Want an efficient hospital? Ask ’why’ 1 million times

In 2009, SSM Health Care plans to open SSM St. Clare Health Center, a full-service acute-care center and state-of-the-art replacement for the 65-year-old SSM St. Joseph Hospital in Kirkwood, MO. The $236 million hospital is scheduled to open on March 30. SSM officials sought to streamline the healthcare delivery process through a facility that maximizes patient and practitioner efficiency. They started by scrutinizing processes like outpatient admissions and emergency department procedures and soliciting opinions from staff, physicians and patients.