Administrative Analysis of a Hospital Based Mental Health Outpatient Service: A Case Study

摘要

This paper is an administrative case study of a mental health outpatient service functioning within the framework of a community general hospital. Data from existing sources were combined in unique ways to analyze patient sociodemogrpahics, staff productivity, unit costs, and the overall financial solvency of the program. The typical patient can be sociodemographically described as an unmarried white female between eighteen and thirty-four years of age. The average patient is Catholic, lower income level, and has had psychiatric treatment in the recent past. Analysis showed that although staff productivity had increased substantially over the past three years as measured in patient visits per 100 staff hours, there are indications that it was lower than that of other hospital-based psychiatric clinics in the state. The financial analysis showed that large low-income allowances, bad debt write-offs, and accounts receivables substantially reduced revenues from operations. Net revenues from operations did not cover the direct operating costs of the clinic, resulting in substantial operating losses.