In a message dated 10/9/2003 9:43:56 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes:

> I left my job as a hospital based LC because of this skewed math.  It has
> always amazed me that "bean counters" couldn't seem to do the simple math to
> determine that our hospital needed more than the LCs that
> we had to give
> good service.


The official "bean counters" are looking at the big picture and they are juggling a lot of aspects of it. They have accounting or business versus clinical backgrounds. The official bean counters haven't a real clue regarding individual departments' needs nor should they. That isn't their job.

Department management with the help of department eployees are responsible for determining the kind of staff the department needs and for validating via figures that need and the positive patient outcomes that are expected by implementing a proposal. The wise director will include plenty on how expected outcomes may be linked to maintained or improved department revenue. Department management is also responsible for advocating further if a proposal is turned down, because chances are they didn't do the greatest job of presenting the financial or other rationale to help the bean counters or Adminstrators "get" a proposal.

We clinical types often don't have a knowledge or expertise in the financial end, and we often don't have an inclination in that direction or we'd have gone into that vs. clinical work. However, we also don't always get involved to provide a Director with the info needed to develop or advocate for a proposal nor do we always use the communication channels available to us when we don't get the answer we want.

I know it would help the bean counters to walk a mile in our shoes, but it also can be a revelation to walk a mile in theirs.

Karen

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