Babson Case Number: BAB034 | Length: 18 Pages

Abstract

The West Coast University Student Health Services - Primary Care Clinic case integrates issues in service operations, organization behavior and applications of management science models such as simulation and queuing theory. A complete analysis of the case includes understanding process flows, computing utilization levels and using models of the stochastic arrival rate and service rates of the existing and proposed systems. In addition, the student has to deal with the managerial issues that are involved in running an ambulatory care center. This case can be used in any of the following stand-alone courses: Quantitative Methods / Decision Sciences, Operations Management, Service Operations and Human Resources / Organizational Behavior. Since this case was developed and used in a combined quantitative methods, operations, and organizational behavior cluster class at Babson College, the teaching note will address all these issues.

The Primary Care Clinic is the only walk-in clinic on campus and presently works under a “triage” system. The Student Health Services (along with PCC) is scheduled to move to a new facility and this move is seen by the director of the PCC as a good opportunity to review and improve on the present service delivery process and system. Three broad objectives have been identified for the new system: reduce the waiting time for seeing a healthcare provider, transform the perception of the clinic as an impersonal bureaucracy, and improve the student perceptions (especially non-users) about the performance and effectiveness of the PCC. In order to achieve these objectives, a new system of teams of clinicians (doctors and nurse practitioners) has been proposed.