Enhancing Organizational and Operational Efficiencies in Health Care Safety Net Providers

Improving the operational and organizational efficiencies of the health care safety net is increasingly important in this economic climate. This presentation examines how safety net organizations, including Federally Qualified Health Centers and community-based free clinics, can enhance the efficient delivery of health care, and highlights ways that clinics measure efficiency. Results presented are from interviews conducted with executive directors, medical directors, clinic managers and clerical staff at 25 safety net organizations throughout the State of Michigan.

This study is a major contribution to the field because, while some documented strategies exist, there is a lack of universal benchmarks related to how efficiency is defined, measured and improved in safety net organizations. Given the increasing number of uninsured and underinsured individuals in the U.S., potential gains in efficiency are especially germane for safety net organizations. With limited resources, theses beacons of hope in the community often serve the maximum number of patients while providing the highest possible quality of care and preserving human dignity.

Partnering with outside organizations, appointment scheduling, data collection, and process design are central elements to ensuring efficiency. Our results illuminate best practices and common challenges by underscoring the diverse tactics safety net clinics utilize to sustain organizational and operational efficiency. We highlight the need for safety net organizations, practitioners and policymakers to understand what efficient clinic practices exist. We also offer recommendations for safety net organizations to make optimal use of available resources and potentially expand service to a larger percentage of their target populations.