Managing hospital relocation from an industrial engineering perspective

The relocation of a hospital to a replacement site involves the relocation of patients, employees, equipment, and processes. It represents a challenging project that can be divided into a number of stages, including preparation, relocation, and pacification phases, with the need to improve document, information, and patient flow in the new facility, and deal with incoming patients during the relocation process, etc., in a timely manner. In this paper, critical issues in the process of relocating patients, employees and equipment are identified and a road-map with standard, step-by-step procedures are proposed to streamline processes, ensure patient safety, and minimize project costs. A new method, focused on Group Technology (GT), along with engineering management tools, such as cost hierarchy analysis and stakeholder matrix, is proposed to keep the relocation organized and fluent. This research endeavor is motivated by a transition project of a healthcare provider located in south New Jersey.