines with its public commitment to respond to climate change and create a healthier
environment while saving millions of dollars through efficiency measures.11
9 Environmental Sustainability in Hospitals: The Value of Efficiency
This guide aims to help hospital and care system leaders navigate the world of sustainability and build
upon their organizations’ existing efforts. Hospitals are at different points on the journey toward
sustainability. Some organizations are leading the charge and developing best practices, while others are
addressing the issue for the first time. Leaders should consider options and determine what is right for
their organizations.Memorial Hermann And Methodist For Healthcare Essay
Environmental sustainability in hospitals is more than purchasing a single piece of energy-efficient
equipment. Efficient hospitals create a culture of sustainability that creates lasting change. These
sustainability efforts do not happen in hospitals and care systems without vision and commitment.
Rather, these efforts are the result of strategic thinking from leaders who are committed to creating a
culture of change.
It is important to note that reducing energy expenses and other costs through sustainability efforts is
only achievable if hospitals find solutions that work in the complex hospital facility. Switching to a more
environmentally friendly cleaning solution, for example, is not an option for hospitals unless it is proven
to kill germs and reduce infections as effectively as traditional products. The solutions and examples
included in this guide are all proven to be effective in health care facilities. More information can be
found on the AHA’s Sustainability Roadmap for Hospitals website (www.sustainabilityroadmap.org), an
online resource that includes detailed material tailored specifically to hospital and care system needs.Memorial Hermann And Methodist For Healthcare Essay