PROJECT PLAN OVERVIEW
Georgia Neurology and Sleep Medicine Associates is a multispecialty, single physician practice which specializes in providing medical care to adult patients experiencing neurological and/or sleep disorders. The staff consists of the owner/physician, one nurse, one nurse practitioner, three front office staff personnel, and one office manager. Since its open in March of 2001 the patient volume has already increased by more than 35%.
Problem Statement
Although the growing patient volume is good for business, the ability to provide services for new and returning patients in a timely manner has been minimized. The practice is currently able to schedule the physician to see a maximum of 20 patients per day, Monday through
Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. "Extended waiting times and delays between appointments have plagued healthcare systems for years" Murray, 2003, p.13). Currently a patient visit consists of check in at the front office, the nurse takes the patient to a room and takes vitals, the nurse practitioner evaluates and diagnoses symptoms, and the physician reviews the evaluation, confirms or changes diagnoses, treats and/or discharges the patient with a prescription to check out.
Because there is only one physician in the practice there is a limited ability to treat patients daily during established operating hours. The physician in the practice, would like to increase the ability to service and treat more patients daily, increase revenue, and decrease the waiting period for new and return office visit appointments; without adding a physician to the practice.
Project
The project allows the nurse practition ...