Operations Management at St. Alexius Medical Center

Based on Video 1 on the Student DVD

St. Alexius Medical Center has eight Centers of Excellence, one of which is their Pediatrics Center. Like all businesses, the St. Alexius Pediatrics Center must bring inventory, capacity, facilities, and workforce resources together to create value in ways that patients feel is superior to alternative pediatrics treatment centers. St. Alexius has designed a new Pediatrics Center facility to meet this challenge.

1. In their study of other hospitals that was done prior to the Operations Plan, what did they find out about customer expectations? How does this link to St. Alexius's creation of value?
2. In the new design, what are the considerations being made to better manage inventory and suppliers, capacity, the facilities, and the workforce?
3. Are the value components of cost, quality, and timeliness important for the St. Alexius Pediatrics Center? How would patients (and their parents) define the components of value? How will the new facility enhance these components?
4. Like other businesses, changes are often driven by technological advances. What technologies are driving changes at St. Alexius?
5. Examine the St. Alexius Medical Center Web site at www.stalexius.org. Read the “About St. Alexius” information and describe how, in general, St. Alexius characterizes itself.

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