Question

Cincinnati Children's Hospital had used six single-detector CT units to serve patients. The CT scans were useful for diagnosis of medical diseases through the body. In 2014 these units had been used for multiple shifts throughout the day to scan about 55,00 patients. The components of the process included patient preparation, the actual scan, and image reconstruction. One nurse and one CT technologist were required to carry out the tasks for each scan. (This is staffing need for operating each scanner machine). The hospital had six rooms to house the six CT machines, and a common waiting area for all patients. The steps in the scanning process were as follows:

1.) the nurse first went and located the patient in the waiting room (2 mins)

2.) the nurse then moved the patient from the waiting area into the CT scanning room (2 mins)

3.) the nurse placed the IV line for contract injection (2 mins) At the same time, the CT technologist selected the CT scan protocol and prepared the machine (3 mins)

4.) the technologist performed the CT scan (17 mins)

5.) then the technologist monitored the CT image reconstruction (10 mins), and coded and distributed the CT image (2 mins). At the same time, the nurse assisted the patient off the table (1 min), retired the patient to the changing area (2 mins), change the linens and cleaned the CT scan room (2 mins), refilled the contract injector (3 mins)

From that point on, the process repeated for each new patient.

The revenue per CT scan was $500. In terms of the expenses, the hospital paid nurses $50 per hours, and technologists $35 per hour. The supplies were estimated to be $50 per scan.

Answer the following questions:

1.)Draw the process flow map for the original CT scan process (you can fosse on one of the six single-scanner processes) clearly label the tasks, job flows, and activity times.  

2.)Normally hospitals schedule patient visits so that the scanners are fully utilized during the opening hours. (note we are not considering the scanners for ER serving on a need basis) As such, it is reasonable to assume during opening hours, the hospital will schedule as many patients as the process can possibly handle, which means, demand rate always equals CT scanner process capacity. Now consider the CT scan process.:

a.) which resource is the bottleneck? Why?

b.)What is the process capacity?

c.)Based on this capacity, how many opening hours should they have annually? Is it realistically possible?  

d.)How would you like to calculate the hourly revenue, hourly cost and hourly profit product by the scanner processes?

Answer 1

1.)Draw the process flow map for the original CT scan process (you can fosse on one of the six single-scanner processes) clearly label the tasks, job flows, and activity times.  

The nurse first went and located the patient in the waiting room (2 mins) The nurse then moved the patient from the waiting area into the CT scanning room (2 mins) The CT technologist selected the The nurse placed the IV line for CT scan protocol and prepared contract injection the machine (2 mins) (3 mins) The technologist performed the CT scan (17 mins) The nurse assisted the patient off The technologist monitored the htable (1 min), retired the CT image reconstruction (10 mins), and coded and distributed mins), change the linens and the CT image (2 mins). patient to the changing area (2 cleaned the CT scan room (2 mins), refilled the contract injector (3 mins) (12 mins) (8mins)

1. which resource is the bottleneck? Why?

The nurses availability was consider as a bottle neck because during the procedure around 17 minutes they don’t have any work but it is not possible to go to the wating hall call the patient, because they have too receive the patient after the process

b.)What is the process capacity?

5500 per year

c.)Based on this capacity, how many opening hours should they have annually? Is it realistically possible?  

5500 per year means in a day around 15 scans, yes it is realistically possible

d.)How would you like to calculate the hourly revenue, hourly cost and hourly profit product by the scanner processes?

Revenue is 500$ Per scan and total cost is 135$per hour

Total time for 15 scans in a day take only maximum 8 hours

Total cost will be 135*8= 1080 and total income will be 500* 15= 7500$

Total profit will be 6420$

So hourly profit will be around 802.5$ and hourly cost will be 135$