Who is a healthcare consultant?

A particularly good question. A healthcare consultant is a professional who can help you plan your hospital venture and implement and execute the daily operations of your healthcare facility and also strategize for your future growth and expansion. In short, a healthcare consultant can guide you in your journey towards healthcare entrepreneurial success at every stage, in every little aspect, from start to finish, from beginning to end.

Ways in which a Healthcare consultant can help you

1. Help you make tough decisions

There are numerous decisions that you will have to make even before the foundation stone of your hospital project is laid. As a first-time healthcare entrepreneur, every little decision may seem like a daunting task and every tony blunder may cascade into an avalanche of trouble and unwanted costs. A healthcare consultant can help you in making all these important decisions.

2. Aid you in Site selection

The first step in building a hospital is determining the right site for its construction. A hospital consultant can help you select the best location for your venture after due study of your individual case and assessing factors like budget, aspired growth, size, specialty etc.

3. Provide you with a Feasibility study

Even before you start your business, you should know if it will be practical and profitable eventually. You should be aware of whether your investment will be justified, and you will garner returns after a period of time has elapsed. This is known as financial feasibility. A healthcare consultant can assess various parameters like market scrutiny, competitor analysis, core strength study and can present you with a feasibility report which will help you determine if your venture is really worth your time, your efforts, and your investment.

4. Assist you in garnering Funding

Constructing and operating a hospital is an enormous task and involves mammoth funds. You may need external investment to make your dream a reality. A healthcare consultant can aid you in garnering these funds from banks, financial institutions, or private investors. He/ she can also negotiate on your behalf for the best possible rates of interest and terms of return.

5. Aid you in Construction, layout, and interior planning

A healthcare consultant can help you design the blueprint of your hospital with consideration to various design elements and the specific needs of a healthcare facility. He or she will be able to merge aesthetics with functionality to give you space optimization and workflow maximization in your hospital blueprints.

6. Assist you in Equipment planning

Any hospital requires an array of medical equipment. The plethora of choices available in the market today may muddle and confuse you. A Healthcare consultant can help you select the right equipment that is best suited to your hospital. He/ she can also negotiate the terms of guarantee, warrantee, maintenance, repair, and replacement on your behalf. Knowing the nitty-gritties of this segment, the healthcare consultant can help you zero in on the best vendor or supplier for your medical equipment.

7. Spare you tedious legwork

Healthcare involves a heap of legal documentation and regulatory tedium. This involves many hours of collating of necessary paperwork for procuring licences and accreditations. A hospital consultant can do all this humdrum running- around on your behalf.

8. Help you in strategizing

To be viable and make profits eventually, you will have to construct a long-term business strategy. A healthcare consultant can help you devise this map to success, aptly fitting your goals. He/ she can formulate tactics for daily operations and long-term profit garnering as well as action plans for dealing with changing trends of the market too.

9. Help you navigate through competition and build your brand image

A healthcare consultant will also give you a comprehensive idea about your competitors’ activities and guide you on how to stay a step ahead of competition always. A healthcare consultant can help you create an appealing perception and construct a sturdy brand image which your potential customers can connect with through thoughtful campaigns and image building exercises. He/ she can help you garner the power of multi-pronged media to make you visible and relevant in the world of social media so that your potential client feels a deep connect with your brand. This will help you forge a long-standing bond and create a legacy of loyalty and trust.

10. Help your hospital adapt, expand, and grow

As the healthcare segment evolves at the blink of an eye, staying abreast with changes is an uphill task. A healthcare consultant can help you predict and proactively adapt to these transformations.

Growth is inevitable when you aim for excellence at every step. A healthcare consultant can help you strategize for expansion and growth. If mergers and acquisitions are in your mind, a healthcare consultant can devise a plan for seamless and smooth transition

11. Help you set quality standards

Quality assurance has to be a signature of healthcare. To set a benchmark in quality, you will have to establish a stringent set of operating procedures. A healthcare consultant can guide you on how to establish this protocol and handhold you through the quality assessment checks carried out by regulatory bodies.

12. Help you erect pricing structures

Deciding what to charge for a particular service or treatment is difficult. A Healthcare consultant can help you decide your pricing structure after a study of your core competency and your competitors’ pricing.

13. Help you install Management information systems

A healthcare consultancy firm can help you install and operate management information system for maintaining patient records and seamless sharing of information between departments and errorless paperwork.

14. Assist you in Recruitment, training and retaining medical workforce

Healthcare is a highly specialized segment and necessitates a team of extremely dedicated, skilled, and emotionally well-versed people. Getting a skilled workforce to man various positions in your healthcare facility is of paramount importance. A healthcare consultant can aid you in recruiting, training, and retaining the right blend of talent. He/ she can help you devise effective reimbursement packages and retainment plans.

To summarize, a healthcare consultant is truly your partner in the planning, operations, and success of your healthcare facility. If you need a reliable partner in your endeavour, be sure to get in touch with Hospertz.

Blog has been written by Dr. Vishal Jadhav, a veteran in the field of hospital consultancy with a rich experience of more than 20 years and founder of the Healthcare Consultancy. Firm, Hospertz.

Dr. Vishal Jadhav, Director

hospertz@gmail.com
+91 9867712705/ 9820833149