Project Management Skills for Healthcare

Book excerpt: Project management skills are valuable for any healthcare project, not just technology projects. Non-technology activities that would benefit from project management skills include implementing a new policy housewide, updating training for use of the electronic health record (EHR), creating a new orientation program, quality assurance activities, submitting an article or presentation, writing a research proposal, or opening a new patient care unit. In addition, project management skills are not just for project managers, but they can be used by anyone leading these types of activities, such as managers, staff, educators, and researchers. Many books on healthcare project management have been focused on technology projects while non-technology projects flounder without the required knowledge or skills of the person leading the project. The purpose of this book is to discuss these skills based on the Project Management Institute (PMI) standards in a way that non-project managers would be able to understand and apply. Concepts from project initiation through project closure will be presented twice, first for novices and then for project leaders with more advanced skills. Practical, accessible, and containing numerous examples for each phase of the PMI Framework, this book will be a valuable resource for all healthcare professionals and both novice and experienced project managers.