Reasons:
- Another leader/VP saw an advertisement or has worked with contractors at a previous hospital
- Your hospital became a part of a network of other hospitals
- They want Room Service
- They want healthier foods for patients and families – wellness options
- They want locally sourced foods
- They see it as a “quick fix” for problems such as recruiting leadership, financial concerns and poor quality food service
Why this is NOT the best option:
- There are costs associated with going with a contractor
- Cost to do an RFP (Request for Proposal)
- Management fees
- Bill backs
- Loss of rebates
- Few or challenging options of canceling a contract if needed
What you can do to prevent or avoid contract companies:
- Your budget should be defensible not based on our own history by with outside benchmark hospital comparisons
- Patient experience scores need to be the best
- Survey scores – no deficiencies
- Recruit and train top talent
- Know the union contract and have a strong employee/union relationship
- Understand and be involved in hospital initiatives. Think in terms of the whole not just your own department
- Know your competition who are the contractors and what are their strengths and tactics. They are knocking on your administrator’s door.
DM&A gives Self-Op Support (SOS):
- Assist with management coaching
- Benchmarked – Know Your Numbers
- Malnutrition reimbursement program
- Assist with writing Request for Proposals
- Healthy retail and action stations
- Interim leadership staffing and/or recruiting
- Software decision making
- Network standardization
