Hospitals and health systems interested in building or strengthening their ambulatory care networks need to be prepared to challenge the status quo, according to Mark Coughlin, senior vice president of advisory services at Hammes Company. Ambulatory settings are quite different from inpatient ones, and require a different mindset and operating philosophy than most hospital or health system leaders are used to, he says. However, for hospitals and health systems to succeed in population health management, they must be willing to invest in new care models and break free from the modus operandi of only treating the sick.
Ambulatory facilities vs. hospitals
“Ambulatory care is a very different operating environment. It’s a much more retail-focused mindset and requires different management capabilities [than hospitals],” Mr. Coughlin says. First, convenience and accessibility is a more important factor in consumers’ decisions about outpatient centers than for inpatient care or hospitals’ outpatient departments.
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