Shouldice Hospital Case Study
Shouldice Hospital Case Study Calvin Barron Liberty University March 2, 2010 Respectfully submitted to Prof. Scott McLaughlin Overview The Shouldice Hospital serves as a glaring example of extraordinary service and care for the impaired and needy. From carpeting and soft lighting to doting personal care from the staff, the Shouldice experience sets a standard of excellence for the industry. Dr. Earl Shouldice displayed an early desire for medical understanding with an age 12 exploratory of a farm animal. Medical training at the University of Toronto led to a private practice after World War One. An appendectomy of an obstinate young child led to questioning of his medical training concerning surgical recovery. The child’s refusal to remain still and bedfast after surgery led to the present “Shouldice method”. The consideration of immediate ambulation promoting quicker recoveries was proven by the observation and inspection of numerous cases following the stubborn child who refused to sit still. Dr. Shouldice used the following years to study and improve on these observations. The Shouldice Hospital was founded to use these observations to promote and capitalize on his proven method of hernia repair. In something of an assembly line method, Dr. Shouldice designed and developed his current factory type facility. Textual Concepts Competitive Service Strategies from pages 38-41 of the text offers strategies to further the expansion of the Shouldice hospital service methodology. Service and Design Elements from pages 68-69 highlight Shouldice Hospital in the text specifically. Deming’s Plan-Do-Check-Act system of continuous improvement on page 146 of the text seems the basis of Shouldice’s methodology. Deming’s 14 Point program from page 154 of the text offers some important steps which could be used to softly promote progress within the Shouldice program. Franchising from page 343 of the text offers an answer to
References: Fitzsimmons, J. A. & Fitzsimmons, M. J. (2008). _Service Management: Operations, Strategy, and Information Technology_ (6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Heskett, James (2003) MBS-Harvard Business Case, Shouldice Hospital Ltd., Harvard Business Cases MBS Direct, Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston, MA 02163