MANAGING A PALLIATIVE ONCOLOGY PROGRAM - THE ROLE OF A BUSINESS PLAN

Today's health-care environment demands that palliative-care programs operate in a businesslike manner. This report summarizes the business plan and the process followed to develop the Palliative Care Program a t the Cleveland Clinic Foundation (CCF). The benefits generated from t his effort and the lessons canted that may be helpful to other program managers are described. By disciplining itself to focus on financial, marketing, and operational issues, the Palliative Care Program is in a better position to advance its clinical services within the organiza tion and in its market area, and can thereby serve its patients more e ffectively.