Patent ID: 7657445

Claim:
A healthcare facility management system comprising: a data terminal at a healthcare facility located in a geographic location having regulatory required hours of care to be provided to a patient per day based upon the acuity level of the patient; and a management control unit having a processor, the processor configured to: receive patient census data indicating the total number of patients present in the facility and the acuity level of each patient; compute a census projection for a predetermined period of time based upon received patient census data; calculate total budgeted clinical hours for the facility from the patient census data and a predetermined number of hours of care to be provided to a patient per day based upon the acuity level of the patient; automatically determine total required clinical hours for the facility from the patient census data and the regulatory required number of hours of care to be provided to a patient per day based upon the acuity level of the patient; monitor clinical hours provided at the facility; compare clinical hours provided at the facility to total clinical hours budgeted to project a deficit or surplus between total actual clinical hours provided and total budgeted clinical hours; compute a burn rate based upon at least the total clinical hours budgeted and actual clinical hours provided, the burn rate indicating a rate of revenue loss or gain; compute projected profit or loss for the facility for the predetermined period of time based upon at least the burn rate and the census projection; compare clinical hours provided at the facility to total required clinical hours to project a deficit or surplus between total actual clinical hours provided and total required clinical hours; and provide a staffing schedule adjustment recommendation based upon the projected profit or loss and a comparison of clinical hours provided and projected deficit or surplus such that: actual clinical hours provided will be no greater than the total clinical hours budgeted and no less than the total required clinical hours for each facility; and a computation based upon at least the adjusted staffing schedule and the census projection will indicate a profit for the facility.