> Very, very, very well said.
>
> Steve Krompf
> Librarian
> Greater SE Community Hospital
> Washington, DC
> [log in to unmask]
>

> Cathy Wolfson wrote:
>
> > Debbie:
> >
> > Thanks for sharing the reply from Jack Cooper, Ph.D.  What field is the
> > Ph.D. in?
> >
> > > >Competitive Intelligence (CI) is an extremely misunderstood, yet extremely
> > > >valuable tool for today's hospitals to utilize in achieving their market
> > > >share. Hospital librarians are typically not trained in the strategic and
> > > >management skills required to maximize their respective potential to the
> > > >hospital beyond their present role, regarding CI.
> >
> > I wonder about this.  The types of activities Ian Smith's article
> > described can be done by me and my colleagues without additional training.
> > In an academic setting our focus would be somewhat different, but I have
> > no trouble understanding what he was talking about and have some pretty
> > good ideas of how to achieve it.  I suspect most of the rest of you
> > MEDLIBBERS do as well.
> >
> > > >I think it fair to say that most hospitals are in financial difficulty, and
> > > >community hospitals rely heavily on the "Development Fund", rather than
> > > >making a profit as all businesses must do.
> >
> > > >Health care employee's today must understand that the Federal and State
> > > >government can no longer afford to support hospitals as they have since the
> > > >Hill-Burton Act. Hospitals must become competitive or file for bankruptcy.
> > > >Today across the United States, statistics show that we have 50% to many
> > > >hospital beds!
> >
> > Oh?  Why?  Why can't the Federal and State governments subsidize?  I ask
> > this question in a very broad, big picture kind of sense.  Yes, given the
> > types of expenditures in which they engage now, increased subsidies are
> > probably not an option.  But we need as a nation and social group to ask
> > if those expenditures are really what contribute to the public weal?  Are
> > we emphasizing the "provid[ing] for the common defense" over "insur[ing]
> > domestic Tranquility" and "promot[ing] the general Welfare"?  I think we
> > are.
> >
> > And by whose definition do we have 50% too many hospital beds?  Here in
> > Tucson, for instance, ERs are overflowing to the extent that people are
> > being turfed to Phoenix and San Diego.  Because many of Arizona's working
> > poor, uninsured, wait until their health deteriorates to the point that
> > they can no longer ignore the problem, and their only recourse is the ER.
> > Shouldn't some of these people be in these "excess" beds?  Or how about
> > the people being discharged with edema swelling an entire leg?  With
> > drainage tubes which need professional management?  "Drive by" baby
> > deliveries?
> >
> > > >Forty percent of those hospitals that have filed for bankruptcy did so due
> > > >to not meeting or understanding the competitive role that their competition
> > > >played in their demise (bankruptcy).
> >
> > Excuse me, we are talking about health and LIVES here, not about
> > competition in manufacturing and selling widgets!  Hospitals should NOT be
> > competing against one another!
> >
> > > >Gathering data is not what CI is. Nor is converting this data to
> > > >information. It is the gathering of data, conversion of this data to
> > > >information, and the strategic implementation of goals to gain or retain
> > > >market share that defines what CI is.
> >
> > I do agree that librarians could make more use of CI techniques.  But NOT
> > to improve competitive edge, but to improve health care!  That's what
> > we're here for.
> >
> > --Cathy
> >
> > Catherine L. Wolfson                        Health Sciences Library
> > Information Services Librarian              University of Arizona
> > [log in to unmask]                   1501 N. Campbell Ave.
> > Tel:  520-626-2927                          P.O. Box 245079
> > Fax:  520-626-2922                          Tucson, AZ  85724-5079