Question 1 Defining a Project

One of your employees is confused about what is a project and what is a new process/procedure. She has given you a list of changes going on at your facility and asked you to help her understand. Review the situations described below. Indicate whether each situation meets the definition of a project or not. Explain to her why it is or is not a project.

                                                 Which Scenarios Are Projects?

                                                                     Scenario

           Project

Yes

No

1. The assistant director is ordering the annual supply of medical record folders. He is taking bids from vendors to get the best price.

2. You are developing a new performance improvement (PI) program. Data will be abstracted into an information system with reports being generated monthly.

3. You are converting your filing system from alphabetic to terminal digit.

4. You are installing new cubicles in the HIM department.

5. The state is updating its electronic birth certification software. It will be rolling out to all the hospitals over the next six months.

6. The information management plan is being revised. The HIM special projects coordinator has been given sole responsibility of the revision.

7. You are developing new productivity standards for your HIM functions.

8.  Your joint commission survey is scheduled sometime around the end of the year. You have a lot of work to ensure that everything is in place

9. The annual coding update has been sent to you for installation.

10. The monthly employee newsletter is being written for release next week.

Question 2 Creating a Gantt Chart

You are in charge of the implementation of the new admit discharge transfer (ADT)/master patient index (MPI) installation. Your go-live date is December 1. Today’s date is March 3. You have been asked to create a first draft of a Gantt chart for the implementation process.

Create a Gantt chart that will include, at a minimum, the following:

• A list of tasks that must be completed
• The date each task must be started
• The date to be completed, with estimated number of days to completion
• The employee responsible for each task (can include more than just the employees listed below)
• The predecessors, if any, must be entered (what has to be done before the step can be done; for example, you cannot start implementing the computer system until a contract is signed and hardware has been installed)

In order to develop the Gantt chart, you have been asked to work with a committee consisting of the following:

• HIM director
• Admissions
• Business office director
• Project manager
• Network administrator
• Chief information officer
• Vendor representative
• Programmer

Question 3. There is a wide variety of software options available for project management, Search for project management tools and compare at least two of them. Evaluate aspects including cost, ease of use, unique features, advantages, and disadvantages of each. Recommend one based on your research