Shouldice Hospital Analysis

Group Case 1

Shouldice Hospital

Dr. Earle Shouldice founded the Shouldice Hospital, located 15 miles outside of Toronto, Canada. Dr. Shouldice was deeply interested in post-recovery ambulation, and was very keen to notice the body’s ability to function actively following minor surgical procedures. There were several factors that Dr. Shouldice studied, which were thought to contribute to early ambulation following surgery. Some of these factors included: “the use of local anesthetic, the nature of the surgical procedure itself, the design of the facility to encourage movement without unnecessarily causing discomfort, and the postoperative regimen designed and communicated by the medical team” (Heskett, 2003). His interests and the study of these factors lead Dr. Shouldice to develop a superior hernia operating procedure, and recovery regimen. In 1945, the Shouldice Hospital was opened to treat hernia repair, specifically external types of abdominal hernias. Dr. Shouldice and his hospital forged a reputation for providing excellent service and support for his patients through their nurses, doctors, employees, and the well-designed facility. The quality and consistency of the surgeries, along with a low recurrence rate of 0.8% over 30 years, led to Shouldice’s growth from a six room facility to an 89 bed, 17,000 square foot facility built on 130 acres.

The table, shown below, depicts the overall process structure for Shouldice Hospital:

Process Structure

Input: Patient in need of a hernia repair

Flow: Flow unit is one surgery. Average flow rate, throughput (R) is 30 to 36 surgeries per day

Output/Product: Patient who had actual surgery for the hernia repair

Resources:

Capital – 89 bed, 17,000 square foot estate on 130 acres; 5 operating rooms with surgical supplies and equipment; exercise equipment; information systems

Labor - 22 full-time and 18 part-time nurses; 12 full-time...